VIRGINIA: Mobile museum bringing Virginia history across the Commonwealth
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — It is a truck on a mission to teach young students and families about Virginia history.
While it may not look spacious if you pass by it on the interstates, the semi-truck unfolds into an interactive museum. At 72 feet long and 35 feet wide once unfolded, it is not your standard tractor-trailer.
“When people think mobile museum, they’re like, ‘Oh, a Winnebago. No. We bring the party with us,” said Kat Smith with Virginia 250.
It’s a party to help celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. The Virginia Museum Mobile Museum Experience specifically targets history in the Commonwealth. They want to make sure it gets everywhere — with the goal to visit every middle school in Virginia.
“I don’t even think we’ve hit 50 yet,” Smith said.
With well over 1,000 middle schools in Virginia, they have a ways to go. The truck covers many aspects of Virginia history, with a keen focus on the American Revolution. The roles of indigenous people, African-Americans and women are highlighted.
“It talks a lot about women’s role in the revolution,” Smith said. “There was a Yorktown tea party, which not a lot of people know about.”
Once you get past the first section, you go downstairs to the lower floor exhibits.
“We have a lot of information on Virginians that helped shape the nation,” Smith said.
Smith said they are also bringing this to other history events in between middle school stops “to learn more about where they’re from, to maybe learn more about where their families are from.”
–wavy.com
