(Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism)
In celebration of Black History Month, the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism Director, Van Brooks, announced that free tickets are available to the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum for Maryland volunteers. The initiative has been introduced to thank volunteers and encourage education on African American history in Maryland, and comes on the heels of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s issuance of a proclamation declaring 2018 as the “Year of Frederick Douglass” in honor of the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of the renowned abolitionist and Maryland native.
“During Black History Month and in this Year of Frederick Douglass, we are pleased to introduce this “Free Museum Tickets” initiative and encourage Maryland volunteers to gain inspiration and insight from the experiences of our nation’s great African Americans during their museum visits,” said Van Brooks, Director of the Governor’s Office for Service and Volunteerism. “Our office hopes to inspire this generation of service leaders to continue on the work of their predecessors and continue to make a difference in Maryland communities.”
Tickets are available at no cost to volunteers, and will be issued by the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism. Volunteers may request up to 10 tickets to visit one of the participating museums:
Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum, 1417 Thames Street, Baltimore, MD 21231. The Frederick-Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum is a program of Living Classrooms Foundation. The museum chronicles the journey of Frederick Douglass’ life in Baltimore as an enslaved child and young man. The life of Isaac Myers, a free born African American who became a national leader is also recounted.
The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum,1601-03 East North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21213. The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum’s presentation of life-size, life-like wax figures highlighting historical and contemporary personalities of African ancestry defines its uniqueness. The museum is the first if its kind in Baltimore and the first wax museum of African American history in the nation. Visits to the museum must be scheduled in advance by calling the museum box office after requesting tickets.
Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. The mission of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum is to be the premier experience and best resource for information and inspiration about the lives of African American Marylanders. The museum seeks to realize its mission by collecting, preserving, interpreting, documenting, and exhibiting the rich contributions of African Americans from Maryland’s earliest history to the present and the future.
For more information, including how to request tickets, please visit the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism’s website: gosv.maryland.gov/blackhistorymonth.
About the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism
The Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism is dedicated to supporting the mission of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to serve our neighbors in need. This coordinating office funds AmeriCorps programs supporting disaster relief, economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, public safety, health, and the environment in Maryland. A unit of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, it has honored more than 200,000 Maryland volunteers on behalf of the Governor.