When Museum of the Bible opens its doors on Nov. 17, 2017, just three blocks from the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., guests will enter the 430,000 square-foot structure through two towering, 40-foot-tall gates, each weighing over 12 tons.
Made of bronze, the Gutenberg Gates bear the words Genesis 1:1-31 in Latin, as found in the Gutenberg Bible, the first book created using the printing press.
Now, as part of a national, five-city campaign, Museum of the Bible will tour exact replicas of the Gutenberg Gates through five major U.S. cities as part of the lead up to the museum’s grand opening:
- Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Oct. 6-8
- Nashville at Lipscomb University, Oct. 16-17
- Oklahoma City at Penn Square Mall, Oct. 27-29
- New York City in Times Square, Nov. 3-5
- Washington, D.C., at The National Mall, Nov. 10-12
“The Gutenberg Gates Tour is an opportunity for people to experience the sheer size and scale of the museum in their own backyards, and then invite those same people to be a part of telling that story,” says Steven Bickley, vice president of marketing for the museum. “This tour allows people to have a larger-than-life experience with the Bible, something you can see for yourself and touch with your own two hands.”
Recreated by fabrication specialists, Scenic Industries, using truss, plywood, truss wrap, exterior vinyl and lightweight brick façade, the replica gates will be erected in high foot-traffic areas such as the National Mall, L.A. Convention Center and Times Square. Each of these experiences will include on-site brand ambassadors encouraging people to promote their visit to the @GutenbergGates on social media.
You can follow the journey of these spectacular gates by following @museumofBible or @GutenbergGates on Twitter and Instagram. Get location updates on Museum of the Bible social media.
