Wednesday, June 14, 2017

New Atlantic County Veterans Museum Opens to Public June 29 & 30

The new Atlantic County Veterans Museum will open to the public on Thursday, June 29 and Friday, June 30, 10 AM to 4 PM. As of July 6, the museum’s regular operating hours will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM.

The museum is located in the historic Daniel Estell House, circa 1832, at 189 State Route 50 in Estell Manor adjacent to the Atlantic County Park and veterans cemetery. It includes military artifacts and personal donations from every war and conflict beginning with the Revolutionary War through modern day. It serves as a tribute to the sacrifice and service of our local veterans to our nation’s history as well as a unique educational resource and visitor destination.

The rehabilitated building is the former home of Rebecca Estell Bourgeois Winston, the state’s first female mayor.

“This is a very exciting day, to see the hard work of so many realized with the opening of the Atlantic County Veterans Museum,” said County Executive Dennis Levinson. “I applaud the members of the Veterans Museum Committee and the Veterans Museum Foundation who have dedicated their time and talents over the past 3-1/2 years to make this a reality.”

The Veterans Museum Committee, chaired by former County Executive Richard E. Squires, was established by Levinson in 2013 to coordinate the collection and display of military artifacts. The Veterans Museum Foundation, chaired by former Freeholder and Assemblyman Ken LeFevre, is a non-profit organization responsible for fundraising efforts to preserve and exhibit collection items.

Levinson noted that the items currently displayed will rotate with additional donations so exhibits will routinely change.

“We continue to receive and accept donations that will be available for future display. This is not a static museum; there will be new items to attract visitors to return multiple times.”

The three-story museum is ADA-compliant with entrance ramps and an interior elevator. There is no admittance fee to visit the museum.

“This is truly a wonderful gift for all to enjoy. It preserves the legacies of our veterans through personal recollections and mementoes that can be shared with future generations,” added Levinson. “I encourage all to take time to visit this outstanding new facility.”

For more information, please visit www.aclink.org/vetsmuseum or call (609) 909-5859.

County News