PLATTSBURGH — More than a dozen area museums will be open to the public Saturday with no admission charges for the third-annual Press-Republican Museum Day.
In all, 15 museums and art galleries will participate in this year's event, which has become a popular attraction promoting the region's rich and varied history.
"Museum Day is a wonderful event that benefits area cultural organizations and museums, as well as the general public," said Kristina Parker-Wingler, manager for the Battle of Plattsburgh Association Museum on the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base.
"The event has grown steadily since its inception to include a variety of participants. It offers the public a great opportunity to enjoy the often-overlooked history and culture that is at our fingertips."
MANY VISITORS
The opportunity for public involvement has been highly successful over the event's first two years.
"Museum Day has traditionally brought more visitors to The Alice in one day than we usually see in one month," said Amanda Palmer, director of the Alice T. Miner Collection in Chazy.
"It is a rare opportunity for us to show off this amazing and deep collection."
Many of the participating facilities will be offering special events throughout the day. At Miner, for instance, visitors will have a chance to learn how to make a quill pen like George Washington would have used, Palmer noted.
HISTORY SHOWCASED
But the most significant attraction is the region's history and culture.
"Our history, along with our geography, is one of the Plattsburgh area's greatest strengths," said John Krueger, executive director for the Kent-Delord House Museum.
"Museum Day gives folks the opportunity to sample many of the local galleries and museums and to enjoy the interweaving of history and culture in which we pride ourselves."
The event also offers an opportunity to present the region's history for visitors, as more and more people flock to the North Country as part of a growing heritage tourism movement, Krueger added.
COLLABORATION
It also brings all of the participating groups together under one umbrella of historical offerings.
"I think it is extremely important for our area museums to collaborate on a regular basis, and I hope our third Museum Day project is just the beginning," said Carol Blakeslee-Collin, director of the Clinton County Historical Museum.
"We have so much to offer but often don't know what our colleagues are doing. Museum Day has been an impetus for us to form a more permanent alliance of historical and cultural organizations in the area."
The day-long celebration will also feature some new participants, including the Babbie Rural & Farm Learning Museum on River Road in Peru, featuring a large display of agricultural equipment dating back a century or more.
E-mail Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com
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