The new orientation center at Mount Vernon
We’ve all been there at least once in our lives, whether as students on field trips, children being dragged to the historic residence by our loving parents, or as parents offering our children a dose of American history.
But starting this fall, there are a few fresh attractions at Mount Vernon that will shed new light on the father of our country. On October 27th, two new buildings will open to the public at Mount Vernon. One is an orientation center, which will show an 18-minute video on the first president and display a one-twelfth scale replica of the Mount Vernon mansion.
The other is an education center, which will house, among other artifacts, President Washington’s tackle box and fishing hooks; replicas of Martha Washington’s wedding dress and shoes; and a seldom seen pair of President Washington’s dentures, which, contrary to popular legend, are not actually made of wood.
“We have found in recent years that visitors are coming to Mount Vernon with only the most basic knowledge about George Washington,” said Mount Vernon executive director James C. Rees. “To preserve his legacy, we are building new facilities to show visitors specifically why George Washington, the most dynamic leader of his time, was chosen again and again by the founding fathers to lead this country.”
For more information, visit www.mountvernon.org.
