Muskets at the Ready! Traveling Exhibit Opens at the Highlands DO!Zeum

Muskets at the Ready!

Traveling Exhibit Opens

at the Highlands DO!Zeum

Gwen Akers

The Ashland Beacon

In the year 1775, colonists stepped forward to fight for their freedom. September 22 from 5-6:30p.m., members of the Daughters of the American Revolution invite us to the Highlands DO!zeum to view the opening of the American Revolution Experience, an interactive pop-up exhibit that encourages the public to consider the decisions and choices that had to be made by ordinary citizens in the 1770s.

“The exhibit tells the stories of diverse Americans during the Revolutionary War. Women, people of color, children and others,” explained Teresa Hardesty of the Poage Chapter of the DAR.

With tensions rising in the 1770s, everyday citizens were asked to risk their lives and livelihoods for freedom, having to choose between joining the colonists or staying loyal to the British crown. Including interactive displays and 12 panels spotlighting individual heroes, the American Revolution Experience asks viewers to see themselves in the Revolution and to hear from the varied perspectives of both domestic and international allies during the war.

The exhibit comes to the Highlands after a rigorous application process completed by the Poage Chapter of the DAR, spearheaded by Cheryl Spriggs. In 2022, the American Revolution Experience was launched as an online exhibit; now, thanks to the support of the American Battlefield Trust, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and matching funds from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, the exhibit has come to life. Ashland is just one stop in its extensive tour of the 50 states in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

Both the DAR and the American Battlefield Trust are committed to bringing the public tangible representations of history, and this exhibit is no different, providing perspectives, illustrations and personal accounts of the war. On tour through 2027, the American Revolution Experience seeks to highlight the ordinary people who dedicated their lives to independence, rather than generals or statesmen.

The exhibit opens on September 22, 2026, with an opening reception from 5-6:30p.m. As a part of the reception, Cpl. P.J. Davis of Portsmouth, OH will discuss what life was like for a soldier in the Revolutionary War, coinciding with the personal accounts shared in the exhibit itself.

“I sincerely hope that everyone who gets to see the exhibit will be able to see themselves in the featured Americans. That after 250 years, we can all seek to understand their feelings and motivations, hopes and fears, as they dedicated their lives and fortunes to the Revolution and the new country that was founded,” commented Hardesty.

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Poage DAR Chapter, the exhibit comes to the DO!zeum as another opportunity to educate and inspire the Ashland community.

“The Poage Chapter of the DAR are good friends of the museum, and we are honored to be host to this interesting travelling exhibit. We hope that the public will take advantage of its short run to drop in and check it out,” expressed Heather Whitman, curator and registrar of the Highlands DO!zeum.

To view the exhibit and learn from the Revolutionary War reenactor Cpl. P.J. Daivs, ensure to attend the opening ceremony on September 22 from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. at the Highlands DO!zeum. You can also view the exhibit during the DO!zeum’s regular hours, 10a.m.-5p.m. Tuesday-Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. For more information on the fantastic work of the DAR, please visit their website at www.dar.org.