Our pop-up museum in downtown Bethlehem’s former Woolworth Building (555 Main Street) is creating quite a stir. The response from the public best tells the story: Over three weekends, the museum has attracted 2,900 visitors. In the words of Bethlehem’s mayor, J. William Reynolds, “The exhibit honors the power of museums to spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and connect people to the stories that shaped their history.”
The visitors, largely out-of-towners visiting Bethlehem for the holiday season, have also made donations that are more than enough to cover expenses. All this is thanks to the efforts of Round Table members who have/are contributing in a number of ways: generating publicity for the event and/or serving as museum greeters, docents, and in a few cases, reenactors and/or speakers.
Of course, special thanks must go to Round Table member Jack Stanley, who convinced the building’s owner to okay the use of existing vacant space as a temporary museum. Save for several exceptions, exhibit items represent Jack’s impressive collection of Civil War memorabilia. He’s also done the lion’s share of setting up the exhibits and is at the museum pretty much whenever it is open to the public.
The museum operates each Friday (4-8 pm); Saturday (10-8 pm) and Sunday (10-8 pm). Entry is free. You’ll find the most current listing of speaker and historical impersonator appearances on page 3 of the January newsletter. See more pop-up museum information on pp. 4 and 6.
NOTE: Parking in downtown Bethlehem is FREE on Sundays.
We’re always looking for more folks to volunteer during museum business hours. If you can donate even a few hours of your time to serve as a greeter or a docent, contact Ed Root at sartilly@hotmail.com. The last day of the exhibit will be December 28th.
BARRY