Currently at the Memorial & Museum

Memorial Museum to Reopen Thursday, February 5th

February 03, 2009

Preparations are almost complete for the Memorial Museum to reopen to the public Thursday, February 5. Local media were on hand today to see the artifacts being reinstalled and to see the restoration work.

There will be a reopening celebration on Saturday, February 7, to welcome visitors back. The Oklahoma City Thunder is providing vouchers good for tickets to upcoming games for the first 250 paid Memorial Museum admissions this Saturday to celebrate the reopening.

"We are honored to participate in the reopening celebration for the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The Memorial is an important community partner of the Thunder," said Dan Mahoney, Vice President, Corporate Communications and Community Relations, Oklahoma City Thunder. "We are excited it is ready to continue its mission of honoring those who were lost and those whose lives were changed forever."

Thunder players Desmond Mason and Nenad Krstic will be on hand Saturday, February 7, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., to sign autographs and celebrate the reopening.

More than 10,000 square feet of Museum exhibit areas, the Archives and the Memorial’s Center for Education & Outreach were damaged in a flood caused by a mechanical malfunction three weeks ago. Over 370 artifacts and/or boxes of artifacts were threatened by the flooding. Thanks to the quick actions of Memorial staff and volunteers, no artifacts were lost or damaged. Artifacts that were removed from cases while walls dried and repairs were made were replaced today.

"We’ve turned many people away," said Kari Watkins, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Executive Director. "We know there are people who have traveled to Oklahoma in the last couple of weeks just to see the Memorial, and we are disappointed they did not get to experience the story of what happened here in the Museum. We’ve worked hard to get the doors back open as quickly as possible and are pleased to be at this point."

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