Travel Back In Time
Travel Back In Time
Eldred WWII Museum to Host A Night at the Museum
Have you ever daydreamed about what life was like for your grandparents or great grandparents? Do you ever think about how your life would be different if you’d been born decades earlier? Ever wondered if time travel is possible? While the Eldred WWII Museum may not have a time machine, their upcoming “Night at the Museum” event is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a 1940s time-travel experience on Saturday, April 26th from 6:00-9:00pm.
The first event of its kind at the museum, this special evening will immerse guests in the 1940s through live music, re-enactors, and delicious hors d’oeuvres. Museum Director Liz Threehouse invites guests to dress in 1940s attire, if they like, and be ready for a night of fun and surprises! “We’re really excited for this event,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for visitors to experience the museum in a really unique way!”
“A Night at the Museum” is presented by Artistry Along the Allegheny, an organization which came together last year to celebrate and promote art, history, and culture in the region. Founding members Brenda Sawyer, artist and retired physician’s assistant; Chef Ed Vicic, owner of Eddie’s on Main restaurant; and Howard Hanna Holt realtor Kim Nelson, have organized multiple events in the Port Allegany area and are excited to bring the community together at the museum.
The idea for “A Night at the Museum” began when Sawyer visited the museum and talked to Threehouse about doing an event to support the museum. “I brought the idea back to Ed and Kim, and then we all got together and started to brainstorm about how we’re going to do it,” Sawyer said. “I think it’s turning out to be a really phenomenal event. It’ll bring people into the museum so they gain some attention.” Artistry Along the Allegheny is a growing group with more events planned for this spring. To learn more, email artistryalongtheallegheny@gmail.com.
Sawyer said the evening will feature different scheduled events, which are detailed in a program that all guests will receive upon arriving. “When you walk in and get your program, it’s going to be stamped, just as if you were back in that period of time during the war and you had to have your papers,” she explained. “There’s going to be different events scheduled, and then some impromptu events also – it’s going to be exciting!” Chef Vicic will be preparing hors d’oeuvres from 1940s cookbooks, and pianist Barb Headley will be playing WWII-era music throughout the evening. Little Mountain Winery will also be part of the event, and Sawyer is hopeful that, weather permitting, there will be antique cars parked in front of the museum.
As part of the program, a St. Bonaventure University student will be reciting - from memory - one of the most invigorating and well-known speeches of the entire war: General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s D-Day message to Allied soldiers. Threehouse said the evening is the perfect time for visitors to learn about the important role that Eldred played in the war, as it was home to the National Munitions Company plant, which employed some 1,500 people throughout the war, the majority of whom were women after the men enlisted. Since it opened in 1996, the museum has honored the men and women whose work supported the war effort—both at home and overseas—and continues to preserve and share the history of World War II.
The non-profit organization is supported largely by donations, and Threehouse and Museum Curator Kyle Dunn are thrilled to invite new and returning museum visitors alike for this exciting event, proceeds of which will benefit the museum. To learn more, visit www.eldredpawwiimuseum.com and follow them on social media. Tickets for “A Night at the Museum” are available at the museum, on their website, and at Eddie’s on Main. Tickets are $25 (presale) and $30 at the door.
Stay tuned for more information about the museum’s forthcoming subscription project, which will bring WWII right to your mailbox each month. “We have a huge collection of veterans’ stories, Holocaust survivors’ stories, stories of munitions workers, and home front workers,” Threehouse explained. “Once a month, we’ll send by mail these stories, along with replicas and supporting documents. For example, one month we might send a B-17 bomber pilot’s story and a replica of his ID, a map, or a mission log.” The project is planned to launch by the end of June; more information will be available at www.WarStoriesVmail.com.