For Immediate Release: October 22, 2009
Media Contacts: Emma Filar, Marketing & Communications Associate
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Remembering our Veterans at the National Building Museum
The National Building Museum offers a concert with the Navy Band, family activities, and special tours of its facility in honor of Veterans Day on Sunday, November 8
WASHINGTON, DC—The National Building Museum has a long history with veterans. Built in the 1880s as an office for the U.S. Pension Bureau, architect Montgomery C. Meigs designed this spectacular building with the soldiers in mind. The National Building Museum invites you to join us on Sunday, November 8 to honor veterans past and present. Bring the family, a blanket, and picnic (food can be purchased in the café) in the Museum's Great Hall, while listening to a free, noon-time performance by the United States Navy Band Cruisers. This contemporary music ensemble, takes its name from the Navy's versatile ship—the Cruiser—and the members live up to their namesake by presenting a variety of music.
Visitors can also take special tours and learn about the history of the Pension Building, including architectural features designed to honor the brave fighters of the Civil War and to accommodate the wounded veterans who frequented the building to collect their pensions. These special historic building tours will be offered for free at 11:30, 1:30, 2:00, 3:00, and 3:30 pm. Fascinating and fun, the tours will focus on aspects of the Museum's historic home that are especially relevant on Veterans Day, such as:
- The 1,200-foot-long terra cotta frieze along the building's exterior, which depicts Union infantry, cavalry, artillery, navy, quartermaster, and medical units.
- Special consideration had to be made to prevent fire and protect the soldiers' records in the "New Pension Office," which led to Meigs' decision to construct the building out of bricks—15,500,000 in total.
- The stairs between the first three floors of the building were constructed especially wide and low to accommodate wounded soldiers on crutches.
From 1:00 to 3:00 pm, families can celebrate the Museum's architecture as a historic site by experimenting with terra cotta, the material featured in the Museum's frieze and on the bases of its famous Corinthian columns. Participants will use molds to make their own terra cotta frieze to take home and bake. Terrific Terra Cotta is free for members, $5 for non-members. All programs are drop-in, no registration required.
For more information, please contact the Marketing and Communications Department at (202) 272-2448 x3458.
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
