Highlights include appearances by Florida Highwaymen and Orlando Predators, and free admission as part of Smithsonian Magazine’s “Museum Day”
On Saturday, September 27, 2008, the Orange County Regional History Center will celebrate its eighth anniversary in the historic 1927 courthouse in the heart of downtown Orlando, with appearances by the Florida Highwaymen and Orlando Predators, and free admission in conjunction with Smithsonian magazine’s “Museum Day.”
The Florida Highwaymen are a group of African American landscape painters that emerged from Fort Pierce in the late 1950s and ’60s, and traveled the state selling paintings from their cars, demonstrating ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and perseverance in the face of social limitation. Some of the Florida Highwaymen will be on hand to show and sell their work as part of the History Center’s celebration.
Current and former Orlando Predators players, as well as coaches and members of the Predators Dance Team will be in attendance from noon-2 p.m. for a meet and greet in honor of the arena football team’s place in the new exhibit Orlando Remembered:Faces and Places. The Predators are the first local professional sports team to be featured in a History Center exhibit.
September 27 is also “Museum Day,” presented by Smithsonian magazine, when museums and cultural institutions nationwide open their doors free of charge to Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors. Celebrating culture, learning, and knowledge, Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities. Visitors can download a Museum Day admission card at smithsonianmag.com.
The Orange County Regional History Center, housed in a restored historic five-story 1927 county courthouse in downtown Orlando, showcases the vast collections of the Historical Society of Central Florida. The museum features three floors of permanent exhibitions that take visitors on a journey through the region’s fascinating transition from Indian settlement to small town surrounded by citrus groves and cattle ranches to today’s tourist-centric community. The History Center was named as Orlando’s 2008 Parents’ Pick for Best Museum for Teens and Best Parents’ Night Out by Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect.com. The museum also presents nationally important limited-run exhibitions, is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
Conveniently located at 65 East Central Boulevard in the heart of downtown Orlando, the Orange County Regional History Center is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Guided tours are offered on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and are included in the price of general admission. For more information visit www.thehistorycenter.org or call (407) 836-8500
