For Immediate Release

Contact: Kara O’Keeffe
608-261-9596
[email protected]

July 12, 2019

Wisconsin Historical Museum Celebrates 50 Years of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission by Displaying Moon Rock Fragments Gifted to the State of Wisconsin

Madison, Wis. –  In celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission, the Wisconsin Historical Museum will be displaying moon rock fragments from the mission as well as a plaque from President Nixon and a small state flag that also went on the mission in 1969. The display will be up from July 17-20, 2019.

“This is a rare opportunity for the public to see actual moon rock fragments from the Apollo 11 mission,” said Mike Hollander, director of the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

During their first-ever steps on the moon 50 years ago, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin gathered about 50 pounds of lunar material. NASA kept most of the moon rocks for research purposes, but President Nixon gifted specimens to all 50 states and 135 countries as a gesture of goodwill. Because of the worldwide importance of the Apollo 11 mission, a flag for each state and country was carried aboard the spacecraft during the precarious 500,000-mile journey.

According to geologists who have performed research on these very first specimens, the scientific value has forever changed our understanding of the moon, its age, and how it was formed.

Due to the rarity of these fragments, they will be put into a vault each evening.

Visitors to the museum will have an opportunity to see the Apollo 11 plaque from President Nixon which holds the moon rock fragments as well as the Wisconsin State flag that went on the mission. The plaque will be on display in the theater at the Museum along with footage from the mission projected onto the big screen. There will also be images from the collections of NASA as well as the Wisconsin Historical Society Archives on display.

The Wisconsin Historical Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. For more information visit wisconsinhistoricalmuseum.org.

About the Wisconsin Historical Museum

The Wisconsin Historical Museum, one of 12 Wisconsin Historical Society sites, is located at 30 N. Carroll St. on Madison’s Capitol Square.  The Museum features four floors of exhibition space and a unique museum store. The Wisconsin Historical Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 9 am-4pm.  All Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free admission. Admission is by suggested donation: Adults $5, Children $5 and children 4 and under are free.  Call 608-264-6555 for more information, or visit us online at WisconsinHistoricalMuseum.org.

About Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active, and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving, and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs, and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.

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