Holiday Open House December 6, 2008

West Virginia Independence Hall Museum to celebrate the holiday season on Dec. 6
The historic West Virginia Independence Hall (WVIH) Museum in downtown Wheeling will ring in the holiday season on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., with activities for the entire family. The program is free and open to the public.

Guided tours of the museum will be led by the colorful 19th-century character, Elizabeth Busbey. Dressed in period clothing, the living history guide brings to life the turmoil citizens of Wheeling felt during the Civil War. These tours are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Self-guided tours are always available.

Children can enjoy storytelling near the decorated tree from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., as well as participate in three holiday craft activities. In addition, kids can produce a puppet show of their own. The museum will have hand puppets and a stage available for their creative pursuits. Cookies and punch will be available in the reception area of the first floor during the same time period.

Visitors also can see the permanent exhibition West Virginia: Born of the Civil War which features dramatic displays with period artifacts and explores the statehood process against the background of the Civil War. They also can view an interpretive video, For Liberty and Union.

For more information about the holiday season celebration, contact Melissa Brown, site manager at WVIH, at (304) 238-1300.

West Virginia Independence Hall, originally built as a federal custom house in 1859, served as the home of the pro-Union state conventions of Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861 and as the capitol of loyal Virginia from June 1861 to June 1863. It also was the site of the first constitutional convention for West Virginia. The facility was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988 and is on the Civil War Discovery Trail, which links more than 500 sites in 28 states to inspire and to teach the story of the Civil War and its enduring impact on America. Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History with the cooperation and assistance of the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation, the museum in open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the exception of major holidays, and is located on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in Wheeling.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Official Website: http://www.wvculture.org/news.aspx?Agency=Division&Id=1003