National Museum of Crime & Punishment to Offer FREE Admission for Law Enforcement and Half-Price Admission Tickets for Opening Day, Friday, May 23

Admission Tickets to DC's Newest Interactive Museum Now on Sale

Washington, D.C. (May 14, 2008) - The verdict is in.

When the National Museum of Crime & Punishment (NMCP) unlocks its doors to the public on Friday, May 23, opening day admission will be free for law enforcement (with badge and/or credentials) and tickets will be half-price, all day long.

Daily museum tickets - including opening day - are available online at www.crimemuseum.org or by calling (202) 870-1922.  If available, they can also be purchased the day of at the museum box office. 

Special opening day activities will include:

• 9 a.m.-to-11 a.m. and 1 p.m.-to-3 p.m. - Meet world-famous Crime Fighting Dog McGruff and learn "how to take a bite out of crime"

• 10 a.m.-12 noon - Meet Museum Owner and Creator, John Morgan, and John Walsh, Host of America's Most Wanted

• 2 p.m.-to-4 p.m. - Age Progression and Facial Reconstruction Demonstrations by the experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Learn how Forensic Imaging Specialist's manipulate the facial features to predict basic structural changes in a child's face using artistic skill in combination with the science of growth analysis.

Owned and operated by Orlando businessman John Morgan in partnership with John Walsh, the NMCP offers historical artifacts combined with dynamic interaction. Spanning three floors and more than 28,000 square feet at 575 7^th Street NW between E and F Streets in downtown Washington, D.C., the museum presents the history of crime and punishment in America, encompassing everything from pirates, Wild West outlaws, serial killers and gangsters, to white-collar criminals hiding behind computer technology.  Along the way, the museum explores crime-fighting and crime-solving techniques as well as the consequences of committing a crime.

"This museum will showcase America's history of crime and punishment in a manner unlike anything that has ever existed before, educating to the public - in the process - the importance of the law enforcement community," said Janine Vaccarello, Chief Operating Officer of the National Museum of Crime & Punishment. "Guests will interact with and explore areas of CSI and forensic science, which are often misrepresented, while paying tribute to the real people who dedicate their lives to public safety. We are especially thrilled to provide access to the intricate world of crime fighting through the America's Most Wanted studio."

The NMCP will also host the renowned crime fighting TV series, America's Most Wanted (AMW) studio. During in-studio tapings, museum guests are invited to "witness" the taping of the show live and see the AMW Hotline, beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturdays, where a team of trained operators field incoming calls and e-mails,

turning those leads immediately over to federal and local police in the hopes of apprehending the fugitives profiled on the show.

The studio also serves as an interactive learning experience where guests will discover and learn about John Walsh's personal tragedy that led to him becoming the nation's best-known and successful crime fighter. Interactive exhibits within the AMW gallery include a studio camera with greenscreen technology allowing for virtual "intros" and interviews by John Walsh that provide guests with the true "live television" experience. Guests can also use a touchscreen and zip code analysis to learn more about community-based prevention programs in their own neighborhoods.

Permanent attractions include interaction opportunities with a realistic forensics lab, creation of identity and fingerprinting as well as the use of a lie detector test. Visitors will experience first-hand the skills necessary to fight crime through such interactive components as a mock-FBI shooting range and high-speed police chase simulators. Artifacts include J. Edgar Hoover's badge and boxing gloves presented to him by "Cinderella Man" James Braddock, John Dillinger
[Back to Press Releases Main]