1/28/03
The West Virginia Independence Hall Museum will present a Free Family Fun program on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m.
The program, entitled “The Underground Railroad—Journey to Freedom,” will feature John Mattox, curator of the Underground Railroad Museum in Flushing, Ohio. Mattox will use a “story stick” to tell stories about the history of the Underground Railroad, explaining how symbols, songs and the stars helped slaves in their journey to freedom.
Children can make a craft project following Mattox’s program. Because of the nature of the activities, children should wear play clothes. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. The event is free and open to the public.
Free Family Fun Day is an ongoing educational activity which takes place on the first Saturday of the month.
West Virginia Independence Hall Museum, originally built as a federal custom house in 1859, served as the home of the pro-Union state conventions of Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861 and as the capitol of loyal Virginia from June 1861 to June 1863. It also was the site of the first constitutional convention for West Virginia.
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the exception of major holidays and is located on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in Wheeling. The facility is closed on Sundays in January and February. The museum is operated and programmed by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History with the cooperation and assistance of the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation.
For more information about the Free Family Fun program, call Gerry Reilly, director of the West Virginia Independence Hall Museum, at (304) 238-1300.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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Ginny Painter
Director of Public Information
West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, WV 25305-0300
Phone (304) 558-0220
Fax (304) 558-2779
[email protected]