NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Dec. 23, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 567
Media Contact: Elaine Brenchley or Nate Davidson, The First State Heritage Park at Dover, 302-739-9194, or Necia Beck, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9175, Necia.Beck@state.de.us
First State Heritage Park to Hold First Saturday Events on Jan. 3
DOVER, Del. - First State Heritage Park sites open from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on First Saturday, Jan. 3, include Legislative Hall, State House Museum, Delaware Public Archives, the Delaware Visitor Center and Galleries, the Biggs Museum of American Art, the Delaware Archaeology Museum, the Museum of Small Town Life, and the Johnson Victrola Museum. Admission to all sites is free of charge.
Special events for January First Saturday are:
Guided Tours of Legislative Hall – Delaware’s State Capital Building
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Legislative Hall has been the seat of Delaware’s General Assembly, the supreme lawmaking body in the state, since 1933. Visitors may tour the House and Senate Chambers and learn about the legislature and Delaware history. No admission
Grand Opening of the “Hometown Delaware” Exhibit
Delaware Public Archives
For the past two years, the Delaware Public Archives has undertaken a project to identify many of the individuals who are pictured in the more than 800,000 images contained in the Archives photograph collections. Most of the pictures displayed will date from the 1940s and 1950s and include graduation classes, school children, and a variety of other photographs. No admission
The World in Print and Sound at Museum Square
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Visitors will learn about early forms of communication, including the significance of drums at the Delaware Archeology Museum, the workings of an 1897 printing press at the Museum of Small Town Life, and the science behind radios and record players at the Johnson Victrola Museum. No admission
Fascinating Tales of Delaware’s Governors
Legislative Hall
12:30 p.m.
Visitors are encouraged to celebrate the inauguration of Delaware’s new governor by getting to know Delaware’s leaders with a mixture of fun and little-known facts. Participants will learn the answers to questions such as, “Which governor was kidnapped?” “Who won the closest election?” “What governor was exiled from our country?” and many more. No admission
Biggs Kids: Biggs Museum of American Art
Landscapes
2 p.m.
Children will learn to paint using watercolor techniques. No admission
Governors of the Green Walking Tour
Begins at the Delaware Visitor Center
2 p.m.
As the location of the Old State House and town center, the Dover Green has a rich history of governors living and working around the square. Participants will hear their stories and revisit the lasting impacts they had on the state. No admission
Audio Tours of the Dover National Register Historic District
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wands for self-guided audio walking tours of nearly 30 sites located in Dover’s Historic District can be rented at the Delaware Visitor Center. $5 per person
A park map and more information are available by visiting The First State Heritage Park online at www.destateparks.com/heritagepark. Public Information Number: 302-739-9194.
The First State Heritage Park at Dover is a partnership of state agencies, under the leadership of Delaware State Parks, working in collaboration with city and county government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector to create Delaware’s first urban “park without boundaries” linking historic and cultural sites in the city that has been the seat of state government since 1777.
