The Museum in the Park at Chief Logan State Park will ring in the holiday season with a family-oriented open house on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The day’s activities will include holiday crafts for kids from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., a demonstration of muzzle-loading flintlock rifles, including a firing demonstration at 1 p.m., and folklorist/musician William “Wildcat” Jude of Mingo County will share music and stories starting at 2 p.m. In addition, at 4 p.m. there will be a bonfire and marshmallow roast on the grounds followed by a read-aloud storytelling session for children inside the Museum at 5 p.m. Holiday movies will be shown throughout the day.
Rounding out the celebration, Raamie Barker, a local historian and former editor of the Logan Banner will read ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Visitors also can view the exhibits that are on display, including Trees of Light, an assortment of holiday trees decorated by local organizations; West Virginia Quilts: A Tradition of Excellence, a group of award-winning quilts from the West Virginia State Museum collection and a selection of quilts by local quiltmakers; Rising Light and Falling Field, a coal miner’s memorial conceived by Wyoming County artist David Jeffrey and created through the combined effort of community members, organizations and businesses; Remembering Buffalo Creek, an original exhibit that explores the tragic events of Feb. 26, 1972; and Covered Bridges: Spanning the American Landscape, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition of photographs of covered bridges which was developed by the Historic American Engineering Record, a division of the National Park Service, and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services that was funded in part by the Federal highway Administration.
There is also a selection of three-dimensional art and sculpture from the West Virginia State Museum collection, artwork by local artists, and a number of local history exhibits, artifacts and photographs on display.
Visitors can enjoy cookies, hot chocolate, coffee and other refreshments throughout the day. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information about the holiday open house, contact Libby Brooks at (304) 792-7229, or Ryan Burns, assistant museums director, at (304) 558-0220, ext. 172.
The Museum in the Park is a regional cultural center showcasing the best in West Virginia history and the arts. It features changing exhibits and displays of artwork and historical items from the collections of the West Virginia State Museum and State Archives. One area of the museum is dedicated to local and regional history. It is operated and maintained by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and is located four miles north of Logan on West Virginia Route 10 at Chief Logan State Park.
The Museum has changed its hours for the holiday season to 5 - 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 1 - 9 p.m. Sunday. These hours are in effect through Saturday, Dec. 30, to coincide with the annual holiday light exhibit at Chief Logan State Park. The Museum will be closed Dec. 24 - 25 and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2007. Normal operating hours will then resume from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 1 - 6 p.m. Sunday.
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
Deputy Commissioner/Communications Manager
West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Blvd., East
Charleston, WV 25305
Phone (304) 558-0220, ext. 120
Fax (304) 558-2779
Email ginny.painter@wvculture.org