MONROE, MI — For more than three years, the Education Center at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Visitor Center has been under construction. Now, it’s finished and a three-day grand opening is set for June 20-22.
The opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting event are set for Saturday, June 21. All events are free, except for the June 20 grand opening gala and fundraiser.
“This milestone is the culmination of years of collaboration, vision and dedication to preserving and honoring the stories that shaped our community and country. The Education Center will not only preserve that legacy, but it will bring it to life for generations to come as all stories are heard,” said Monroe Mayor Robert Clark.
The River Raisin National Battlefield Park’s Education Center
The Battlefield, which is funded and run by the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation, the City of Monroe and the National Park Service, opened 15 years ago as an effort to preserve and interpret the site of the January, 1813 battles of the War of 1812.
The first Visitor Center was on East Elm Avenue in Monroe. That aged building was later condemned. It was demolished in January, after it was used by local firefighters in a training exercise.
More than three years ago, the Visitor Center moved to the former Monroe Multi-Sports Complex, 333 N. Dixie Highway. Although the Visitor Center has been open for years, the Education Center remained under construction, although portions were opened for school field trips and special events.
Alisha Cooley, River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation administrator, said much of the exhibit construction in the Education Center was completed by a small group of volunteers.
Exhibits in the Education Center showcase the Old Northwest Territory, Great Lakes history, Native Americans, French settlement and the Battles of the River Raisin. Exhibits include a Native American longhouse, a French home and post, functional axe-throwing and archery range, library, and dugout and birchbark canoes. Two years ago, a 155-seat theater opened inside the Education Center.
In the last decade, $20 million has been invested at the park, Cooley said.
”The Education Center will serve as a vital resource for students, educators and visitors to learn about the significant role the River Raisin played in the War of 1812 and our nation’s history, including its aftermath,” said Scott Tucker, acting park superintendent. “We’re grateful to our community partners who made this vision a reality.”
What’s happening June 20?
The weekend-long celebration kicks-off June 20, with a grand opening gala and fundraiser from 5-8:30 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by June 18.
Chief Glenna Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma will speak. Also offered will be a donor recognition dinner, silent auction, raffle fundraiser and the opening of the “Great Lakes Past and Present” art exhibition.
Tickets are $50 per person or $90 per couple and can be purchased at the Visitor Center or online.
What’s happening June 21?
What’s happening June 22?
What’s happening both June 21-22?
Where do I park?
Parking will be available in the Visitor Center parking lot.
Lake Erie Transit shuttle buses will run from the parking areas of the battlefield site on East Elm Avenue to the Visitor Center on North Dixie Highway.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: River Raisin National Battlefield Park’s Education Center opens June 20
Reporting by Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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