Traveling Bob Hope Exhibit Opens May 1 at the North Myrtle Beach Area Historical Museum

“Bob Hope: An American Treasure”, a traveling exhibit celebrating the life and times of the Guinness Book of Records "most honored" man, will open to the public on May 1 at the North Myrtle Beach Area Historical Museum, 799 2nd Avenue North in North Myrtle Beach. The exhibit was created by the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, FL.

"It is an honor for the Museum to be able to host the exhibit about legendary entertainer Bob Hope,” Museum Board Chairman Dick Hester said. “From soldiers to U.S. Presidents, Bob Hope touched the lives of Americans in a way no other celebrity could—with laughter.”

Hope's story is narrated in first-person comedy, combining anecdotes, quotes, jokes and stories from all aspects of his life. The exhibit includes more than 200 vintage photos and seven video displays that chronicle Hope’s early years as part of an immigrant family in the early 20th century; his rise as a star of stage, screen and radio; the relationships he had with U.S. presidents; his devotion to the U.S. military; and his love of golf.

"Bob Hope: An American Treasure" has toured the U.S. and England, but has never been displayed on the East Coast. In addition to having been displayed at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, CO, the exhibit has been shown at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans; the Gerald Ford Presidential Library in Grand Rapids, MI; and the Green Bay Packers Museum in Green Bay, WI.

According to Museum Board Chairman Dick Hester, the exhibit rental fee is $45,000 and shipping costs exceed $18,000, all of which have been paid for through donations. The museum received a grant from the Bob and Delores Hope Foundation to cover the entire rental fee. The City of North Myrtle Beach has provided $7,500 in accommodation tax funds toward the shipping costs, and a $12,000 transportation grant from the Hope Foundation will pay the balance of the transport fee to safely truck the exhibit from Denver to North Myrtle Beach.

"We're counting on our community to help make the exhibit a success in South Carolina," Hester said. “Although the Museum received grants for the exhibit and for transportation, additional funds are needed to help promote the exhibit to the rest of South Carolina and to our neighbors in North Carolina.”

Sponsorship levels range from “Par Sponsor” at $500 to “Hole-in-One Sponsor” at $5,000.

Interested persons are asked to contact Museum Director Jenean Todd for more information at 843.427.7668 or director@NMBmuseum.com.

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