Patriots' Day 2023: Comprehensive schedule for all activities April 8 through April 25

 

Saturday, April 8

10:30 am — Wilson Park in Bedford — Bedford Parade and Pole Capping: Minutemen from throughout New England will convene on the Town Common and march with fife and  drum down The Great Road to Wilson Park to watch the official Pole Capping tradition. A minuteman will proclaim freedom by shinnying up a 25-foot pole and placing a red cap atop it, and British soldiers will arrive to disrupt the festivities.

1:00 pm — Meriam's Corner, Lexington Rd., Concord — Meriam's Corner Exercise: The Town of Concord, joined by local fife and drum ensembles, minute men, and the Concord Independent Battery commemorate the fighting that occurred at Meriam’s Corner in Concord on April 19, 1775 that marked the start of the running battle back to Boston.

3:00 pm — Paul Revere Capture Site of Minute Man National Historical Park — Paul Revere Capture Ceremony: The Minute Men march down Battle Road and narrate the story of Revere’s capture at the actual site. Hear Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Mary Hartwell, even Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Music, dramatic reading and musket fire in the Park. For all ages. 

 

Saturday, April 15

9:30 am — Lexington — Parker's March and Wreath laying: The Lexington Minutemen are called to arms by Captain Parker at 9:30 am on Lexington Green and march to the battle site for a noon ceremony at the Parker’s Revenge site in Minute Man National Historical Park.

11:15 am — Hartwell Tavern and Captain William Smith House — “Trepidation, Fever and Rushing to Arms”: Join living historians at the Captain William Smith house for a program about the civilian experience of April 19, 1775. See alarm riders in action, militia marching to the scene of battle, and civilians preparing to leave home. During this 30-minute program, the Ladies Association of Revolutionary America will tell the stories of the common people who experienced the horrors of war first-hand.

Noon — Lincoln — Civilian evacuees on the Battle Road: Civilian evacuees on the Battle Road leave from the Smith House.

12:45 pm — Minute Man National Historical Park — Parker’s Revenge Reenactment: Lexington Minute Men reenact the Parker’s Revenge skirmish which occurred in the afternoon of April 19th when the Lexington Militia Company under Capt. John Parker ambushed the retreating Redcoats near the Lexington-Lincoln town line.

1:00 pm — Lexington — Third US Infantry Regiment, Old Guard/Commander-in-Chief's Guard:  Demonstration of Revolutionary War weapons and tactics.

2:30 pm — Hartwell Tavern — Explore Elm Brook Hill Battle Site: Join Edmund Foster, a militiaman from Reading, Massachusetts (portrayed by park volunteer, Ed Hurley), on a guided tour to the Elm Brook Hill (Bloody Angle) Battle Site where he fought on April 19, 1775. Foster will be joined by Lincoln, Massachusetts historian and author Don Hafner.

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm — Lexington — Re-enactors assemble: British troops arrive on the retreat from Concord and occupy the Tavern, tending to their wounded and planning their next steps. The Tavern will be open for tours.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm — Lexington — Tower Park Battle: A battle in the American Revolution will be demonstrated for the public in Tower Park, a natural amphitheater near Munroe Tavern.

Sunday, April 16


1:30 - 4:30 pm — Minute Man National Historical Park — Col. Barrett House: Intense military preparations at the Col. Barrett House. British soldiers will arrive and search the grounds.

5 pm — Acton — Robbins' Ride: The Acton Minutemen will portray the spreading of the alarm throughout Acton with a horse and rider galloping past the homes of Acton’s four militia leaders. At the historic Faulkner Homestead, Colonel Faulkner himself will fire three alarm shots into the air with his musket, and those shots will be repeated again and again off in the distance as the alarm is spread.

  • 5:00 pm — Robbins' Home site, soccer fields at the bottom of Concord Rd.
  • 5:20 pm — Isaac Davis Homestead at 39 Hayward Road
  • 5:40 pm — Faulkner Homestead at 5 High St. in South Acton at the corner of Route 27
  • 5:55 pm — Liberty Tree Farm at 24 Liberty St. in South Acton

7 pm — Lincoln — Lincoln Alarm and Muster at the White Church: On the library lawn opposite First Parish, at 3 Bedford Road.

11:30 pm — Lexington: Paul Revere arrives at the Hancock/Clarke House on Hancock Street.

Monday, April 17


4:15 am — Stow: The Annual Trail March and Parade starts from Stow Lower Common. Fiifes and drums and the firing of the muskets awaken the townsfolk along the route. The Minutemen arrive at the North Bridge around 9 am join the Concord parade.

4:45 am — Westford: Col. John Robinson Trail March. Members of the Westford Colonial Minutemen walk the route travelled by the Westford militia and minute companies used when they answered the alarm on April 19th, 1775. You are invited to join this 10-mile walk, which ends at North Bridge in Concord.  

5:30 am — Lexington — Reenactment of the Battle of Lexington: This event recreates the skirmish on Lexington Green the morning of April 19, 1775 that marked the beginning of the American Revolution. Following the ringing of the bell in the Old Belfry, members of the Lexington Training Band (now known as the Minutemen) gather on Lexington Green to await the column of British Regulars as they march into the town center. A shot rings out, the skirmish follows, and the British column marches on towards Concord leaving dead and wounded behind.   

6:00 am — Lexington: Pancake Breakfasts, nominal cost

St. Brigid Church, 2001 Massachusetts Avenue, sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 160. 6:00 am to 10:00 am. Nominal cost. 

First Baptist Church, 1580 Massachusetts Avenue (across from the police station). 6:00 am to 10:00 am. Nominal cost.

6:00 am — Acton: Isaac Davis March to Concord starting at the Isaac Davis Homestead at 37 Hayward Road, arriving at North Bridge at 9 am.

6:40 am — Lincoln: Tribute and march to Concord beginning outside Bemis Hall at 15 Bedford Road. The Lincoln Minute Men will salute the patriots buried in the Old Meetinghouse Cemetery. Roll call is read, fifers play a lament, minute men mysteriously emerge from the morning mists in the cemetery, and a musket salute is fired. The Minute Men begin their march along Sandy Pond Road toward Concord with colonial music and musket fire. All ages welcome to join the march.

7:30 am — Lexington: Sunrise Youth Parade starting at Munroe Cemetery driveway on Massachusetts Avenue.

8:00 am — Minute Man National Historical Park — North Bridge: Commemoration of the Battle at North Bridge with British and colonial reenactors and park rangers and volunteers.

8:30 am — Minute Man National Historical Park — North Bridge: Mourn Arms Ceremony at the British Graves with British Regulars from the King's Own 4th Regiment of Foot, Tenth Regiment of Foot, and First Foot Guards will Mourn Arms and salute the fallen soldiers of the 4th.

9:00 am — Concord — Patriots' Day Parade: In Concord Center.

10:00 am — Lexington — Patriots' Day Road Race: Starting at Lexington Green.

10:15 am — Lexington — 113th Wreath-laying Ceremony: The LMM and DAR lay wreaths at several of the war monuments around the Battle Green, including the Revolutionary Monument where the Lexington soldiers killed on April 19, 1775 are buried.

11:15 am - 12:00pm — Hancock Church — Annual Patriots’ Day Hand Bell Concert: The Handbell Choirs of Hancock Church present a family-friendly concert of American music rung on five octaves of handbells and chimes. A free-will offering will be collected at the door.

1:00 pm — Lexington — Paul Revere arrives at Lexington Green

2:00 pm — Lexington — Patriots' Day Parade: Down Massachusetts Avenue through East Lexington and Lexington Center.

8:00 pm — Minute Man National Historical Park — North Bridge Visitor Center — Patriot vigil and lantern procession: With poetry, music, and a recitation of the names of the soldiers who gave their lives on April 19. If you wish to participate in the lantern procession, please bring a lantern with a real candle, not an LED candle and not a flashlight.

 

Tuesday, April 18


3:45 am — Wayland: The Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute will march from First Church in Wayland and later at 5:30 am gather in Sudbury Center and march to North Bridge, arriving at approximately 11:30 am, and will fire a salute.

12:30 pm - 4 pm — Minute Man National Park: National Park Rangers will lead an immersive five-mile guided Battle Road trail hike with guided interpretation and immersive living history elements. This program is free and open to the public; registration is required to reserve a seat on the post-program shuttle bus returning participants to their vehicles. Note: I understand that, as of April 17, there is no more space on the shuttle.

6:30 - 8 pm — Westford: Patriots' Day Candlelight Tribute at Fairview Cemetery (Tadmuck Road entrance). Access the service records of Westford’s Revolutionary War Soldiers on your phone or tablet as you stroll through the cemetery. Colonial interpreters will be present to answer questions. 

 

Wednesday, April 19

11:30 am — Sudbury — Arrival of the Sudbury Militia, North Bridge, Concord: The Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute will make their annual march to North Bridge from the Town of Sudbury, in honor of their fellow townsmen who made a similar march on April 19, 1775. They will fire three musket volleys from North Bridge as a soldierly salute.

12:00 pm — Minute Man National Historical Park — “Battle Road Anniversary Hike“: An immersive five-mile guided Battle Road trail hike at Minute Man National Historical Park. Follow in the footsteps of the ill-fated British Column during the 248th anniversary of the Concord expedition. This experiential program will bring the stories of the Battle Road to life through guided interpretation and immersive living history elements. Learn about the trials and triumphs of those who experienced the bloody events of April 19, 1775. This event is now SOLD OUT. Please click here to join the waitlist.

6:30 pm - 8:00 — Westford — Patriots Day Candlelight Tribute: This Patriots Day (April 19th) pay homage to our fallen Revolutionary War Patriots. Stroll the beautifully illuminated, old division of historic Fairview Cemetery for our first-ever candlelight tribute.

 

Sunday, April 23


2:00 pm — Lincoln — Old Burial Ground Tribute: The Lincoln Minute Men will assemble at the Pierce House and at 2:30 pm march to the Town Cemetery on Lexington Road accompanied by clergy, honored guests, and a contingent of British Regulars and bagpiper. Cravesite ceremonies will honor the Lincoln patriots of the Revolution and the five British soldiers who were killed in Lincoln on April 19, 1775, and are buried there. Refreshments will be served at the Pierce House afterward.

 


Sources: Battle Road, from His Majesty's 10th Regiment of Foot, Minute Man National Historical Park, Friends of Minute Man, and the Town of Lexington.

Photos: Patriots Day 2008 at Minute Man National Historical Park, by Lee Wright, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Editor: Lee Wright, based heavily on the excellent information on the Battle Road site, and the others listed above under Sources.


Shop our Lexington and Concord "1775" Collection

Our original design recognizes the events on Lexington Green and at North Bridge in Concord that took place on April 19, 1775 and marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War. 

Lexington and Concord "1775" Collection

 

 

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April 6, 2023

Patriots' Day 2023: Comprehensive schedule for all activities April 8 through April 25

Saturday, April 8

10:30 am — Wilson Park in Bedford — Bedford Parade and Pole Capping: Minutemen from throughout New England will convene on the Town Common and march with fife and  drum down The Great Road to Wilson Park to watch the official Pole Capping tradition. A minuteman will proclaim freedom by shinnying up a 25-foot pole and placing a red cap atop it, and British soldiers will arrive to disrupt the festivities.

1:00 pm — Meriam's Corner, Lexington Rd., Concord — Meriam's Corner Exercise: The Town of Concord, joined by local fife and drum ensembles, minute men, and the Concord Independent Battery commemorate the fighting that occurred at Meriam’s Corner in Concord on April 19, 1775 that marked the start of the running battle back to Boston.

3:00 pm — Paul Revere Capture Site of Minute Man National Historical Park — Paul Revere Capture Ceremony: The Minute Men march down Battle Road and narrate the story of Revere’s capture at the actual site. Hear Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Mary Hartwell, even Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Music, dramatic reading and musket fire in the Park. For all ages. 

 

Saturday, April 15

9:30 am — Lexington — Parker's March and Wreath laying: The Lexington Minutemen are called to arms by Captain Parker at 9:30 am on Lexington Green and march to the battle site for a noon ceremony at the Parker’s Revenge site in Minute Man National Historical Park.

11:15 am — Hartwell Tavern and Captain William Smith House — “Trepidation, Fever and Rushing to Arms”: Join living historians at the Captain William Smith house for a program about the civilian experience of April 19, 1775. See alarm riders in action, militia marching to the scene of battle, and civilians preparing to leave home. During this 30-minute program, the Ladies Association of Revolutionary America will tell the stories of the common people who experienced the horrors of war first-hand.

Noon — Lincoln — Civilian evacuees on the Battle Road: Civilian evacuees on the Battle Road leave from the Smith House.

12:45 pm — Minute Man National Historical Park — Parker’s Revenge Scenario: A tactical scenario along the historical road near the Whittemore House  by British and Colonial soldiers.

2:30 pm — Hartwell Tavern — Explore Elm Brook Hill Battle Site: Join Edmund Foster, a militiaman from Reading, Massachusetts (portrayed by park volunteer, Ed Hurley), on a guided tour to the Elm Brook Hill (Bloody Angle) Battle Site where he fought on April 19, 1775. Foster will be joined by Lincoln, Massachusetts historian and author Don Hafner.

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm — Lexington — Re-enactors assemble: British troops arrive on the retreat from Concord and occupy the Tavern, tending to their wounded and planning their next steps. The Tavern will be open for tours.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm — Lexington — Tower Park Battle: A battle in the American Revolution will be demonstrated for the public in Tower Park, a natural amphitheater near Munroe Tavern.

Sunday, April 16


1:30 - 4:30 pm — Minute Man National Historical Park — Col. Barrett House: Intense military preparations at the Col. Barrett House. British soldiers will arrive and search the grounds.

5 pm — Acton — Robbins' Ride: The Acton Minutemen will portray the spreading of the alarm throughout Acton with a horse and rider galloping past the homes of Acton’s four militia leaders. At the historic Faulkner Homestead, Colonel Faulkner himself will fire three alarm shots into the air with his musket, and those shots will be repeated again and again off in the distance as the alarm is spread.

  • 5:00 pm — Robbins' Home site, soccer fields at the bottom of Concord Rd.
  • 5:20 pm — Isaac Davis Homestead at 39 Hayward Road
  • 5:40 pm — Faulkner Homestead at 5 High St. in South Acton at the corner of Route 27
  • 5:55 pm — Liberty Tree Farm at 24 Liberty St. in South Acton

7 pm — Lincoln — Lincoln Alarm and Muster at the White Church: On the library lawn opposite First Parish, at 3 Bedford Road.

11:30 pm — Lexington: Paul Revere arrives at the Hancock/Clarke House on Hancock Street.

Monday, April 17


4:15 am — Stow: The Annual Trail March and Parade starts from Stow Lower Common. Fiifes and drums and the firing of the muskets awaken the townsfolk along the route. The Minutemen arrive at the North Bridge around 9 am join the Concord parade.

4:45 am — Westford: Col. John Robinson Trail March. Members of the Westford Colonial Minutemen walk the route travelled by the Westford militia and minute companies used when they answered the alarm on April 19th, 1775. You are invited to join this 10-mile walk, which ends at North Bridge in Concord.  

5:30 am — Lexington: This event recreates the skirmish on Lexington Green the morning of April 19, 1775 that marked the beginning of the American Revolution. Following the ringing of the bell in the Old Belfry, members of the Lexington Training Band (now known as the Minutemen) gather on Lexington Green to await the column of British Regulars as they march into the town center. A shot rings out, the skirmish follows, and the British column marches on towards Concord leaving dead and wounded behind.   

6:00 am — Lexington: Pancake Breakfasts, nominal cost

St. Brigid Church, 2001 Massachusetts Avenue, sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 160. 6:00 am to 10:00 am. Nominal cost. 

First Baptist Church, 1580 Massachusetts Avenue (across from the police station). 6:00 am to 10:00 am. Nominal cost.

6:00 am — Acton: Isaac Davis March to Concord starting at the Isaac Davis Homestead at 37 Hayward Road, arriving at North Bridge at 9 am.

6:40 am — Lincoln: Tribute and march to Concord beginning outside Bemis Hall at 15 Bedford Road. The Lincoln Minute Men will salute the patriots buried in the Old Meetinghouse Cemetery. Roll call is read, fifers play a lament, minute men mysteriously emerge from the morning mists in the cemetery, and a musket salute is fired. The Minute Men begin their march along Sandy Pond Road toward Concord with colonial music and musket fire. All ages welcome to join the march.

7:30 am — Lexington: Sunrise Youth Parade starting at Munroe Cemetery driveway on Massachusetts Avenue.

8:00 am — Minute Man National Historical Park — North Bridge: Commemoration of the Battle at North Bridge with British and colonial reenactors and park rangers and volunteers.

8:30 am — Minute Man National Historical Park — North Bridge: Mourn Arms Ceremony at the British Graves with British Regulars from the King's Own 4th Regiment of Foot, Tenth Regiment of Foot, and First Foot Guards will Mourn Arms and salute the fallen soldiers of the 4th.

9:00 am — Concord: Patriots' Day Parade in Concord Center.

10:00 am — Lexington: Patriots' Day Road Race starting at Lexington Green.

1:00 pm — Lexington: Paul Revere arrives at Lexington Green

2:00 pm — Lexington: Patriots' Day Parade down Massachusetts Avenue through East Lexington and Lexington Center.

8:00 pm — Minute Man National Historical Park — North Bridge Visitor Center — Patriot vigil and lantern procession: With poetry, music, and a recitation of the names of the soldiers who gave their lives on April 19. If you wish to participate in the lantern procession, please bring a lantern with a real candle, not an LED candle and not a flashlight.

 

Tuesday, April 18


3:45 am — Wayland: The Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute will march from First Church in Wayland and later at 5:30 am gather in Sudbury Center and march to North Bridge, arriving at approximately 11:30 am, and will fire a salute.

12:30 pm - 4 pm — Minute Man National Park: National Park Rangers will lead an immersive five-mile guided Battle Road trail hike with guided interpretation and immersive living history elements. This program is free and open to the public; registration is required to reserve a seat on the post-program shuttle bus returning participants to their vehicles. Note: I understand that, as of April 17, there is no more space on the shuttle.

6:30 - 8 pm — Westford: Patriots' Day Candlelight Tribute at Fairview Cemetery (Tadmuck Road entrance). Access the service records of Westford’s Revolutionary War Soldiers on your phone or tablet as you stroll through the cemetery. Colonial interpreters will be present to answer questions. 

 

Wednesday, April 19

11:30 am — Sudbury — Arrival of the Sudbury Militia, North Bridge, Concord: The Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute will make their annual march to North Bridge from the Town of Sudbury, in honor of their fellow townsmen who made a similar march on April 19, 1775. They will fire three musket volleys from North Bridge as a soldierly salute.

12:00 pm — Minute Man National Historical Park — “Battle Road Anniversary Hike“: An immersive five-mile guided Battle Road trail hike at Minute Man National Historical Park. Follow in the footsteps of the ill-fated British Column during the 248th anniversary of the Concord expedition. This experiential program will bring the stories of the Battle Road to life through guided interpretation and immersive living history elements. Learn about the trials and triumphs of those who experienced the bloody events of April 19, 1775. This event is now SOLD OUT. Please click here to join the waitlist.

6:30 pm - 8:00 — Westford — Patriots Day Candlelight Tribute: This Patriots Day (April 19th) pay homage to our fallen Revolutionary War Patriots. Stroll the beautifully illuminated, old division of historic Fairview Cemetery for our first-ever candlelight tribute.

 

Sunday, April 23


2:00 pm — Lincoln — Old Burial Ground Tribute: The Lincoln Minute Men will assemble at the Pierce House and at 2:30 pm march to the Town Cemetery on Lexington Road accompanied by clergy, honored guests, and a contingent of British Regulars and bagpiper. Cravesite ceremonies will honor the Lincoln patriots of the Revolution and the five British soldiers who were killed in Lincoln on April 19, 1775, and are buried there. Refreshments will be served at the Pierce House afterward.

 


Sources: Battle Road, from His Majesty's 10th Regiment of Foot, Minute Man National Historical Park, Friends of Minute Man, and the Town of Lexington.

Photos: Patriots Day 2008 at Minute Man National Historical Park, by Lee Wright, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Editor: Lee Wright, based heavily on the excellent information on the Battle Road site, and the others listed above under Sources.


Shop our Lexington and Concord "1775" Collection

Our original design recognizes the events on Lexington Green and at North Bridge in Concord that took place on April 19, 1775 and marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War. 

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The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown

I visited the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown in October 2018 and highly recommend going, along with also visiting the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (my notes and photos). Both museums opened in 2017. 

The museum, which is owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, was originally the Yorktown Victory Center before the overhaul.

There is an encampment on the museum grounds, Yorktown Battlefield, part of the Colonial National Historical Park is a short drive, and Jamestown and Williamsburg are both also nearby.

 

— Lee Wright  |  Founder  |  The History List  |  History Camp  |  The Pursuit of History

 

Photos by Lee Wright, founder of the History List. Photos are available under a Creative Commons license. (CC BY 2.0) These photos were taken in October 2018.

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The Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia

I visited the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia in July 2019 and highly recommend going, along with also visiting the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown (my notes and photos), another outstanding museum dedicated to the American Revolution that opened at about the same time as the Museum of the American Revolution.

Entrance to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia

The museum, which opened in 2017, is located two blocks from Independence Hall.

Display at the Museum of the American Revolution

The core of the museum's holdings are from the Rev. W. Herbert Burk collection. Burk was the founding vicar of the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge.

Access to additional information is via video panels

I was impressed with the way in which touchscreens near displays made it easy to learn more about the objects, including examining them from all angles and reading more about them. 

One of the displays with mannequins

Throughout, small scenes with a few mannequins helped bring to life some of the experiences of the men and women involved. I found this story, in text on the wall above the scene, to be especially moving.

For those interested in the American Revolution, this and the museum in Yorktown are both well worth visiting.

— Lee Wright  |  Founder  |  The History List  |  History Camp  |  The Pursuit of History

 

Photos by Lee Wright, founder of the History List. Photos are available under a Creative Commons license. (CC BY 2.0) These photos were taken in July 2019.

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The other Smithsonian Air & Space Museum: The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

With the Air & Space Museum on the Mall in Washington closed (until the fall of 2022), in July 2021 I visited the "other" Air & Space Museum, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which is an annex near Dulles International Airport that houses aircraft and spacecraft. Covering 17 acres, the annex's holdings range from the earliest days of flight . . .

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center - Smithsonian Air & Space Annex

. . . to World War II, including this Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat . . .

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

. . . and the "Enola Gay," a B-29 Superfortress.

B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay"

Also on display, space shuttle "Discovery," along with several satellites.

The Space Shuttle "Discovery" at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

The highlight of the collection for me was the SR-71A Blackbird.

SR-71A Blackbird - top view - at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

 

SR-71A Blackbird - Floor view - at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Unlike the museum on the Mall, there are few traditional museum displays. Instead of pictures and diagrams, here you get a close look at the planes and spacecraft themselves.

I hadn't set out to visit the annex. I was visiting the DC area on short notice during Covid, so hadn't been able to get passes in advance. Instead, I competed for the very small number of passes available that morning. Despite being online the second the Smithsonian system opened, the passes to all the Smithsonian museums except this one were gone within seconds.

I'd been to Washington several times since the Center opened but had never bothered to make the drive. I'm glad I did.

If you love aircraft and spacecraft, this museum is well worth the trip even after Air & Space on the Mall has reopened. The location near Dulles means you don't have to deal with DC traffic, there's plenty of free parking, and there aren't the crowds that you have with the museums on the Mall. 

Finally, a note on the name. Here's the story: In 1958 at the age of 12, Steven Udvar-Házy and his family fled to the United States from Soviet-occupied Hungary. In 1973, at the age of 27, he formed International Lease Finance with his son and a fellow Hungarian ex-pat to lease aircraft. Starting with a single DC-8, the company grew to be one of  the two largest aircraft leasing companies in the world. His $66 million grant to the Smithsonian enabled them build the annex. (More at his entry on Wikipedia.)

What a great American success story. As someone who is passionate about history, I wish more institutions provided the background on their major benefactors.

Lee Wright  |  Founder  |  The History List  |  History Camp  |  The Pursuit of History

 

Photos by Lee Wright, founder of the History List. Photos are available under a Creative Commons license. (CC BY 2.0) These photos were taken in July 2021.

 

 

 

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