Historic Mount Vernon Reintroduces George Washington
Two buildings currently under construction are set to
revolutionize the visitor
experience at George Washingtons historic estate. The Ford
Orientation Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and
Education Center are the major components of a $95 million
campaign by George Washingtons Mount Vernon to restore The
Father of His Country to his rightful place of honor and
distinction in America. The state-of-the-art buildings will shed
light on different chapters of Washingtons life including early
adulthood, military leadership, and his presidency. The new
facilities will open by the end of 2006.
All of our visitors will
benefit from these exciting new buildings, but groups will be
especially affected with a new ticket entrance and visitor
amenities designed just for them, said Stephanie Brown,
associate director for Public Affairs. And with so much more to
see indoors, we anticipate that even more tour operators will
make Mount Vernon a must-see, whether its a cold snowy day or
100 degrees outside.
Mount Vernon features an 18-minute movie reenacting the defining
moment of the Revolutionary War Washington crossing the Delaware
River. The movie reintroduces visitors to
Washington and the events that defined his leadership and
character. The movie, included with admission, will be presented
at the Ford Orientation Center in rotation in two adjacent
theaters with total seating for 450 viewers.
After seeing the movie, guests can engage in interactive
galleries and media displays, including short films produced by
The History Channel and different multi-sensory experiences.
Three life-sized models created by a team of artists and
forensic and computer experts will depict Washington at three
significant stages of his life, including as a land-surveying
teenager.
In the museum, hundreds of objects will be on display in six
permanent galleries and one changing exhibition space. Visitors
will view furnishings, china, silver, clothing, jewelry,
Revolutionary War artifacts, rare books and manuscripts, and
other personal effects of the Washington family. Many of these
treasures will be exhibited at Mount Vernon for the first time
in the new museum, which will be five times larger than the
Estates current exhibition space.
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