Woodrow Wilson’s Birthday
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum Open House
Yesterday was Woodrow Wilson’s birthday. To celebrate the occasion, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum offered a free admission open house. Although many of our staff are extremely knowledgeable about Shenandoah Valley, I am relatively new here. I am still learning about the vast amount of things there are to see & do in the region. This was my first visit to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum and I found the experience to be quite interesting and memorable.
My first thought about the museum was that they did a great job laying out the museum and crafting the atmosphere to match the time and emotion of the period. For example, in the World War I Trench exhibit the wall is lined with sandbags, realistic battle sound effects play in the background, and the area is dimly lit. The museum has an impressive collection of artifacts from the war as well as Wilson family belongings and period artifacts such as election memorabilia.
The museum is best described as an immersive history lesson. Information about Wilson’s life, his family, WWI, and other topics is throughout the museum and displayed alongside documents and objects that relate to the text. A few large and especially impressive exhibits are scattered around the museum such as Woodrow Wilson’s Pierce-Arrow limousine, a World War 1 trench, and Wilson’s Princeton Study.
Although not pictured due to restrictions on photography, I also enjoyed the guided tour of Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace which is located next to the museum. It is filled with his families belongings and furnishings from the period. The tour guides seemed enthusiastic and genuinely interested in presenting their section of the manse.
Following my visit to the museum, I had a wonderful dinner at Mill Street Grill. Harrisonburg, VA has several excellent fine dining options and there is no need to leave the city to enjoy great food. But if you are visiting Staunton, VA attractions such as the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum, Frontier Culture Museum, or the American Shakespeare Center, there are also many fantastic places to eat in Staunton.
Check out our Specials & Packages page to view our Woodrow Wilson, Staunton, & Shakespeare package. This is a great deal that includes two nights stay in one of our beautiful queen rooms, tickets to any nightly performance at the American Shakespeare Center, tickets to either the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum or the Frontier Culture Museum, and of course our gourmet “Breakfast to Remember” each morning during your stay with us.
About Me
I am David Haskell, webmaster for Stonewall Jackson Inn. I will blog from time to time mostly about local places I have visited or about my adventures in Shenandoah National Park and George Washington National Forest.
If these topics interest you, bookmark stonewalljacksoninn.com/blog/ and check back occasionally. Like Stonewall Jackson Inn on Facebook to be updated when a new blog is posted. You may contact me at webmaster@stonewalljacksoninn.com and I will also read any comments left here.
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