National Park Foundation Celebrates Grand Opening of Pullman National Monument Visitor Center and State Historic Site Grounds

Pullman National Monument will officially open its visitor center doors and state historic site grounds on Labor Day weekend, September 4 and 5, 2021, thanks in part to the support of the National Park Foundation and its donors. The celebratory weekend will feature tours, interpretive programming, and a host of events and activities organized by a variety of partners throughout the Pullman neighborhood.

Funded by the National Park Foundation and its donors and combined with NPS Centennial Challenge and Recreation Fee funds, the visitor center will be located at the Historic Administration Clock Tower Building. It will feature exhibits and programs that share two key moments in American Labor History associated with the Pullman company including the 1894 Pullman Strike and Boycott, and the 1937 African-American Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union winning the first successful contract with a major company. Visitors can get a glimpse of almost a century of evolving workforce and rail equipment production, learn about the lasting design and architecture of the 1880 Town of Pullman, and how a community works together to preserve an historic district.

In partnership with the National Park Service, National Park Foundation, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources transformed the state-managed 12-acre grounds that are adjacent to the Historic Administration Clock Tower Building and are collectively known as the Pullman State Historic Site. This transformation included restoration of the landscape and ADA accessible improvements.

“The support of the National Park Foundation and its generous donors was critical to the renovation of the Clock Tower Building that is home to the new visitor center and that stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of the many partners who worked for decades to preserve and share this special place in Chicago and American history,” said Pullman National Monument Superintendent Teri Gage.

-via Press Release

This article was posted on: September 2, 2021