Ahead of this summer’s 250th celebrations, the George Washington Mount Vernon estate opened its new exhibit, “George Washington: A Revolutionary Life.” For those looking to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary away from the National Mall, the exhibit tells the story of America’s found ing through the eyes of its first president. The gallery takes you through Washington’s life, from his teenage years to his deathbed. If you’re lucky enough to catch one of the reenactors, you might even get to hear a recounting of Washington’s final moments from a doctor who was at his side.  The exhibit is housed in the Mount Vernon Education Center, complete with a shiny new $20 million redesign. It replaces a 20-year-old predecessor, which CEO Doug Bradburn said he knew was in need of a revamp because the technology was older than the first iPhone. More than that, Bradburn said curators wanted to integrate new research to ensure the exhibit told the most comprehensive story of Washington’s life. The galleries have several artifacts that have never been on display before. “Sometimes I like to quiz people and say, ‘When did George Washington fight for the British?’ ” said curator and Vice President of Education Allison Wickens. (The answer: the French and Indian War.) Still, the technological updates to the exhibit were center stage — especially in the Revolutionary War Theatre. There, visitors are blown with artificial snow and fog during a 4D movie chronicling the American Revolution. The center also has a gaming room where visitors can play a civics-minded video game from Washington’s point of view called “Constitutional Compromise.” Many walls throughout the exhibit are adorned with AI-generated portraits, created with the help of archival records, oral histories, and photographs from descendants. Anne “Dede” Neal Petri, first regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, said museum visitors will be among the first to see what a “hot, young Washington” looked like. “There were no photographs in the 18th century, so we don’t know what George Washington looked like,” Petri said. “But thanks to written descriptions, paintings, and the power of AI, we have a good idea.” What was likely George Washington’s sword from the French and Indian war is on display. Photo by Walker Whalen. The exhibit takes care to highlight Washington’s interactions with Indigenous Americans during his early military leadership and enslaved Africans who worked on his estate. In developing the exhibit, the curators worked with the League of the Descendants of the Enslaved at Mount Vernon and Tribal Nation advisers. One gallery told the stories of several enslaved people who worked for Washington, including their names and descriptions of the work they did on the grounds. The gallery features a replica of the kind of wooden house enslaved laborers lived in. Through the doorway, a video plays fictional testimonials from real people who were enslaved on the estate. Boeing Great Hall. Photo by Walker Whalen. The exhibit’s debut also coincides with Virginia’s broader efforts to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial. The center is on Virginia’s 250th-anniversary passport, along with several other locations that are relevant to the Revolutionary War.  Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO, attended the center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on behalf of the Virginia 250 Commission. In chronicling Washington’s contribution to the country’s founding, Fiorina said the exhibit also shows how significant Virginia is in America’s origin story. “We here in Virginia are proud to claim factually that America was made in Virginia,” Fiorina said. Ultimately, the exhibit is designed to appeal to more than just history enthusiasts, with a particular emphasis on student-friendly attractions. We’re guessing that Washington’s gnarly 18th-century dentures in this new exhibit might be particularly memorable.The post George Washington’s Mount Vernon Unveils New Education Center first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less