Alcatraz Exhibition:
Museum Planning, LLC is the project manager of “Alcatraz: Life on the Rock” a traveling museum exhibition created through a partnership between the National Park Service and Alcatraz Cruises, LLC (a concessioner to the NPS). The exhibition is approximately 3000 square feet, but can be set up to be as small as 2500 square feet or as large as 3500 square feet. The exhibition is comprised of four quadrants; The Military Era, The Federal Penitentiary, The Native American Occupation and Preserving the Rock. Ancillary exhibits tell the story of the families on Alcatraz, the gardens, the first lighthouse on the West Coast, and stories of the escapes.
The exhibition has been hosted by Liberty State Park, Ellis Island and the San Mateo County Fair. While at the San Mateo County Fair, the exhibition was evaluated by the general public and was rated the number one attraction of the fair. In fact, 19.7% of fairgoers went to the fair because of “Alcatraz: Life on the Rock”.
The exhibition includes original artifacts from Alcatraz, including a letter from Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz”. Among the items on loan are a key to the front gate of the Alcatraz cellhouse and brass knuckles carried by Mr. Ira Bowden, a former guard at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
The exhibition set up and artifact handling is managed by Mark Walhimer, a museum professional with more than 20 years of museum experience. Robert Luke, a former prisoner on Alcatraz Island, or perhaps one of the guards at the prison are also available for personal appearances during the exhibit opening or at other times throughout the run of the exhibit.
The exhibition has received much favorable news coverage, including the lead story in the October 7, 2012 New York Times weekend arts section national edition, WNBC evening news with Chuck Scarborough, Kate Kelly blog in the Huffington Post, just to name a few.
Photos of the exhibition on Pinterest
Previous Venues:
Exhibition evaluation at San Mateo County Fair June 11-19th, 2011 (more than 100,000 visitors)
Exhibition Premiere at Ellis Island October 1, 2011 through January 15, 2012 (more than 300,000 visitors)
Liberty State Park, Central Terminal, February 8, 2012 through July 8, 2012 (more than 250,000 visitors)
Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park – January 12, 2013 through April 14, 2013
Booked:
San Francisco – Saturday April 27, 2013 and Sunday July 28, 2013
Exhibition Availability:
Exhibition Available on the West Coast August 11, 2013 to November 11, 2013
Exhibition Available November 18, 2013 through February 18, 2014
Exhibition Available February 25, 2014 through May 25th, 2014