Friendsville marble adorns Newseum in Washington D.C.

By Rick Laney
of The Daily Times Staff

Visitors to our nation’s capital will have one more museum to add to their “must see” list beginning next week. The Newseum, billed as the world’s “most interactive museum,” will open its new $450 million, seven-level building in Washington, D.C., on April 11.

In 250,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Newseum will offer visitors 15 theaters, 14 major galleries, two state-of-the-art broadcast studios and a 4-D time-travel experience. The building features a glass-fronted “window on the world” facing Pennsylvania Avenue and a 175-ton marble tablet emblazoned with the 45 words of the First Amendment.

The focal point of the Newseum’s exterior, the 74-foot by 52-foot marble tablet, came from Tennessee Marble Co. in Friendsville. More than 10,000 cubic feet of material was quarried to produce the 2,000 cubic feet of marble necessary for the new building.

“Like our predecessors who supplied Tennessee pink marble to other high-profile projects, we’re thrilled,” said Monica Gawet, the president and owner of Tennessee Marble.

“A tremendous amount of Friendsville marble has made its way to the nation’s capital. It’s amazing that a small, family-owned business with 35 employees who live and work here are still supplying natural stone for projects like this here in the states.”
According to Gawet, Tennessee Marble Co. is the exclusive supplier of Tennessee pink marble. It comes from four quarries the company owns — two in Blount County and two in adjacent counties.

Tennessee Marble Co. has also supplied marble for renovation of the interior of the National Archives, Grand Central Terminal and the interior stone for the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.

“This museum is a unique blend of fun and inspiration,” said Charles L. Overby, chief executive officer of the Newseum. “There is something for everyone here — history, games, films, big screens, photos and major historical artifacts from around the world.”

Plans for several days of opening events are under way. The opening on April 11 will include a live broadcast of a portion of ABC’s “Good Morning America” from the Newseum and free admission for the public that day. Special activities will continue throughout opening weekend — musical entertainment, photo opportunities, historical actors, guest appearances, and games and activities for children and families.

“The Newseum will be a must-see in D.C. from opening day on,” said Newseum Executive Director Joe Urschel. “Visitors will be transported through time from the dawn of the age of the printed word to the cutting edge of the digital age through an unparalleled blend of artifacts, photography, exhibits, films and interactive experiences.”

The Newseum, located between the White House and the U.S. Capitol, showcases architecture from Polshek Partnership Architects and exhibit design from Ralph Appelbaum and Associates. The building offers fantastic views of the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall from its terraces. The 90-foot-high atrium features a 40-by-22-foot high-definition media screen where breaking news, historic news events and documentaries will be shown.

The building also includes a two-level conference center, a food court, a museum retail store, more than 140,000 square feet of residential apartments and a three-level restaurant — The Source by Wolfgang Puck. The Newseum’s 14 major galleries tell the story of news and highlight historic and contemporary First Amendment issues. The Berlin Wall Gallery includes eight sections of the original wall and a 40-foot guard tower originally located less than a mile from Checkpoint Charlie.

The Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery encompasses photographs from every winning entry dating to 1942, as well as a 19-minute documentary with interviews from more than a dozen prize-winning photojournalists. The Time Warner World News Gallery provides an overview of global news and includes a 36-foot-wide map illustrating the state of press freedom in 193 countries.

Interactive newsroom

The largest gallery is the 8,000-square-foot News Corporation News History Gallery, which features more than 350 historic newspaper front pages, news books and magazines that span nearly 500 years and artifacts such as a hotel door from the Watergate burglary, slippers worn by the “Wonkette” as she wrote her blog and the script from the first “60 Minutes” broadcast.

Technological innovations include the 7,000-square-foot NBC News Interactive Newsroom, where visitors may select any of 48 interactive kiosks or experiences and immerse themselves in the many roles — photojournalist, editor, reporter, anchor — required to bring the news to the public. Throughout the museum are more than 130 interactive stations featuring more than two dozen experiences.

Original 4-D feature

The museum’s 15 theaters include the 535-seat Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater, where the Newseum will present an original 4-D feature that takes visitors on a time-travel experience through three news events spanning more than 150 years. The 13-minute film’s 3-D effects (visitors wear special glasses) are combined with environmental effects — motion, air gusts, water and more. In all, more than 100 original videos were created for Newseum visitors.

The Newseum in Washington was more than six years in planning, design and construction. It was made possible by a commitment of $450 million from the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. The foundation focuses on three priorities: the Newseum, the First Amendment and newsroom diversity.

Beginning April 12, the Newseum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission will be $20 for adults (13 to 64), $18 for seniors (65 and older) and $13 for youth (7 to 12). Children under age 7 will be admitted free. Discounts will be available for groups, and tickets can be purchased online at newseum.org, by telephone at (888) 639-7386 or in person at the Newseum admissions desk.