Mansion & Glass Museums Offer Free Admission on
Smithsonian Magazine’s 5th Annual Museum Day
--Museum Day 2009 Poised to be Largest to Date--

WHEELING, W.Va. (September 15, 2009)—On Saturday, September 26, 2009, the Museums of Oglebay Institute will participate in the fifth annual Museum Day, presented by Smithsonian magazine. A celebration of culture, learning and the dissemination of knowledge, Smithsonian’s Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, DC-based properties. Doors will be open free of charge to Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors at museums and cultural institutions nationwide.

Last year, upwards of 200,000 people attended Museum Day, with all 50 states plus Puerto Rico represented by more than 900 participating museums, including 84 Smithsonian affiliate museums. This year, the magazine expects to attract over 1,000 museums.

“We are please to participate in this annual event and are looking forward to welcoming Smithsonian readers to our museums,” Christin Byrum, Oglebay Institute museums director said. “This is a perfect opportunity for guests to view our current Victorian fashion exhibit “Dressing Wheeling From the Inside Out: 1840 –1910.”

Purchased by Colonel Earl W. Oglebay in 1900 as his summer retreat, the Mansion Museum features period antiques and depicts Wheeling’s history from Pioneer times through the Victorian era. The Glass Museum features 3,000 examples of Wheeling glass and china made from 1820-1939, including the famous Sweeney Punch Bowl, the largest piece of cut lead glass in the world. Guests can also view live glass making workshops in the studio.

Visit www.smithsonian.com/museumday to download your Museum Day Admission Card. Attendees must present the Museum Day Admission Card to gain free entry to participating institutions. Each card provides museum access for two people, and one admission card is permitted per household. Listings and links to participating museums’ can also be found at www.smithsonian.com/museumday.

For more information, call the Museums of Oglebay Institute at 304.242.7272.