The following is an announcement from the East Tennessee Historical Society:
The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) presents Family Fun Day at the ETHS museum on April 30, 2005 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature living history, children’s art and crafts, music, and activities in celebration of the new ETHS museum exhibits.
Admission to the museum exhibits will be free and families are encouraged to explore the three new exhibits in a kid-friendly atmosphere. July 1942: United We Stand is a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit that consists of 88 original magazine covers that were part of a campaign developed to promote national unity during World War II. Each magazine features a creative use of the U.S. flag on its cover. The Streetscape is a re-creation of a street scene in downtown Knoxville in the early twentieth century, complete with a corner drugstore, dentist’s office and a restored vintage trolley car that visitors can board. Also, James Agee’s Knoxville, 1915 is an exhibit that features photographs and artifacts of Knoxville, in 1915, the time of Agee’s childhood in Knoxville and the basis for his Pulitzer-prize winning novel, A Death in the Family.
In addition to the free exhibits, several activities are planned for families including a family history activity where children and adults alike can learn about their family trees. Kids will be able to design their own magazine covers like those in the July 1942: United We Stand exhibit and enjoy a scavenger hunt through the museum. A barbershop quartet will entertain at 11 a.m. and add to the festive atmosphere. Small U.S. flags and goody bags will be given out to children.
All activities and exhibits are free and open to the public. This will be a great event for parents, grandparents, and kids to enjoy the museum and activities, while learning about the history of the area, nation, and their own families.
The East Tennessee History Center is located on the corner of Gay Street and Clinch Avenue in downtown Knoxville; its entrance is across from the Tennessee Theater. For more information on Family Fun Day or any other ETHS activities, call 865-215-8824, or visit ETHS’s web site at www.east-tennessee-history.org.
