Editor’s Note:

The Mountain News has just received this announcement from the Washington State Historical Museum concerning their upcoming exhibit on DB Cooper.

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DB Cooper Exhibit Lands at Washington State History Museum August 24

With an opening night gala and ongoing programming, the COOPER exhibit explores the world’s most notorious unknown skyjacker and the context of his time

 TACOMA – This August, the Washington State History Museum takes a step back in time to study one of America’s greatest unsolved mysteries and its lasting effect on history. The COOPER exhibit incorporates never-before-seen artifacts, first-person accounts and FBI documents to help recreate the fateful November day in 1971, when passenger “Dan Cooper” boarded a plane at Portland International Airport, and leapt into infamy. The exhibit, which runs through January 5, 2014, explores how his skyjacking of the plane bound for Sea-Tac changed the course of aviation design and passenger safety. To unveil this landmark exhibit, the museum will be hosting a members’ gala and preview on Friday, August 23, and a grand opening public event on Saturday, August 24.

 The members’ gala will feature an evening of 70s-themed dancing, cocktails, and a sneak preview of the debut exhibit, which opens to the public the following day. For the grand opening celebration on Saturday, August 24, exhibit curators will lead behind-the-scene tours throughout the morning; at 11 a.m., Gary Young, a parachute expert and professional stuntman, will demonstrate what it’s like to jump out of a Boeing 727 at night – and survive; and at 2 p.m., Citizen Sleuth investigator Tom Kaye will present on his notorious search for Cooper.

 “The story of Cooper is a complex and fascinating one, with many political and cultural factors that played into the infamous skyjacking,” said Jennifer Kilmer, director of the Washington State Historical Society. “Through this exhibit and the accompanying programs, we hope to give people a 360-degree view of this single event and its enduring mystery and ramifications.

 The exhibit, sponsored in part by The Oregonian, will give visitors the experience of air travel in the 70s via a recreated Boeing 727 cabin and cockpit, and study the science of skydiving, forensics and commercial aircraft design. Together with interactive simulations and storyboards, the exhibit will feature marked dollars from the ransom payment, an identification plate from the original plane, and a 1957 Pioneer Parachute Company parachute (one of four that were delivered as part of Cooper’s demands).

 The museum will host an ongoing educational series on forensic science and history mysteries, interactive shows with a professional Cooper impersonator, and partner on the fall symposium featuring Geoffrey Gray, bestselling-author of Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper, with dates to be released soon. Exhibit hours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with days varying by season and extended hours and free admission every third Thursday, 2 – 8 p.m. General admission is $9.50 for adults; $7 for seniors and students; free for children, age 5 and below, and members are always free. For more information on the exhibit, special events and becoming a museum member, visit www.washingtonhistory.org and the museum’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/washingtonhistory.

About the Washington State History Museum

The Washington State History Museum, flagship of the Washington State Historical Society, is located at 1911 Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, just off 1-5.  The Washington State History Museum presents exhibits, programs, and events that bring to life the stories of Washington’s history. The Washington State Historical Society has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and vividly presenting Washington’s rich and varied history since 1891.  For more information, please call 1-888-BE-THERE or visit our Web site, www.WashingtonHistory.org