New U.S. Presidential Gallery
New U.S. Presidential Gallery Will Feature All 44 U.S. Presidents
Serving as the perfect tie-in to Presidents Week, donning construction hats amid a room decorated in red, white and blue bunting and banners, Mayor Adrian Fenty joined Janine DiGioacchino, General Manager of Madame Tussauds New York and Washington D.C. to announce plans for the creation of a new $2 million-plus U.S. Presidential Gallery that will house wax figures of all 44 U.S. presidents—nine of which made their debuts at the event. Scheduled to open in fall 2010, the launch of the Gallery will make Madame Tussauds D.C. the only place in the world where people can see and interact with all 44 U.S. presidents.
At the event Mayor Fenty helped unveil artist renderings of the new gallery and spoke briefly while attendees admired the nine new wax figures of U.S. presidents that were on display: John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, James Garfield, Chester Alan Arthur, Grover Cleveland and Gerald Ford. Additionally, 30 first grade students were on-hand from D.C. Public School Cleveland Elementary to “meet” the new wax figure of the U.S. president for whom their school is named, Grover Cleveland.
“Among the many museums and entertainment options in Washington, Madame Tussauds uniquely combines art, popular culture and entertainment,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “The presidential gallery now adds the important component of education while celebrating the unique heritage of our city.”
New figures will be unveiled throughout the year and put on display at Madame Tussauds D.C. until all 44 U.S. presidents are ready to be installed in the new Gallery this fall. A tremendous undertaking, Madame Tussauds artists will create wax figures of 28 U.S. presidents, which will be introduced in several phases, with the first grouping unveiled at the event.
The new Presidential Gallery will serve as a rich educational resource and include a curriculum focused on the history of the U.S. presidents, which was developed in accordance with the US Department of National Social Studies Standards and National Council for the Social Civil Rights Movement Studies Standards. The guide was designed to empower educators with the tools they need to deliver exciting lessons in areas such as history, political science, social studies and media – before and after visiting the attraction.
In celebration of Presidents Week Madame Tussauds D.C. will offer free admission to any visitor who has the same first or last name as United States Presidents George Washington or Abraham Lincoln (valid photo ID required) from February 14 – February 20, 2010.
