History Center to offer Free Admission for Veterans on Memorial Day Weekend
Veterans and active duty military get in free on May 25-27 to explore new Vietnam War exhibit -
The Smithsonian-affiliated Senator John Heinz History Center will offer FREE admission to veterans and active duty military on Memorial Day weekend, May 25-27, in conjunction with The Vietnam War: 1945-1975 exhibition.
Developed in partnership with the New-York Historical Society, The Vietnam War: 1945-1975 uses powerful photography, fascinating artifacts, and more than 20 audio/visual displays to tell the deeply personal stories of the men and women who were impacted by the war, from the home front to the front lines.
Visitors can peer into the cockpit of the exhibit’s largest and most iconic artifact – a UH-1H “Huey” helicopter with a 48-foot wingspan used by the U.S. Army from 1967-1970.
The exhibit also features a 22-foot-wide, 8-foot-tall replica of the Vietnam War Memorial that includes the names of 752 Americans killed during the war from eight counties in Western Pa. (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland).
History Center to Host Memorial Day Flag Folding
On Monday, May 27, at noon, the History Center will present a patriotic Memorial Day flag folding in the museum’s Great Hall.
Visitors can help unfold and refold a 36-foot American flag, participate in a moment of silence to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for our country, and join in the singing of the national anthem.
This flag folding is part of the History Center’s America 101 initiative, a partnership with the Smithsonian to empower citizens to know and act on the promise of the country’s founders so they can write the next chapter of our democracy.
Donut Dollies: Special Program on Women Volunteers Set for May 31
On Friday, May 31 at noon, the History Center will host a lunchtime program focused on Donut Dolly Stories of Service in partnership with Veterans Breakfast Club and the American Red Cross Overseas Association (ARCOA).
Held in connection with the ARCOA annual convention in Pittsburgh, this story-sharing session will focus on the “Donut Dolly” volunteers who served in Vietnam during the 1960s and ’70s.
This program is free and open to the public. Attendees can bring their own lunch or purchase lunch in the History Center’s café. Attendees will also receive complimentary museum admission following the program.
Later that day, the History Center will host its second Open-Late Film Series with a screening of the 1987 film “Hamburger Hill” at 7 p.m.
Doors open at 5 p.m. with full access to the History Center’s five floors of exhibitions, including The Vietnam War: 1945-1975.
At 6:30 p.m., guests can join a community conversation about the evening’s film to discuss what the movie gets right, where it falls short, and how that impacts public understanding of the Vietnam War.
Open-Late Film Series screenings are “pay what you wish” for all visitors. No registration is required.
The Vietnam War exhibition will be on display through Sept. 22, 2019. For more information, visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org/vietnam.
The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the largest history museum in Pennsylvania, presents American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection. The History Center and Sports Museum are located at 1212 Smallman Street in the city’s Strip District, and are open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The History Center’s museum system includes the Sports Museum; the Fort Pitt Museum in historic Point State Park; and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, a National Historic Landmark located in Avella, Pa. in Washington County. More information is available at www.heinzhistorycenter.org.Throughout Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27), the Senator John Heinz History Center will offer free admission to veterans and active duty military in conjunction with its new The Vietnam War: 1945-1975 exhibition.
