The New Winston Museum approaches its six-month anniversary

Those who enjoy reading this column will certainly enjoy visiting Winston-Salem’s latest addition to its array of museums, The “New Winston Museum.” Although The “NWM” (as its commissioners have abbreviated its name on the front of the building in which it resides) is quickly approaching the six-month anniversary of opening its doors to the public which took place late in the summer of last year, knowledge of its presence in The Camel City is still very much growing.

The origins of the museum actually date back to the early 2000s when –according to newwinston.org– “a dedicated group of education, business, and community leaders joined together” to address the fact “that Winston-Salem / Forsyth County [was] the only major North Carolina metro without a community museum.” By 2008, the group had settled on the name “New Winston Museum,” and four years later The NWM opened to the public. The museum, interestingly, sits just a tenth of a mile from The Old Salem Visitor Center, a suiting location for devoted history buffs in that upon leaving the grounds of Old Salem they can immediately start learning about the next chapter of The Twin City’s evolution at The NWM.

Indeed, the “New” in the moniker “New Winston Museum” refers not to the exhibition hall’s recent opening, but, rather, to the era in Winston-Salem history that began in the mid-nineteenth century. Whereas visitors to the Old Salem historic district may learn about events dating as far back as the 1750s, the focus of The NWM spans from The Civil War to modern-day Winston-Salem. Through the use of “live dramatizations,” “interactive technology,” and “multimedia exhibitions” (as described by the museum's website), The NWM seeks to explore the city’s more recent past and to illustrate its many evolutionary changes in the second half of its existence, and –one can hope– its many future generations.

For those who would like to experience Winston-Salem’s newest gallery of history, The New Winston Museum is located at 713 South Marshall Street, just half a block north of The Old Salem Visitor Center. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., and again on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m.. For more information, one can visit newwinston.org or call (336) 724-2842, but there is no need to book tickets in advance – there is no charge for admission.

• For Examiner.com, I’m Guy Montgomery.

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