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September 18, 2006
For Immediate Release
For more information contact:
Curtis White, 781-233-0050
Temporary Closure for Improved Accessibility
A major construction project at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site beginning on Monday, September 25, 2006 will improve exhibits and help make the site and its history accessible to all visitors. Walkways will be improved for wheelchair access, a range of unique visual, auditory and tactile exhibits will be added, and existing buildings will be converted to a new collection storage facility to protect the site’s renowned archeological collection. With the start of construction Saugus Iron Works will be open to visitors by appointment only.
While many of the sites features, including the museum, will be closed, people can still explore the Iron Works. “We are disappointed that students can’t visit us, so we are ready to bring history to them” said Superintendent Patricia Trap. According to Trap, the National Park Service Rangers will be available to conduct special, curriculum-based programs in area classrooms.
Another means of exploration is to visit the park’s recently updated website at www.nps.gov/sair. In addition to information on the park, photographs and updates of the construction project will be posted. A restricted tour of the construction work will also be offered by appointment. “We hoped to keep the site open, but closure is necessary to maintain visitor safety,” said Trap.
A unit of the National Park Service, the site preserves and interprets the history of America’s mid-seventeenth century roots in the American iron and steel industry. Last year over 14,000 people visited the eight and-a-half acre site. Each spring and fall, thousands of students enhance their educational experience through working waterwheels, a simple machines lab, or an introduction to the colonial economy.
For more information about the construction project, or to schedule an educational program, please visit the website or contact educational specialist, Amy Curry at 781-231-7344. A grand re-opening is planned for spring 2007.
NPS
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