THERE’S A NEW WAY TO TELL THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION:
IT’S HIGH-TECH AND ALL-INCLUSIVE AND IT’S BEING TOLD IN PHILLY
The Latest Technology Tells The Revolutionary Story At The Nation’s Most Historic Sites

Philadelphia, May 10, 2004 — Touch-screen technology, multimedia and surround sound may not have existed when our nation was in its infancy, but these 21st-century tools are bringing the events of the 18th century to life at Philadelphia’s most historic sites.

“A generation brought up on video games and cyber space can now use modern technology to learn about the birth of this country and the exciting events that took place in Philadelphia at that time,” says Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation.

Sites like the Liberty Bell Center and the National Constitution Center employ digital technology and multimedia displays to provide a different, more inclusive, more accurate portrayal of the nation’s history than what has been conveyed in the past. In addition, the experience of all Americans is explored in more detail, including that of African Americans.

• The first stop for any visitor to Philadelphia is the Independence Visitor Center, where tourists can find out more about the region’s attractions, plan out their trip with a concierge, purchase tickets using touch-screen computer kiosks. Multimedia displays and entertaining short films provide an introductory education about Philadelphia’s history and its significance to the rest of the nation. 6th & Market Streets, (215) 965-7676, www.independencevisitorcenter.com
   

• The 160,000-square-foot National Constitution Center (NCC) explores and explains the U.S. Constitution through more than 100 high-tech exhibits, artifacts and interactive displays. Throughout the NCC, history is brought to life through short video introductions to each section; text- and graphic-based story panels; maps and images; game-like computer interactives; video and audio segments (such as a reading of Sojourner Truth's speech to the Ohio Women's Rights Convention of 1851); selected artifacts; and walk-in "immersive environments" that render key ideas, moments and stories in three dimensions.

  The experience begins with a 360-degree multimedia presentation featuring a live actor, film and video projection to tell the story of “We the People” and orient visitors to the major themes of the U.S.Constitution. Called Freedom Rising, the moving one-person performance addresses the nation’s successes along with its many struggles, including the legal issues associated with slavery, women’s rights and gay rights.

  Once within the exhibit space, visitors are encouraged to learn by doing. They can enter and use a voting booth to cast a ballot for their favorite president of all time; take the Presidential Oath of Office with the help of blue-screen technology and don a judicial robe and rule on a case as a member of the Supreme Court. By annotating each article and amendment, the exhibits put the Constitution into a context for both history and modern life. Through the animated displays, visitors find that the Constitution is not just a document handed down from the past, but also a work in progress shaped by many: from the Anti-federalists who successfully demanded a bill of rights, to the 620,000 soldiers killed in the Civil War, to the marchers of the Civil Rights Movement. The last stop is the Citizens’ Café, which features computer terminals to use for e-mailing congressmen and senators, registering to vote and accessing Web-based resources to learn more. Independence Mall, 525 Arch Street, (215) 409-6600, www.constitutioncenter.org
   

• The Liberty Bell Center is the new light-filled home of an international icon of freedom. Inside the Center, larger-than-life historic documents and graphic images explore the facts and myths surrounding the Bell, its origins and its modern day role. One exhibition traces the history of the Bell and challenges visitors to consider the justices – and injustices – associated with liberty in the United States, particularly during the time of slavery. X-rays give an insider’s view, literally, of the Bell’s crack and inner workings, while in quiet alcoves, a short History Channel film, available in English and eight other languages, traces how the Bell became a symbol for abolitionists, and how it emerged as a symbol for both freedom attained and freedom not yet achieved, as it was used by both the women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement.
  Market Street between 5^th & 6^th Streets, (215) 965-2305, www.nps.gov/inde
   

• Independence National Historical Park (INHP) has plans to commemorate the Presidents’ House, located just yards from the main entrance of the Center, and home to the first President, George Washington. The Presidents’ House was also home to enslaved Africans, owned by Washington, and later to the second president, John Adams, and his wife Abigail, both ardent opponents of slavery. In the meantime, INHP has expanded and diversified their program offerings. At Congress Hall, Old City Hall, the New Hall Military Museum and the Independence Visitor Center, park rangers address issues facing African Americans during the 18th century. Some current topics include: The Fugitive Slave Act/Absalom Jones Petition, The Crisis of Slavery in the Capital City and African American Soldiers. In addition, a new ranger-led walking tour, entitled The Underground Railroad, delves into Philadelphia’s role in the abolition of slavery. Daily tours offered beginning April 4, 2004. (215) 965-2305, www.nps.gov/inde
   

• The Lights of Liberty Show features 3-D sound, special effects and five-story projections to tell the story of America’s fight for independence. Wearing lightweight headsets, visitors follow costumed guides through the cobblestone streets where hand-painted images are projected onto Independence Hall, Carpenter’s Hall and other historic buildings. With a soundtrack performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra swelling in the background, stories of America’s patriots are narrated by some of Hollywood’s legendary stars – Claire Bloom, Walter Cronkite, Ossie Davis and Charlton Heston, among others. The show is available in German, English, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. Shows run from April through October beginning at dusk, with guided group tours leaving from the PECO Energy Liberty Center every 15 minutes. Reservations required. 6^th & Chestnut Streets, (877) GO-2-1776, www.lightsofliberty.org

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The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, click on the CultureFiles link.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of www.gophila.com/pressroom

May  2004

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