National Park Service Invites the Public to Collections Preservation Center Open House and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Collections Preservation Center

News Release Date: April 27, 2016

Contact: Christopher Derman

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Collections Preservation Center in Townsend, Tennessee, on Friday, May 6, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). The ceremony will be followed by a public open house of the new facility from 10:30 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.

The new 14,000-square-foot facility will enable the National Park Service to properly care for over 418,000 artifacts and 1.3 million archival records from:

1. Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
2. Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
3. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
5. Obed Wild & Scenic River

The collections contain a wide range of items including tools, clothing, pottery, furniture, household items, photographs, documents, and archaeological specimens dating back 8,000 years. 

The new facility is located adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center at:

Collections Preservation Center

8440 State Hwy 73
Townsend, Tennessee 37882

There will also be a new five-park special museum exhibit next door at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center open to the public that day. 

For more information, please call Big South Fork Headquarters at [phone].