Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge Celebrates National Park Week

Date: April 11, 2016
Contact: Frank Graham, [phone]
Contact: Christopher Derman

During the week of April 17-23, 2016, Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will be celebrating National Park Week with several events scheduled around the area. On Tuesday April 19, 2016, the park will have an exhibit set up at the Jack Case Center Café in the Y-12 National Security Complex to celebrate Earth Day along with many other organizations.

On April 22-23, 2016, the park, along with the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) and the Department of Energy, will be hosting the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit, called Rise Above. This traveling exhibit will parked at the AMSE in a 53-foot semi-trailer with expandable sides. Visitors will be able to sit in climate controlled comfort and watch the original movie Rise Above on a 160 degree curved screen that really brings the movie to life. A hydraulic lift ensures that even those with physical challenges can enjoy the exhibit. The movie depicts the famous Red Tail Squadron of the Tuskegee Airmen and will illustrate their role during World War II. 

The park will have an exhibit and display area just outside of the AMSE with information about the park as well as the other local National Park Service sites near Oak Ridge. The movie Sacrifice and Triumph (28 minutes) from Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, located in Tuskegee, Alabama, which tells the story of the first African American military pilots that trained at Moton Field will be shown several times during the day in the AMSE auditorium. Other information about Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site will also be available. 

April 23 is also National Junior Ranger Day with kid-friendly activities and programs for the entire family. National Junior Ranger Day celebrates Junior Rangers past and present. Junior Rangers are those who have fulfilled the requirements to earn a Junior Ranger badge at Manhattan Project NHP. The motto of the national program is, “Explore, Learn, Protect: Be a Junior Ranger.” 

As with any Junior Ranger program, participating in the day’s activities will not only allow children and their families to explore and learn about how National Park rangers protect parks and their resources, it will also provide them with the opportunity to earn a National Junior Ranger Day badge to add to their collection. 

For more information about Manhattan Project’s Junior Ranger program, please use the following link: https://www.nps.gov/mapr/learn/kidsyouth/beajuniorranger.htm. 

For more information about National Park Week, please use the following link: https://www.nps.gov/findapark/national-park-week.htm. 

For more information about Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, please use the following link: https://www.nps.gov/tuai/index.htm.