LESS THAN THREE WEEKS REMAIN TO EXPERIENCE THE
MUST-SEE EXHIBITION OF THE SUMMER AT
THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
Kids 12 and under are FREE through September 5
Philadelphia, – More than 200 years after his unanimous election as the first president of the United States, George Washington still remains one of the most popular figures in American history. Visitors to the National Constitution Center overwhelmingly agree that Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon is the “can’t miss” exhibition of the summer. Only a short time remains to learn more about the man behind the iconic face on the dollar bill. As summer draws to a close, Washington, too, will bid farewell to Philadelphia on September 5, 2011. Plus, families won’t want to miss the incredible opportunity to save a “pocketful of Washingtons” when they visit – the Center’s first ever Kids Free Summer promotion also concludes on September 5.
“Washington’s legacy is evident throughout the Philadelphia region, but the truth between fact and fiction is often debated,” said National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner. “In Discover the Real George Washington, visitors follow the ‘Father of Our Country’ as a young boy trying to find his place in society to the man whose unfaltering leadership led him on a path to become the first president of the United States. This exhibition is a must see for every audience, from families to history aficionados – who may even be surprised to learn a thing or two.”
Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon made its Philadelphia debut at the National Constitution Center on July 1. The exhibition was organized by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named.
The Center has paired the exhibition with its first-ever Kids Free Summer promotion: free admission to the Center for up to four children (ages 12 and under) with one paying adult. The promotion applies to both general admission and group reservations.
Discover the Real George Washington gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at our nation’s first president through his achievements, legacies, family, intellectual pursuits, and entrepreneurial ventures. The 6,500-square-foot exhibition is organized into eleven sections, each focusing on a specific aspect of Washington’s life, including:
· An Ambitious Youth
· A Dauntless Warrior
· A Troubled Slaveholder
· Uneasy in the Mouth
· Beloved Hero
Nearly 100 objects from Mount Vernon’s world-class collection, including full-scale figures of Washington, architectural models, decorative and fine art items, maps, manuscripts, and paintings reveal the personal side of Washington and uncover his roles as an entrepreneur, farmer, and businessman. Highlights include:
- An original set of Washington’s dentures
- Several original works of art, including Gilbert Stuart’s classic Washington portrait
- Three full-size, life-like figures of Washington based on the latest forensic research showing him:
- As a teenaged, red-haired surveyor from Virginia just prior to the French and Indian War
- As a Revolutionary War hero atop his horse, Blueskin, in a snow-covered forest at Valley Forge
- During his presidential inauguration ceremony at Federal Hall in New York City
- The Washington family Bible
- Original pieces of Martha Washington’s jewelry
Visitors also will have the opportunity to view videos by The History Channel, focusing on religion, slavery, espionage, Washington’s dentures, his state-of-the-art gristmill, and the creation of the life-like Washington figures seen in the exhibition.
In addition, interactive touch screens and immersive environments will bring stories to life for visitors of all ages. Guests can sit on a full-size replica of Washington’s pew at Pohick Church, as well as explore detailed models of Fort Necessity and Washington’s Mansion and estate, gristmill, and 16-sided treading barn.
Admission to Discover the Real George Washington is $15 for adults and $14 for seniors (ages 65 and up) and students. Children ages 12 and under and active military are FREE. Group rates also are available. Admission to the Center’s main exhibition, The Story of We the People, including the award-winning theater production Freedom Rising, is included. iPod audio tours cost an additional $5. For ticket information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.
6abc is the official media partner of Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon. 6abc is the home of Action News – the #1 local news brand in the tri-state, and the undisputed news leader for the past 35 years. 6abc.com, the official website of Action News, also is the #1 local TV news website in the market. 6abc/WPVI-TV is the ABC-owned station serving the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys.
The exhibition was designed by MFM Design, Inc. and fabricated by Explus, Inc. The forensic figures of George Washington were created by StudioEIS.
To coincide with Discover the Real George Washington and the President’s House at Independence National Historical Park, the Center also is hosting The President’s House: Their Untold Stories in Quilts in Posterity Hall through September 5, 2011. This collection of art quilts celebrates the humanity, dignity, and courage of the nine enslaved persons owned by George and Martha Washington at the President’s House.
Created by a multiracial and multicultural group of both internationally acclaimed and novice quilt artists, the quilts are intended to stimulate dialogue about slavery and freedom in the paradigm of democracy. Admission to The President’s House: Their Untold Stories in Quilts is FREE with regular museum admission. Additional quilts are on display at the Independence Visitor Center and the African American Museum in Philadelphia.
In addition to the exhibitions, the Center has created a special map and brochure featuring locations in the greater Philadelphia region that have significant connections to George Washington’s story. For the complete “Summer of Washington” experience, guests are encouraged to visit sites such as Independence National Historical Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Washington Crossing Historic Park, President’s House Site, Brandywine Battle Historic Site, and Historic Germantown, among others. “Summer of Washington” maps will be available at each partner location. The Center is pleased to partner on this initiative with the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, the City of Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Historic Philadelphia, Inc., Independence National Historical Park, the Independence Visitor Center, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Visit Bucks County.
The Center also is offering a web-based application for iPhone, iPad and Android called the GEOrge Tracker, which allows users to see where Washington slept, dined, spoke, met, and planned his adventures throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding countryside.
About Mount Vernon
Since 1860, over 80 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens the most popular historic home in America. Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.” Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853. A picturesque drive to the southern end of the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located just 16 miles from the nation’s capital. For more information, visit www.MountVernon.org.
About the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
The Donald W Reynolds foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded by the late media entrepreneur for whom it was named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, the Reynolds Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. For more information, visit www.DWReynolds.org.
About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents. The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues. The museum dramatically tells the story of the
Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, “Freedom Rising.” The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education. Also, as a nonpartisan forum for constitutional discourse, the Center presents – without endorsement – programs that contain diverse viewpoints on a broad range of issues. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.
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