The San Bernardino County Museum, usually closed on Mondays, will be open on Monday, November 11 to recognize Veterans Day. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and regular museum admission fees apply.
The museum houses displays that invite visitors to explore the cultural and natural history of inland Southern California and the southwest. In addition to exhibits of regional archaeology and anthropology, history, geology, paleontology, and natural sciences, there are sculptures, displays, and gardens outside the museum, along with picnic areas for visitors. A new special exhibit, “Portraits and Views: The Redlands Photographic Studio, 1897 to 1924” will be open in the museum’s Crossroads gallery.
“Each year, we celebrate Veterans Day to honor and thank living veterans of our country’s Armed Forces,” said Michele Nielsen, the museum’s curator of history. “This traditional celebration began as Armistice Day, and was officially deemed Veterans Day by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954.”
“Today, many of us have a family member, a friend, business associate, or neighbor who is a veteran,” continued Nielsen. “Veterans Day is a great opportunity to not only thank them for what they have done, but to ask them about their story. Their stories are a part of our history as a nation, and their experiences and contributions are important.”
Information and ideas about how you can become involved or attend a Veterans Day ceremony can be found on the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs website: http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/index.asp . The County of San Bernardino Department of Veterans Affairs offers services and resources for veterans and their families. More information is available at: http://hss.sbcounty.gov/VA/