|
Seneca
Falls Tourism Leaders Tourism site leaders in Seneca Falls say they are excited about welcoming the increased number of visitors they believe will come to see the sites where Elizabeth Cady Stanton lived and issued her call for women's rights. But they admit that the influx of visitors could strain staffs already under pressure. As word of the PBS-TV documentary by Ken Burns has spread, the buses arriving in Seneca Falls have increased. The Burns film is airing nationwide Nov. 7 and 8 on public television. Buses full of visitors from central New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, already have been pulling up in front of Women's Rights National Historical Park and the National Women's Hall of Fame everyday this month to visit Stanton's House, the Wesleyan Chapel and view exhibits about other women leaders. Mary Gratton, operations manager of National Women's Hall of Fame, and Fran Caraccilo, director of the Seneca Falls Heritage Area Visitors Center, said volunteers are needed to help tell the story of the historic sites in Seneca Falls, which typically cut back on hours and staffing in the winter months. Fran Barbieri, acting director of Seneca Falls Historical Society, said the sites are willing to accommodate volunteers by offering flexible schedules and special training. Even at the National Park, a federal agency, the demand for services will be more than its current operations budget can adequately provide, said Park Superintendent Josie Fernandez. "We especially need volunteers in November and December to assist with the many visitors we expect following the broadcast of the documentary," said MaryEllen Snyder, the park's chief of interpretation and visitor services. To volunteer at any of the sites, contact: Women's Rights National Historical Park, 315-568-2991; National Women's Hall of Fame, 315-568-8060; Seneca Falls Heritage Area, 315-568-6894; and Seneca Falls Historical Society, 315-568-8412. |