News Release

“Lest We Forget” World War I Traveling Exhibit at Steamtown National Historic Site on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, 2019, For One Day Only

Date: November 8, 2019

“Lest We Forget” World War I Traveling Exhibit at Steamtown National Historic Site on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, 2019, For One Day Only

SCRANTON, Pa. – Steamtown National Historic Site welcomes the public to visit “Lest We Forget,” a traveling exhibit remembering those who fought in World War I. This “mobile museum” will be available for viewing for one-day only, Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, 2019.

 “Lest We Forget” exhibits original artifacts organized in ten sections, each depicting a different Great War theme, including the well-known trench warfare along the Western Front. But it also highlights the more obscure, such as how soldiers celebrated Christmastime on the battlefield, and everything in between. More than 200 artifacts and photographs are exhibited, including: personal items used by soldiers; one of the first battlefield movie cameras; and a period entrenching tool like those used to dig the more than 25,000 miles of trenches constructed during the war.

Keith Colley, the exhibit curator, recalled, “When I was visiting the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, I realized that senior adults are the last direct descendants of World War I veterans and decided to create a mobile museum to bring these artifacts to them wherever they live. We’re finding people of all ages are drawn to the exhibit. Our hope is to keep the memory of World War I and its veterans alive, which is why we called it ‘Lest We Forget,’ a phrase that comes from a speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson after the war ended.” 

Although the centennial of the “War to End All Wars” has passed, it remains fitting to remember the sacrifices that American men and women made to help “Keep the World Safe for Democracy.” And on Veterans Day, Steamtown National Historic Site thanks all veterans and their families for their past and present sacrifices defending our nation. Veterans Day is also the last opportunity of the season to enjoy riding our Scranton Limited short train rides (only $5/person) until next spring.
 

Located in downtown Scranton, Pa., Steamtown NHS is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. From I-81 follow exit 185 (Central Scranton Expressway); then follow the brown and white signs to the park entrance at Lackawanna Avenue and Cliff Street (GPS: N 41.41, W 75.67). General park information is available by phoning [phone] during regular business hours, or by visiting the park website anytime.

 
www.nps.gov/stea
 

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