Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4253
Black Meetings & Tourism October/November 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com option of The Academy of Natural Sciences or the Eastern State Penitentiary, where you can view the cell of Al Capone. With a major expansion under way, the Pennsylvania Convention Center will soon offer 700,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, a new ballroom and 40 additional meeting rooms. There are about 8,500 guestrooms within walking distance of the con- vention center, including more than 3,000 rooms that are just two minutes away. VALLEY FORGE Located just 18 miles from Philadelphia, Valley Forge would make an ideal setting for military reunions or a gathering of family members or conventioneers with a keen interest in American history. The 3,600-acre Valley Forge National Historic Park, where George Washington's Continental Army encamped during the winter of 1777-78, brings a key period in Revolutionary War history to life. Don't miss a visit to the Monument to Patriots of African Descent, which honors the estimated 5,000 Black sol- diers of the Continental Army. The park also contains Washington's original headquarters, the Gothic Revival-style Washington Memorial Chapel, a variety of monuments and even recreational amenities like horseback riding trails. At the American Revolution Center, you can view the world's largest collection of Revolutionary War artifacts. In the neighboring community of Plymouth Meeting, you can visit Black heritage sites like the Maulsby House and Abolition Hall. Other notable attractions in Montgomery County include King of Prussia Mall, the Abington Art Center in Jenkentown, the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles in Boyertown and the Highlands Mansion & Gardens in Fort Washington. The area's largest meeting space, Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, contains 108,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, and there are 7,300 area guestrooms. RHODE ISLAND Sixteen Rhode Island Heritage Trails have been developed by the state tourism department to celebrate the history, cul- ture, cuisine, landscape of America's smallest state. Six of those trails are found in Newport County, site of the island city famous for yachting, water sports and Gilded Age Actor in period costume Photo Credit: Valley Forge CVB 42