On Wednesday June 7th, FreakOut heads to Wolfeboro. Nestled on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, Wolfeboro is the oldest summer resort in America. There are many things to do in and around Wolfeboro. We mention three favorites at registration.
- Wright Museum of World War II history, www.wrightmuseum.org
- New Hampshire Boat Museum, www.nhbm.org
- M/S Mount Washington, www.CruiseNH.com, reservations recommended
The particulars of the drive to Wolfeboro will be available as we get closer to FreakOut. We have a route from the hotel into Wolfeboro and returning. We’ll also publish locations and times where we will be for those who will be driving into the area and want to meet up.
I just saw online that The Wright Museum of World War II is hosting the Wolfeboro Holiday Festival of Trees prompting me to write about the museum today. I’m very much in a holiday mood this year. I think it’s because our team is always talking FreakOut and planning fun things to do. After all, FreakOut is really a big holiday party with great friends, great food, beautiful drives and excellent cars.
Luis and I visited the museum last spring when we started scouting the Wolfeboro drive. It’s hard to miss and hard to resist with the tank breaking through the wall!
Inside, the Wright Museum continues to impress, featuring more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the home front and battlefield.
The museum is self-guided but has a knowledgeable friendly staff that’s happy to answer any questions.
Our first stop was the Orientation Theater where we watched a short video welcoming us to the museum.
From there we moved into the Home Front Gallery. With the tank bursting through the front wall of the museum I’d expected battlefield memorabilia to dominate the museum. This was not the case, displays of toys, posters, furnishings and other everyday objects depicting how ordinary Americans lived and worked during the war filled the space.
The Home Front Gallery also had a re-creation of a Soda Fountain, a fun exhibit but don’t get too excited the ice cream wasn’t real. Fortunately, there’s an ice cream shop in downtown Wolfeboro.
From the Home Front Gallery, we moved into the Time Tunnel. I spent a lot of time here. The Time Tunnel consists of 7 consecutive rooms, packed full of information, leading you from 1939 to 1945. It’s an amazing display of history, capturing the Pop culture, news of the war and the mood of the nation.
Stepping out of the Time Tunnel we entered the Military Gallery. The Military Gallery houses the museums vehicle collection, featuring tanks, half-tracks, jeeps and motorcycles. From the mezzanine we had a great view of the Cessna O-1A Bird Dog hanging above the other vehicles on display. The Military Gallery gave us more of a military battlefield feel. Included with the vehicles were Navy, Marine Corp, and Army Air Force displays.
The Art Gallery was hosting a traveling exhibit of Saturday Evening Post Covers 1941-1946: The Art of Mead Schaeffer, Norman Rockwell and Friends. The museum hasn’t posted what the exhibit will be for June 2023.
All the displays were compelling but my favorites were the Military Gallery and the Time Tunnel. Check out the 360-degree tour on the museum website: www.wrightmuseum.org
Note from the museum:
Our collections are dedicated to the Americans who were swept up in the most tragic event in human history.
Never before had American society been so fully invested in a common purpose. Soldiers, sailors and airmen fought on the battlefronts across the world. On the home front, there was hardly a man, woman or child who did not support the war effort through rationing, volunteering, war bond drives, factory war production, and in countless other ways. Our mission is to tell their stories and preserve them for generations to come.
The Wright Museum certainly fulfilled their mission for Luis and me. Join us June 7th in Wolfeboro at the Wright Museum and take a walk-through time. Followed by a trip to the Yum Yum Shop.
