On Wednesday, October 1st, I had the pleasure of accompanying Abigail and her 4th grade class to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA. The NCC is a history museum on Independence Mall, just two blocks from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, which opened on July 4, 2004.
The tour begins with a fantastic presentation called Freedom Rising in the amazing Kimmel Theater. The show, which follows the evolution of the phrase "We the People", is hosted by a live actor who roams around the theater while video clips are played on the floor, walls, and screens which drop from the ceiling. I have to confess: I found this presentation to be very emotional. Freedom Rising is by itself well worth the price of admission.
When you exit the theater, you enter into another exhibit called the American Experience. This exhibit wraps around the outside of the Kimmel Theater and shows the significant role the Constitution has played throughout history. As you progress, you have the opportunity to vote for your all-time favorite President (Yeah Reagan!), take the Presidential Oath-of-Office, and take a seat on the Supreme Court. There is a tremendous amount of information to be taken in here, but unfortunatly, due to the attention span of two 8-year-old girls, we passed through this exhibit far too quickly. Anyway...
Upon exiting the American Experience, you find yourself in Signers' Hall. Signers' Hall is a room featuring life-sized bronze sculptures of the 39 signers of the Constitution (and the three dissenters). Here, we found George Read, John Dickinson, Gunning Bedford, and Richard Bassett; the four delegates from Delaware who ratified the Constitution on December 7, 1787.Other highlights of the day included a walk through a temporary exhibit called Headed to the White House, which followed the history of Presidential campaigns, a small stage where kids where given an opportunity to vote in the current Presidential election (Good girl, Abby...!), and the always classic ride to and fro on a school bus with 30'ish kids trying to get semis to honk their horns...
