The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum has accomplished a great deal in the last 25 years, and now they will take the time to celebrate their achievements through 25 non-stop hours of activities. The flurry of activity begins Friday, August 1 at noon and wont stop until Saturday at 1 p.m.
We knew we wanted something big and something that would catch the eye of our community, special events coordinator Holly Smith said. What is bigger than 25 hours of activities?
The Depot will be catching the communitys eye with a lineup of events that cater to all ages, tastes and sensibilities. Throughout the celebration, there will be museum exhibits, guided tours, scavenger hunts, coloring contests, book signings, block parties and much more.
Each event highlights some aspect of the Depot throughout its history. The current exhibit, the same on display for the celebration, is based on the Depots restoration. From Near Demolition to National Dedication is a visual journey through the many renovations of the Depot to the national dedication of the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum as a National Historic Landmark in 2012, Smith said.
The 80s Block Party and Coke-Tail party, scheduled for 5-9 p.m. Friday night, will help explore the time when the Depot first opened. We really wanted to go back to the eighties for the block party, because thats where we got our start, Smith said. We wanted to go back to that time with our community. The party will feature wine tasting for adults, soda for the kids, costume contests and dancing to all the best eighties hits.
If walking the museum and dancing isnt your thing, or you want to take a break from all the action, the Depot will also be showing three movies throughout the celebration. Starting at 1 p.m. Friday afternoon in the Panhandle Theater, the Depot will show The Blot, a 1921 film featuring Dennison native Marie Walcamp. At 3 p.m. Saving a National Lanmark, the Depots own film, will begin. The Panhandle: Newark to Pittsburgh is the last movie showing and will begin at 7 p.m.
Following the final movie, parents can finish their day at the museum while kids can stay for even more fun. The Depot is planning a Night at the Museum for children interested in camping out in the Panhandle Theater. Children will be able to participate in crafts and activities, as well as munch on popcorn as they watch movies. Kids should bring their own sleeping bags for this event.
After a night in the museum, kids are also invited to have breakfast with Bing, the Depots mascot. The breakfast begins at 7 a.m. and advanced reservations are required. Children staying overnight but not eating breakfast must be picked up at 7 a.m.
This has been a team effort, and the team at the Depot has been amazing, Smith said of planning the event. We are so excited to have everyone that is involved with this with us!
The community has always been there for the Depot. They have shown their support not only of the Depot, but of this anniversary celebration, by sponsoring many of the activities that we will be doing.
For information, reservations or ticket prices on any of the events and a complete schedule of the celebration, visit the Depots Facebook page or call the museum at 740-922-6776.
