National Scenic Visitors Center / Earthwalk USA
Sharing the wonder of America’s diverse landscapes, instilling
the passion to explore and the will to protect
the passion to explore and the will to protect
NSVC traveler glimpsesMonticello, historical home of Thomas Jefferson.
Monticello August 2017 A recent trip to Charlottesville VA (after the recent news of the confrontations there) included a tour of the mountaintop home of Thomas Jefferson. The tour guide very well informed, expressive, and responsive to visitors’ questions. Jefferson was trained as both a lawyer and an architect, ever curious and inventive, and that is revealed in his residence. His most important achievements were (according to himself):
There is insightful history in the story about the enslaved people who built and operated the estate, especially the Hemmings family. Of the many amazing technological devices Jefferson left, the spherical sundial is a favorite. There are also clocks and windspeed/direction indicators built into the mansion. Originally there was a gong on the rooftop, audible for miles, to chime the hours! NSVC traveler glimpsesNSVC Executive Director Mary Ellen Snyder enjoying the magnificent architecture, waterfall reflections, and gardens of native American plants at the National Museum of the American Indian.
National Museum of the American Indian August 2017 In Washington, DC for a meeting at the Smithsonian Institution, NSVC Executive Director Mary Ellen Snyder and Consultant Amy Hollander paid an all-too-short visit to the National Museum of the American Indian. Fascinating items in the temporary exhibit The Inca Road included the code of knotted rope or string used by the Incas to record numerical data. Related data strings were attached to a main string configured like a necklace. The NSVC team hopes to re-visit this museum soon. In addition to a rich collection they barely had time to experience, the top floor feature was a tough one to miss– a holographic fire accompanied by story-telling. EARTHWALK TRAVELER – A New DirectionThe NSVC team has been working hard ‘behind the scenes’ to move our project forward. This work, along with contributions from a robust and diverse assortment of consultants and supporters, has brought us to a new place. Indeed– a new starting point– from where we can more ambitiously map the journey forward.
Today, we can tell you about these exciting new developments. In order to prove in the technology, content, marketing and business plan for the permanent National Scenic Visitors CenterSM, a traveling exhibit called Earthwalk TravelerSM will be developed over the next 2 years. This exhibit will be presented in the temporary exhibit areas of museums in six regions across the United States. We are calling this Phase One. Detailed analytics on the Earthwalk Traveler exhibit, based on feedback from a broad demographic across all the regions, will guide development of Phase Two; the National Scenic Visitors Center/Earthwalk USA map. The Earthwalk Traveler exhibit in each region will be coordinated with regional brand-building and implementation of the capital campaign for Phase Two. Earthwalk Traveler will be engineered and constructed over the next two years. Developed in partnership with university, private and corporate partners in Pennsylvania and across the US, this exhibit will showcase the innovative technologies and immersive experiences which NSVC is developing for the launch of its national facility. After completion, the 5,000 square foot walk-through exhibit will make its first visit to a local Pennsylvania museum before traveling throughout the country for two years. Visitors will discover the transformation of the nation’s landscape, discover the secrets of yesterday, explore the issues of today and address the concerns of tomorrow. NSVC staff will gather feedback from visitors all while building nationwide anticipation and support for Earthwalk USA. Feedback will be used to guide the second phase of the project, which is building the permanent location, ideally in Washington, DC. The staff, crew, and supporters of the NSVC / Earthwalk Project look forward to traveling this exciting new road towards the fulfilment of the grand vision established at the outset of our formation. Stay tuned for new and regular updates on our progress. Onward…! For more information…Additional details about the NSVC project are provided in these PDF documents.
To contact our team: earthwalk@nsvc.us. Post navigation
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