The Steamboat Era Museum, 156 King Carter Drive, Irvington, will sponsor an open house from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, March 3.
Get a look behind the scenes as museum staff and volunteers get ready for the 2019 season, said executive director Barbara Brecher. A few of the new exhibits include a wedding dress worn by four generations of the Dameron family, an interactive exhibit about Captain Hansford Bayton, a black steamboat owner and the last flag to fly on the Steamer Potomac which measures 7 feet by 10 feet.
The walls of the museum are covered with conceptual drawings of the exhibits, said Brecher. Materials and installation costs are included in the descriptions. Naming opportunities are available to honor or memorialize loved ones. In addition, all donations made that day will be used exclusively for building the exhibits.
Photographs of the continuing restoration of the Potomac Pilothouse will be on display. The floors and the roof are now reinforced, paint has been stripped and the wheel is about to be installed. All outside panels around the Pilothouse have been restored or rebuilt and are now installed.
There is no charge for this event. Light refreshments will be served while visitors get a peek at the exhibits. All visitors to the open house will receive a free admission pass to encourage a return visit during the 2019 season.
