Provide a Temporary Visitors Center During Renovation
USMGE teamed with a major General Contractor to provide a temporary modular visitors center at Antietam National Battlefield Park while renovations to the existing Visitors Center were in progress. USMGE provided a 5,000 sf building with retail space, film rooms, exhibit rooms, an information center, and restrooms.
The Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center contains museum exhibits about the battle and the Civil War. The Visitor Center was constructed in 1962 as part of the Mission 66 plan. A 26-minute orientation film narrated by James Earl Jones is shown on the hour and the half-hour.
Antietam National Battlefield Park is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Extra care and attention were required to make sure that the areas in and around the new modular building were not disturbed on this hallowed ground. Modular construction was ideal in this instance in that most of the construction was performed off site which kept the disturbance to the site at a minimum.
The building was complete with BARD HVAC units and turnkey electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems. The modular building was equipped with a T-Grid ceiling, carpet, VCG interior and a Hardie Panel exterior.
USMGE was able to work diligently with The National Park Service to install the building on a rigid time schedule due to the use of modular construction which sped up the construction process.
The building was delivered and installed in 2 weeks without any interruptions to construction or visitors. The work included a modular building foundation, aluminum ADA steps, decks, and ramps. The modular building will be used as the visitors center for approximately 2 years. The modular building will then be removed once the renovations to the existing Visitors Center are complete.