For release: September 11, 2003
CONTACT: Nicole Wahlberg, Director of Marketing & PR, Evergreen Aviation Museum (503)-434-4006 or nicole.wahlberg@sprucegoose.com , or Olga Haley, CMD Public Relations, 503-417-3221; ohaley@cmdpdx.com
MCMINNVILLE, Ore.- It’s time to celebrate the historical significance of kites. In honor of the celebration of the Centennial of Flight, the World Kite Museum has loaned the Evergreen Aviation Museum a very special exhibit, How the Kite Invented the Airplane.
The exhibit will open at 11 a.m., Sat., Sept. 13 and will remain on display through Jan. 31, 2004. In addition to the opening of the exhibit, museum visitors also may participate in kite-making lessons for children and in kite demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Visitors will be able to see how crucial the kite was in the invention of the first airplane.
This unique exhibit was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first manned flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. Visitors will be able to view a replica of the Wright Brothers’ 1899 kite, which was the turning point in their development of the wing structure for the airplane. It includes more than 40 historic photos, many of which have never before been in print. The exhibit is generously sponsored by the Lincoln City Visitors and Convention Bureau and Catch the Wind kite shops.
The opening of the Spruce Goose cargo deck Sept. 9 began the local celebration of the Centennial of Flight at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. The museum plans to celebrate different facets of aviation through a series of activities that will provide fun for all ages between now and Dec. 17, the anniversary date of the Centennial of Flight.
The Evergreen Aviation Museum has been open since June 6, 2001 and has seen more than 450,000 visitors from all over the world. The new address for the Evergreen Aviation Museum is 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way. Museum admission prices have recently changed to $11 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6 for students. The new prices include admission onto the Spruce Goose interior viewing platform as well as tours of more than 45 historic aircraft in the museum gallery.
The Evergreen Aviation Museum’s hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily except when it is closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. An extensive museum store and friendly café add to the Museum experience. The Museum is located at 500 N.E. Captain Michael King Smith Way across the highway from the McMinnville Airport and about three miles southeast of McMinnville, Ore., on Highway 18. Regular visitor admission is required. Call (503) 434-4180 for more information, and visit www.sprucegoose.org.