American Revolution Exhibit to bring interactive history to Mt. Pleasant

MT. PLEASANT — A national traveling exhibit that brings the stories of America’s fight for independence to life will arrive in Mt. Pleasant next week, giving residents and students a rare chance to experience Revolutionary history up close.

The American Battlefield Trust’s “American Revolution Experience,” on display Oct. 28 through Nov. 12 at Veterans Hall, 300 W. Monroe St., uses digital kiosks, illustrations and first-person accounts to help visitors see the war through the eyes of those who lived it.

This traveling exhibit offers more than a history lesson. It connects modern Americans to the people who lived through the nation’s defining conflict. By using interactive storytelling, the exhibit helps visitors understand how ordinary men and women, just like themselves, made extraordinary choices in the face of war.

The American Battlefield Trust created the traveling display with the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution to expand access to history beyond traditional museums and battlefields to smaller communities like Mt. Pleasant.

That outreach reflects a growing effort among heritage organizations like the local James Harlan Chapter NSDAR, whose members work to preserve historic education and civic engagement in the area. The chapter’s involvement underscores Mt. Pleasant’s role in keeping national heritage alive at the community level.

This exhibit featuring carefully curated, accessible and relevant lessons became so popular on tour that dates were extended for 2025 allowing this opportunity to come to Mt. Pleasant with the help of the James Harlan Chapter NSDAR. The tour extended through 2025 because of high demand thanks to accessible and relevant lessons, especially for younger audiences.

A special reception, hosted by the James Harlan Chapter NSDAR, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

The exhibit will be open Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. from Oct. 28-Nov. 12. Admission is free.

Student groups and school field trips are encouraged to attend. Teachers may arrange visits by contacting Charlene Seggerman at meemaw@live.com.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com