MOLINE, Ill. — The John Deere Pavilion has reopened after a multi-million-dollar facelift.

The 15-year-old, 14,000-square-foot pavilion underwent two months of renovations, reopening last week to coincide with John Deere & Co.’s 175th anniversary.

The pavilion, 1400 River Drive highlightings Deere products in natural settings and shows the company’s global reach.

While the building’s exterior remains the same, the interior has been changed to display John Deere machines in working environments.

“Literally, on the inside everything was removed,” spokeswoman Wendy Artman said. “It’s an entirely new experience.”

Machine simulators, the ones used to train professionals, offer visitors a chance to try two excavators and a Crawler Dozer. Videos provide snippets from owners and operators on their typical workdays and how the equipment helps them in the field.

New exhibits are focused on the company’s legacy, the growing planet and how John Deere & Co. is helping address matters, innovative solutions, how cotton goes from seed to shelf in “Cotton to Blue Jeans” and John Deere Discovery Zone, which provides educational, interactive and hands-on opportunities geared toward children.

“Cotton to Blue Jeans” is the first of planned rotating exhibits, officials said.

"As the cornerstone of the John Deere Commons, the John Deere Pavilion is a strong foundation to a thriving downtown in Moline," Brian Holst, John Deere Pavilion marketing manager, said in a statement. 

The Deere equipment on display currently includes the 568 Baler, 643K Feller Buncher, S670 Combine with a 635FD HydraFlex Draper Platform, 440 Crawler Dozer, 850K Crawler Dozer, Gator XUV 825i, 744K Loader, Z445 Zero-Turn Mower, 8000 E-Cut Hybrid Fairway Mower, X748 Select Series Heavy-Duty Garden Tractor, 5075E Tractor and 6430 Tractor. Not all the equipment is U.S.-made, with the 5075E tractor manufactured in a Deere plant in India.

Open year-round, the pavilion is free. The pavilion is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Located adjacent to the pavilion is the John Deere Store with licensed Deere products.

Group tours are available, with reservations suggested.

For more details, visit online or call (309) 765-1000.

The John Deere Historic Site in Grand Detour near Dixon, Ill., is open May through October from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Among the highlights is a blacksmith shop and an archaeological site unearthed by a University of Illinois team of the blacksmith shop where Deere developed the steel plow in 1837. Group tours are available with reservations, and special group tours are also available in winter. Admission is $5 for ages 12 and older. For more, visit online or call (815) 652-4551.

Factory tours of the John Deere Harvester Works, 1100 13th Ave. in East Moline, Ill., are available at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. weekdays. Tours are made on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance. The tours last 1½ hours and participants must be at least 13 years old. For more, visit online or call (815) 652-4551.

Tours are also occasionally available at the John Deere Ottumwa Works and Des Moines Works factories in Iowa. To inquire about touring those facilities, call (800) 765-9588.

CHICAGO — There’s nothing like a little immersion.

That was definitely the case Wednesday night at Tourism Ireland’s “Jump Into Ireland” gathering at the Chicago History Museum.

In the four-hour tour de Irish for its Chicago audience, Tourism Ireland and its Ireland- and Northern Ireland-inducing partners showcased everything the Emerald Isle has to share.

“Jump Into Ireland” was an adventure traipsing across all things Irish, featuring performances by musicians including the duet Sephira (sisters Ruth and Joyce O'Leary). There was also some well-prepared Irish fare, with Sean Farnan, the chef at Priory House Restaurant in Benburb, Northern Ireland, on hand to share it.

The atmosphere and trappings made no mistake that “Jump Into Ireland” was about getting people to come to Ireland. The famed Belleek Pottery; notable lodgings like Belfast’s The Merchant Hotel, Kenmare’s The Park Hotel and Lough Eske Castle; and tour operators based in North America and Ireland were all part of the definitive focus on Ireland and Northern Ireland destinations.

“We are delighted to be here in Chicago profiling everything that is good about a trip to Ireland,” said Fiona Dunne, Tourism Ireland trade and promotions manager.

Chicago was the destination for the “Jump Into Ireland” campaign’s unveiling given that it is one of Ireland’s top three departure markets for North American tourists.

There is plenty going on in Ireland and Northern Ireland the next couple years to be enticed about.

The six-floor Titanic Belfast, reputed to be the largest visitor experience in the world focused on the ill-fated ship RMS Titanic, opens March 31 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Belfast is where the passenger liner was built. On its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, en route to New York, Titanic sank April 15, 1912, off the Nova Scotia coast in the north Atlantic Ocean after striking an iceberg. There were 1,517 people who perished in the disaster.

With Titanic‘s centennial this year, the Titanic Belfast 100 Festival in Belfast is from March 30 to April 22. On April 15, the Titanic Memorial Garden is being unveiled with a commemoration from the Belfast Titanic Society.

In June, the 50th International Eucharistic Congress gathers in Dublin, Ireland, to promote awareness and the place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Roman Catholic Church. 

On Sept. 1, the football teams from the University of Notre Dame and U.S. Naval Academy play a regular-season game at 45,000-seat Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The matchup, known officially as the Emerald Isle Classic, is the season-opener for both teams. Notre Dame and Navy played a game in Dublin in 1996. 

Not that historic Dublin needs a drawing card like an American college football game. As a UNESCO City of Literature, Dublin is the home of noted author James Joyce, the Book of Kells and many literary pub crawls. 

In fall, a new visitors center opens at the Giant’s Causeway UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in western Northern Ireland on the Antrim Plateau, the Giant's Causeway lies at the base of basalt cliffs along the Irish Sea and is comprised of about 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out into it. 

Next year, Ireland is calling. The nation is holding a year-long celebration feting Irish people, culture, heritage and landscapes, and is inviting anyone who’s Irish-born, Irish-bred or just Irish in spirit to come. The event is called The Gathering Ireland 2013. 

As Farnan said: “You’ve got to come to Northern Ireland (and Ireland). ... There’s no other way to experience it.”

Dubbed, rather perfectly, the Olympics of Choral Music, the World Choir Games are coming to the United States for the first time.

The largest choral competition in the world is the signature event of INTERKULTUR, a Germany-based organization that produces elite international choral events all over the globe.

The German company has ties to 120,000 choirs made up of 4.8 million choral singers around the world. In more than 20 years since the company was established, more than 5,500 choirs and some 250,000 singers from 100 nations have taken part in the World Choir Games and regional choir competitions.

The event, last held in Shoaxing, China, happens every two years. It will next take place in Cincinnati from July 4–14, 2012.

The 2010 event brought the games to China, but even before that, the planning Cincinnati Organizing Committee was working on the American version of the event. 

Dan Lincoln, the President and CEO of Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau and chair of the 2012 World Choir Games, experienced the games in China. He was already excited for the upcoming event in the States, but when saw a particular happening, he knew Cincinnati was in for something special.

A children’s choir and adult choir passed each other on the street during one of the downtimes from the event. One was from Russia and the other was from China; neither spoke the other’s language. But the universal language of music was all they needed. The choirs broke into song and the gathered crowd joined in.

“From a ground-level perspective, there’s all kind of reasons groups should be excited about this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Lincoln. “This is an opportunity to immerse in the culture.”

A year before the games were set to arrive, 150 choirs from 24 countries had signed up for the 2012 Games. There are choirs from 17 U.S. states registered so far, including about 40 choirs from the Greater Cincinnati area.

During the course of the event, world champions will be named in 23 musical categories during the biggest international event in the history of Cincinnati.

Even if groups are not coming to sing, they can still soak in the culture and music that only happens during the World Choir Games. Many of the events are taking place around the downtown core, with venues in walking distance.

The main venue will be the Duke Energy Convention Center, and Cincinnati’s churches and performance halls will also host the events.

“The neat thing is there will be a lot of ticketed events,” said Lincoln. “But there will be a lot of free concerts. You’re encouraged to get out and see the artists up and close and personal in between.”

While the action will primarily be concentrated in downtown Cincinnati, the entire region is gearing up for the event. 

In the days before refrigeration, it made sense to put the creameries and cheese-making operations close to the diaries. This was certainly the case in Green County.

In the 1840s, immigrants from the Swiss Canton of Glarus arrived, bringing with them old-world cheesemaking acumen.

“At one time, we had cheese makers on almost every corner,” said Donna Douglas, director of the National Historic Cheesemaking Center (NHCC), the Monroe attraction focused on Wisconsin’s favorite dairy product. 

“Now, we’re down to 14. But they’ve come a long way. They’re state-of-the-art.”

Many cheese factories are still located in Monroe, including the only Limburger creamery around.

On the grounds of the NHCC, the Imobersteg Farmstead cheese factory hasn’t made cheese for a century, but the relocated wooden building is now a showcase for the process of making Swiss cheese.

Dedicated in October 2010, master cheesemakers worked until 2 p.m., creating the first wheel of Swiss made at the facility in more than 100 years. Becoming a master cheesemaker is not an easy task, with it taking years of study and a Ph.D.-level degree to achive the state.

The former factory is open for tours, with master cheesemakers showcasing their craft at times, especially in early fall.

“The interest has been really tremendous with having the dairy factory on site,” Douglas said.

Beyond the factory, the majority of the NHCC is located in a restored railroad depot originally built in 1888 for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad.

The depot, moved to the current site in 1993, also houses the Green County Welcome Center and the Milk House Gift Shop. A Holstein cow statue named Honeybelle resides on the front lawn, and is wears wearing overalls and is dressed in the garb of a dairy farmer.

The museum’s exhibits churn out looks at the scope and history of Wisconsin cheesemaking.

“We talk about the era that was and will never be again,” Douglas said.

Groups with 10 or more members should schedule tours in advance. The NHCC is typically open April through October, but groups can arrange for off-season tours.

The NHCC also can provide step-on guides for narrated Monroe and Green County tours, with wineries, breweries, Swiss heritage in New Glarus, quilt barns and farms.

Many local cheese factories also offer tours by arrangement.

PHILADELPHIA — A bicentennial exhibition to be unveiled in March at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University features rare and beautiful treasures from the collections, hands-on scientific exploration activities and the opportunity to discover ongoing research.

“The Academy at 200: The Nature of Discover” opens March 24 at the United States’ oldest natural history museum. It is the centerpiece of the academy’s yearlong bicentennial celebration.

Building on the academy’s collections and two centuries of global exploration, the exhibition celebrates the groundbreaking discoveries of the past and present and provides a glimpse into the future of the museum.

The exhibit is free with museum admission.

Upon entering the exhibit, visitors will come face-to-face with an 80-foot-long wall displaying a marvelous sampling of the academy’s 17 million specimens. This feast for the eyes includes colorful, mounted jewel-like insects, stunning minerals from the Seybert Collection from 1812, glittering jars of mysterious creatures, mammal skulls from a range of animals, giant shark teeth and an enormous clam shell.

A fully mounted skeleton of an Irish elk that lived more than 10,000 years ago cuts a majestic presence with its huge rack of antlers. The Irish elk is an extinct relative of the reindeer and was frequently depicted by prehistoric cave painters. It serves as a stark reminder that many animals that are closely related to those alive today are now was extinct as the dinosaurs.

Five immersive rooms take visitors on behind-the-scenes journeys with academy scientists out in the field and into their labs. Visitors young and old can take part in interactive studies, examine scientists’ tools and learn more about the academy’s cutting-edge research in biodiversity and the environment.

The rooms also link the academy’s historic accomplishments with current projects.

The room settings evoke:

            --A Mongolian yurt (portable dwelling) that figures in academy research begun in the 1990s on how climate change is affecting our planet

            --A coral reef in the Bahamas where a study begun in the 1950s continues to explore how reef-dwelling fish have changed over time because of weather, pollution and other factors

            --A Philadelphia-area marsh that characterizes ongoing research on the effects of climate change on sea-level rise, the impact of drilling in the Marcellus Shale and water pollution

            --A bird-skinning tent in a Southeast Asian jungle where academy scientists collect and study birds and their DNA for signs of emerging diseases such as avian influenza

            --A paleontology lab where amazing dinosaur fossils are prepared for study in the grand tradition of Dr. Joseph Leidy, the father of American vertebrate paleontology and an academy curator

Another element of the exhibit is an illustrated timeline of key moments and discoveries of the last two centuries that have impacted American science. More objects from the collections will be mounted for close-up examination and to be touched. They include a 400-pound meteorite, a cast of a fossil marine reptile and a piece of grooved brain coral.

“We hope everyone will come see this special exhibit and join with us in celebrating this incredible milestone in the academy’s long, distinguished history,” said George W. Gephart, Jr., academy president and CEO.

The exhibit will be on view until March 2013.

Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more people with 72 hours advance notice. Options include self-guided museum visits, guided gallery tours, guided library tours and behind-the-scenes guided tours.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — When it comes to Atlantic City’s culinary scene, there is no gamble.

It’s a sure bet that groups will find multiple restaurants and eateries that would satisfy the most finicky gourmands.

The city knows they have it going on, and promotes its top-notch foodie fare with a robust helping of culinary events, wine tastings and cooking classes.

--Atlantic City Restaurant Week, March 4–10: Visitors can sample the city’s abundant gastronomic offerings during Atlantic City Restaurant Week. More than 65 of Atlantic County’s finest restaurants will serve fixed price, three-course meals, with lunches priced at $15.12 and dinners at $33.12 per person. Participating restaurants include seafood favorites such as Atlantic Grill, FIN and Harry’s Oyster Bar & Seafood; Italian spots such as Capriccio, Luke Palladino and Mia; and steak restaurants such as Chelsea Prime, Knife & Fork Inn and Scarduzio’s Steak Sushi and Lounge. For a complete list of participating restaurants or additional information, visit www.acrestaurantweek.com.

--Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival, March 30–31: More than 80 breweries from across the United States are to showcase their unique libations at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Whether visitors consider themselves to be beer aficionados or casual beer drinkers, this event offers the opportunity to speak with company representatives and brewers responsible for some of their favorite brews as well as discover a variety of new beers. Musicians from the Tri State area are slated to perform. http://celebrationofthesuds.com

--Atlantic City Beer vs. Wine, May 19: The inaugural Atlantic City Beer vs. Wine event brings together 15 American craft breweries and 15 American wineries, all complementing dishes from 20 of Atlantic City’s top restaurants. Event attendees will have a chance to sample each beer, wine and paired dish to decide what libation is better shared with dinner. Throughout the evening there will be chef demos, sommelier and beer debates. The event is slated for 7 p.m.–11 p.m. at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall. http://acbeervswine.com

--Chefs at the Shore, June 21: The ninth annual Chefs at the Shore benefit is set for the Atlantic City Aquarium. The event will feature live cooking demonstrations of signature dishes from area restaurants. All ticket proceeds will benefit the Atlantic City Aquarium and the Professional Chefs Association. www.acaquarium.com

--Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, July 26–29: Visitors to the fourth annual Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival will enjoy four days of events, tastings and celebrity chef appearances that showcase the city’s abundant culinary offerings. www.acfoodandwine.com

For visitors looking to get in on the action instead of just watching it, Tony Boloney’s is an Atlantic City original that offers turn-of-the-century, Atlantic City street-style pizza. It hosts pizza making classes every Saturday morning. The restaurant’s owner takes guests through a brief history of the area and techniques and then teaches them how to make their own pizza from scratch. There is a limit of 12 people per class. www.tonyboloneys.com

Whether a novice or an experienced cook, visitors to the Viking Cook School at Harrah’s Resort can participate in a variety of culinary classes, such as learning and preparing bayou-country favorites during the Mardi Gras class, or indulging in the many flavors of the Eternal City during the Girls’ Night Out: In Rome class. www.vikingcookingschool.com

In addition to culinary events and classes, Atlantic City has seen more than 15 restaurant openings in the past year — from traditional seafood and Mexican to steak and Asian fusion treats — creating a diverse and energetic dining scene.

For more information, visit, www.atlanticcitynj.com.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Italy has long served as a source of inspiration for artists.

In the 19th century, its lush landscape, storied history and magnificent architecture and art enthralled Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, J.M.W. Turner, John Singer Sargent and James Abbott Whistler.

Opening today at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art is the exhibition “Pilgrims of Beauty: Art and Inspiration in 19th-Century Italy.” The exhibition offers a window into this remarkable period of experimentation and artistic collaboration with more than 60 works  drawn from the museum’s collection.

“Pilgrims of Beauty” runs through July 8.

“Italy’s magic is both familiar and fresh,” RISD Museum Director John W. Smith said. “Every work within this show is a unique and intimate journey into this timeless world. As we explore Rome’s grand ruins and the sparkling Venetian canals through these artists’ eyes, we discover how each developed a distinctive, often highly personal, visual experience of this one special place.”

As the foremost study destination for 19th-century artists from across Europe and from the United States, Italy was an essential stop on any artist’s Grand Tour and a cultural crossroads where generations of artists from Canova and Granet to Lear and Signac mingled under the Mediterranean sun and motivated each other to explore new styles and subjects.

"Pilgrims of Beauty” features an array of paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs and jewelry and celebrates the artistic styles and techniques that emerged during this period in one of the world’s most beautiful and culturally rich lands.

“These artists traveled to Italy because it was a tradition in art training, a step along a scripted path toward professional success,” said exhibition curator Crawford Alexander Mann III, the RISD Museum’s former Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellow in the Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs and the newly-appointed Joan and Macon Brock Curator of American Art at the Chrysler Museum of Art.

“But when we view their work, we see how they adapted and transformed this curriculum,” he said in a statement. “Yes, many studied the classics, ancient Roman statues and architecture, but others found beauty in countless subjects that were outside the usual tourist routes, visiting obscure alleys and villages and looking at peasant life. For 19th-century artists, travel to Italy became an opportunity for creative freedom, and we see its fruits in this exhibition.”

Shown in RISD Museum’s Linda and Vincent Buonanno Works on Paper Gallery and the Bill and Nancy Tsiaras Gallery in Honor of Aaron Siskind, the first room of the exhibition explores how the elite itinerary of the Grand Tour changed following the Napoleonic Wars and the birth of middle-class tourism, with new sites and spectacles guiding the work of artists.

Rome is the centerpiece of this room, represented through landscape watercolors, artists’ portraits and exquisite micromosaics, which are special mosaics using unusually small pieces of glass or enamel-like material to make small figurative images.

The second half of the show focuses on Italy’s role within the birth of modern art, serving as a link between the past and future — with special attention to the growing appeal of Venice among later generations of artists.

The RISD museum has a permanent collection of more than 86,000 objects that includes paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, costume, furniture and other works of art from throughout the world, including objects from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, and art of all periods from Asia, Europe and the Americas, up to the latest in contemporary art.

Group tours are available at RISD Museum by reservation only, with tours scheduled at least four weeks in advance for guided visits and two weeks in advance for self-guided visits.

For more information, visit http://www.risdmuseum.org/visit.aspx?id=2147484532 or call (401) 454-6534 for groups or (401) 454-6500 for general details.

INDIANAPOLIS — Tickets may be tough to come by for the National Football League’s Super Bowl XLVI, but there are ways to get involved with the event.

The New England Patriots and New York Giants play Feb. 5 at 63,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium, which is being expanded to 68,000-plus for the NFL championship, according to an NFL spokesman. Tickets that are available are reportedly currently running from $2,000 to $15,000 apiece at ticket distributors.

But from Friday through Super Bowl Sunday, there are myriad group-friendly activities to enjoy things without being at the signature game itself. The Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee and  Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association are working hard to ensure that, too.

For instance, Super Bowl Village will transform the heart of downtown Indianapolis into a 10-day, three-block football festival along Georgia Street. The entry fee: free.

The village includes free concerts on the Pepsi Stage, Tailgate Town, Kinect NFL Play 60 Fan Dome, The Huddle at Circle Centre (an indoor warming hut), zipline rides, ice sculptures, street performers and entertainers, lights and pyrotechnics shows and appearances by the Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders. Also, an ESPN broadcast studio on site will be airing more than 110 hours of programming from Jan. 30 up to the Super Bowl.

In addition, The NFL Experience presented by GMC runs Friday through Feb. 4, an interactive pro football theme park with games, displays, entertainment, kids’ football clinics, free autograph sessions and a memorabilia show at the Indiana Convention Center.  Admission is $25 for adults, $20 for children 12 years old and younger and free for children younger than 2 years old. Group packages are available for groups with 25 or more people.

In central Indiana, 17 communities — including Indianapolis’ Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Indiana Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave), Keystone Crossing and Lafayette Square (International Marketplace) locales — have been named Super Celebration Sites.

For instance, a temporary ice rink is being installed in northwest suburban Zionsville for its part.

Other participating Super Celebration Sites communities — some up to an hour away — include Anderson, Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Fishers, Greenfield, Greenwood-Franklin, Lafayette-West Lafayette, Muncie, Noblesville, Plainfield, Richmond and Shelbyville.

Besides, there are plenty of things beyond the Super Bowl activities that Indianapolis already offers. That includes Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its Hall of Fame Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis Zoo, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, NCAA Hall of Champions and vibrant nightlife downtown and in neighborhoods across the city of 877,000 — in a metro area of about 1.7 million. 

DEARBORN, Mich. — For years, The Henry Ford has presented the story of the automobile in American life.

Opening Jan. 29 at the Henry Ford Museum is the latest chapter in that real-life tale: “Driving America.”

The new exhibition — a complete makeover of “The Automobile in American Life” exhibit — mixes vehicles, artifacts, digital media, interactive play and personal accounts.

The 80,000-square-foot “Driving America” display includes 130 vehicles and more than 60 cases of artifacts.

Visitors can interact with 18 42-inch touchscreens to access details, images, videos and oral histories. After creating a custom collection, a visitor can set it up so that their collection can be accessed through a mobile device or home computer for viewing later.

“‘Driving America’ is more than an exhibition with cars on display,” said Patricia Mooradian, president of The Henry Ford. “It is really an interactive, state-of-the-art story of us — us as drivers, consumers and enthusiasts, as well as how this innovation has changed almost every aspect of our lives and heavily influenced the decisions we make.

“It is an exhibition that resonates with us all and will challenge us to think differently about what we drive.”

The exhibition’s 20 focal-point areas cover everything from hot rods to road trips and racing.

On view are historically significant vehicles. Among them is an 1896 Duryea, the last remaining example of the first U.S. production car, in addition to century-old electric cars, current hybrids, muscle cars, racers and SUVs.

A new theater experience is part of the exhibition, and there is a new signature film examining how the automobile has transformed the world and highlighting future choices.

“What makes this exhibition different from most is that it looks at cars through the eyes of the people who use them, or in some cases, don’t use them,” said Bob Casey, senior curator of transportation for The Henry Ford. “Visitors will be asked to think about what attracted them to automobiles in the first place.

“How have their definitions of style or luxury changed over time? How have their attitudes towards safety, or recreation, or environmental costs changed? ‘Driving America’ uses The Henry Ford’s unparalleled collection to inspire visitors to think about these and other questions surrounding their relationships with the car.”

Meanwhile, an old favorite, the 1946 Lamy’s Diner, will now offer diner-style food.

For more details, visit www.thehenryford.org/exhibits/drivingamerica/DrivingAmerica.aspx

Coming in March

On April 15, 1912, RMS Titanic, the world’s largest ship, sank after colliding with an iceberg, claiming more than 1,500 lives.

During the 100th anniversary of the sinking, The Henry Ford will host the largest touring exhibition of Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, in Henry Ford Museum, March 31 through September 30, 2012.

The exhibition, 10,000 square feet in size, will feature more than 300 artifacts – 250 never displayed in Michigan.

In addition, visitors will walk through extensive room re- creations, be able to get their photos taken near the full-scale replica of the Grand Staircase, as well as learn about passengers on board who had local ties to Michigan.

During the exhibition, The Henry Ford will host related programming, including activities, presentations and lectures.

Details: www.thehenryford.org/titanic.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The golden age of piracy will come to life at the Science Museum of Minnesota when the exhibition "Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship" opens Feb. 18.

The exhibition features real treasures from the only known authenticated pirate shipwreck in the U.S.

“Real Pirates” separates fact from fiction about the pirate trade and gives glimpses into the lives of pirates through more than 200 artifacts, hands-on activities, captivating re-creations, actors portraying crew members and an exploration of underwater archaeology. Groups will gain great insight into this fascinating period of history in this touring exhibition organized by the National Geographic Society, Arts & Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions.

The exhibition tells the true story of the Whydah, one of the most successful pirate ships, from its roots as a slave ship to its takeover and conversion into a pirate ship. After only two months of conquests and plundering under the direction of Captain “Black Sam” Bellamy, one of the boldest pirates of his day, the Whydah sank off the coast of Cape Cod nearly 300 years ago, taking its famous captain and all but two of its 146 crew members with it.

Artifacts from the shipwreck have been painstakingly recovered from the ocean floor over the past 25 years by underwater explorer Barry Clifford and his team.

One of the most striking artifacts in the exhibition is the ship’s bell, inscribed “Whydah Galley 1716,” used to authenticate the shipwreck site as that of the Whydah, which various explorers fruitlessly sought since the fateful storm that sank the vessel in April 1717.

Other artifacts include treasure chests filled with coins from all over the world, including authentic coins that visitors can touch, pirate dress items, daily objects used aboard the ship, and technically advanced weaponry of the time — cannons, pistols and swords.

"This is not pirate-movie fantasy. This is the true and fascinating story of real pirates and the only exhibition of its kind," said Mike Day, senior vice president at the Science Museum of Minnesota. "'Real Pirates' features wonderful treasures — like swords and grenades and real pirate booty — but it also tells the stories of the real people the artifacts represent. Visitors will tie knots, hoist flags and see cannons, but the best part is that they'll discover what life was like during this period in the 18th century."

More information, including details about group tours, is available at www.smm.org and www.piratesexhibit.com.

The exhibition closed Sunday at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix.

The Central Fire Station in Aurora, Ill., opened with great acclaim in 1894, 23 years after Mrs. O’Leary’s cow may or may not have sparked the Great Chicago Fire.

Today, the fire station is home to the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, a museum dedicated to firefighting.

Rather typical of Victorian architecture, the museum’s building was a source of community pride. A local architect designed the bay windows, decorative cornice and the onion dome.

 The Aurora Fire Department occupied the building for about a century, with the building having changed to keep up with the changing times.

After the two-story fire station fell into disuse, a group organized to save the building. For the past two decades, the City of Aurora and Aurora Fire Station Preservation Corporation worked to restore the building.

The museum’s collection currently includes more than 1,000 artifacts and 2,000 photographs. Seven pieces of firefighting apparatus are part of the collection, and three others are on loan. 

The museum is open Thursday through Saturday to 1 to 4 p.m. Group tours for 10 or more people along with guided tours and educational programs can also be scheduled, said curator David Lewis, who works along side executive director Deborah Davis.

“We do tailor educational programs about architecture, the Chicago fire and other topics,” she said. 

On the main floor is an exhibit titled “Getting There, Getting Water, and Getting Rescued” focusing on 150 years of tools and technology for 
fighting fires.

A second exhibit, “Museums Un-Crated” is 
an inside look at how and why
 museums collect, use and preserve items. It was born as an answer to frequently asked questions about rare objects transferred from The Smithsonian’s Museum of American History to the Aurora Regional Fire Museum.

“There are some fabulous large-scale models here,” said Lewis. “We use those 18 items to describe how we collect pieces and how museums operate.”

Lewis said many visitors enjoy seeing a once-important feature of the old firehouse: the 55-foot-tall hose stall. After the hose was in use, the firefighters needed a way to ensure it would dry.

“It was just like the towel rack in your bathroom,” said Lewis. “It’s just everyone’s favorite part of the tour.”

The museum expects to open a new exhibit about the Great Chicago Fire in early 2012.

Located 35 minutes west of Chicago and the second most populous city in Illinois, Aurora offers an opportunity to add to a Windy City itinerary or spend an entire trip discovering the Fox River Valley.

The Aurora Regional Fire Museum can be reached by phone at (630) 892-1572.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. — While Gettysburg is best known for its 1863 Civil War battle, it is also a place to glimpse into the lives and legacies of U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln and Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower.

On President's Day weekend (Feb. 18 to 20, 2012), Gettysburg is highlighting Lincoln’s monumental visit for The Gettysburg Address in 1863 and the retirement of Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, in Gettysburg during the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

"This weekend is a great opportunity to honor America's presidents," said Norris Flowers, Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau president. "Both Lincoln and Eisenhower made an incredible impression on Gettysburg, and their legacies live on through the great historic sites now open to the public to enjoy."

Lincoln visited Gettysburg on Nov. 18-19, 1863, five months after the tragic battle that summer.

The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory that ended Gen. Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North in 1863. It was the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties and the setting for Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

The 16th president made his mark on history with his 10-sentence Gettysburg speech, one that helped Americans understand the sacrifices made in the battle and helped the nation begin a path toward healing. His Gettysburg stay was just 25 hours, but its impact remains solid nearly a century and a half later.

Trace Lincoln’s footsteps. Start at the Historic Gettysburg Train Station, where Lincoln’s visit began. Built in 1859 for the Gettysburg Railroad, the station also served as a field hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg for 15,000 wounded soldiers. The station is now the visitor information center for the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Also, tour David Wills House museum, where Lincoln put the finishing touches on The Gettysburg Address; and Soldiers' National Cemetery, where the president delivered his immortal remarks. Those are part of Gettysburg National Military Park, which has a visitor center and 22,000-square-foot museum.

Guides, including licensed battlefield guides, are available for groups along with self-guided tours. Ranger programs are also offered during summer, and are focused on the battle, the address and the cemetery.

After World War II in 1950, Eisenhower planned to retire to Gettysburg. He spent time here as as commander of Camp Colt, a U.S. Army tank training facility on the fields of Pickett's Charge.

Ike and Mamie purchased a home on 189 acres adjacent to the Civil War battlefield. But Eisenhower’s retirement was delayed when he was named president of NATO and, later, was elected 34th president of the United States and served from 1953 to 1961.

The Eisenhowers visited Gettysburg several times during his eight-year presidency, including a five-week stint when he recovered from a heart attack.

The home and grounds are now part of Eisenhower National Historic Site. The 690-acre site also includes four farms, a skeet range, a putting green and Eisenhower's collection of automobiles.

Other Gettysburg sites include the library in which Eisenhower had an office; the Majestic Theater, where he’d hold news conferences; and Gettysburg College, where he wrote his memoirs.

Additionally, visit the Hall of Presidents and First Ladies, a collection of presidential figures chronologically staged to detail more than 230 years of American history that is operated by Gettysburg Tour Center. Explore its gallery of First Ladies, adorned in their dresses from respective inaugurations.

Also, Lincoln artist Wendy Allen will host an event 1-4 p.m. all three days during the weekend at her Gettysburg gallery, Lincoln Into Art.

For more details, visit Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau online or call (800) 337-5015  or (717) 334-1166.