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| Lobby of the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center |
The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center will feature 23 gallery and theater experiences – many of them with interactive technology – that illuminate the detailed story of Washington’s life, including his military and presidential careers. These captivating chapters of Washington’s life cannot be covered in depth by the usual tour of his estate, which focuses on life at Mount Vernon. The building will also serve as Washington’s presidential library with classroom space and computers that will provide access to more than 20,000 letters written by Washington during his lifetime.
The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center was made possible by a $24 million donation by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. "The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation’s generous contribution – the largest single donation in our history - enables us to give visitors an incredibly compelling experience at Mount Vernon,” said James C. Rees, executive director of Mount Vernon. “The Museum and Education Center will introduce visitors to the real George Washington through the fascinating details of his life.”
“We trust that the Donald W. Reynolds Education Center will enable future visitors to learn more about one of our nation’s most important Americans during their Mount Vernon visit,” said Fred W. Smith, chairman of the board of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. “This new education center promises to become the equivalent of a presidential library for the nation’s first and greatest hero.”
Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Reynolds was the founder and principal owner of the Donrey Media Group. When he died in 1993, the company included over 70 businesses, the majority of which were in the communications/media field. Headquartered in Las Vegas, the Reynolds Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. For more information, please visit online.
Learn more about the Donald W. Reynolds Museum
Learn more about the Donald W. Reynolds Education Center
The Prayer at Valley Forge Painting Now on Display in the Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center Lobby
Arnold Friberg’s painting The Prayer at Valley Forge is currently on display at Mount Vernon. This dramatic image of General Washington humbly kneeling in the snow, praying for the deliverance of is troops and his country, eloquently conveys his unflagging commitment to and faith in the Revolutionary cause. Friberg has described this canvas as “a symbolic picture,” explaining that his goal was “to recall the pain, the cold of that cruel winter of 1777-1778, and to pay tribute to the tall and heavy-burdened man who alone held the struggling nation together.”
