FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 17, 2008 |
Contact: Jennifer M. Guild, Senior Officer for Public Relations and Marketing
Tel: (804) 342-9665 | Email:
jguild@vahistorical.org
VHS Offers Free Admission Armed Forces Day Weekend
Military Personnel and Their Families Can Explore Museum at No Charge
Richmond, VA – In honor of Armed Forces Day, the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) is offering free admission to the museum galleries to active and retired Unites States armed forces members Friday, May 16, through Monday, May 19, 2008. Family members of military personnel may also get into the museum free of charge.
"We want to acknowledge and honor Americans currently serving in the Armed Forces," said VHS President and CEO Charles F. Bryan, Jr. "Offering free admission is just a small way of saying 'thank you' for their service and commitment. All who are serving are contributing to the history of this country."
The special no-cost admission rate applies to veterans, active duty military service members, military retirees, and National Guard personnel. To receive free admittance, visitors must present a military ID, VA card or government-issued discharge papers upon entry.
And, in another effort to support U.S. military personnel, for the first time since its membership program started, the VHS is offering discounted membership rates to members of the military and their families. While visiting for Armed Forces Day, active duty military service members are encouraged to purchase an individual membership for $32 or a military family membership package for $55.
Armed Forces Day visitors will be able to see the new exhibition, Moonshining in the Blue Ridge, which opens May 10th and will be on display until September 22, 2008. This exhibition, organized by the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College, is believed to be the largest exhibit ever mounted on moonshining in the United States. Covering more than a century of moonshining in the mountains of Virginia, it tells the story of illegal alcohol distilling in defiance of the federal government's excise tax.
Items on display include actual stills, a full-size diorama of a still operation, still makers' tools, dozens of period photographs, video interviews with moonshiners and federal agents, documents, and additional memorabilia. Moonshining in the Blue Ridge is made possible with the generous support of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
The Virginia Historical Society is located at 428 N. Boulevard. The Story of Virginia, An American Experience, a 10,000-square-foot exhibition with more than a thousand objects covering all of Virginia history from prehistoric
times to the present is featured in the Robins Center for Virginia History. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am - 5pm
and Sunday 1pm - 5pm (Museum Galleries only). Admission: $5/adults, $4/seniors 55+ ($2/Tuesdays–galleries
only), $3/children and students, free/members. Admission to the galleries is free on Sundays. For group tour
information, call (804) 342-9652. For more information, please call (804) 358-4901 or visit
www.vahistorical.org.
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