CONTACT: Eric Durr, 518-786-4581 or (cell) 518-429-5186

FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Oct 15, 2008

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (10/15/2008)-- The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center will be closed from October 20 to October 25 to allow contractors to complete the reconstruction of the doorway of the historic 1880s armory which houses the collection of artifacts. The museum was closed in September to allow the entrance of the museum to be upgraded and refurbished. Additional work is now needed to restore the original tin ceiling of the armory, which was designed bu architect Isaac Perry and constructed in 1889. The historic armory building is one of the museum's artifacts, as well as housing the museum, and the goal is to return as much of it as possible to its original state. During September the museum's massive wooden doors were repleaced with new glass doors that allow easier access to the facility. The museum's normal hours are: Tuesday-Saturday, 10-4; Sunday, 12-4. Admission is free. The museum houses over 10,000 artifacts dating from the Revolutionary War to the Global War of Terror that relate to New York State's military forces, the state's military history and the contributions of New York's veterans. The artifacts include uniforms, weapons, artillery pieces, and art. The museum also owns the largest collection of state battle flags in the country and the largest collection of Civil War flags in the world. The library and archive holdings in the Veterans Research Center include a 2000 volume library of military and New York State history, over 6,000 photographs, unit history files, broadsides, scrapbooks, letters and maps. Highlights of the library and archives material include over 2300 Civil War photographs, a collection of Civil War era newspaper clippings arranged by New York units, and New York National Guard service cards and service records dating from the 1880's to 1965. The Veteran Research Center operates and archives the New York State Veteran Oral History Program and the Veteran Questionnaire Program. The Oral History Program actively collects interviews of New York State veterans from all eras. The largest part of this collection is of World War II veteran interviews. The Veteran Questionnaire Program, similar to the Oral History Program, solicits and preserves the written and photographic record of the state's veterans. The museum is operated by the NYS Division of Military and Naval Affairs in partnership with the New York State Military Heritage Institute. The not-for-profit institute was formed in 1991 for the purpose of preservation, expansion, and interpretation of New York's military history collection. The museum web site can be found at http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/mil-hist.htm. The administrative staff of the museum will continue operations during construction and appreciates the patience of the public as the facility undergoes these much needed improvements.