Behind the Curtain: The Making of the River Raisin Education Center

River Raisin National Battlefield Park’s Education Center, housed in a former hockey arena, is a work in progress. It is a challenging, inspiring task to fill this massive area with fascinating, historically accurate displays and activities, and to explain them to visitors of all ages.

Exhibits Coordinator Gerry Wykes will describe the exhibit creation process, from initial ideas through finishing touches. He will share entertaining examples of the lengths taken by River Raisin volunteers and staff to ‘get it right’. Gerry’s talk will begin in the Education Center Theater, and he will continue by guiding you through exhibits under development. He may even take you behind the three-story curtain that separates exhibits from the construction workshop!

“So, when will the Education Center finally open?”

The Education Center’s opening date has not been determined, but Gerry is eager to share the stories of the volunteers, staff and supporters who are bringing wonderful things together. You will be captivated when you go behind the scenes and see what we’ve done so far, and where we’re heading.

Exhibits Coordinator Gerald Wykes is a retired museum and nature center director and freelance author, illustrator, and presenter. His 2014 Michigan History Magazine article “A Weed Goes to War” was honored as Best Article of the Year by the Michigan Historical Society. His 2016 book, A Beaver Tale: The Castors of Conners Creek won Midwest Book Awards in both the Illustration – Graphic and the Children’s Nonfiction cat

egories. Gerry also occasionally steps out from behind the computer and drawing board as the French-Canadian storyteller and voyageur Alexander Boyer.

Location:

River Raisin NBP Visitor Center

333 North Dixie Highway

Monroe, MI 48162