Preparing for President's Day

FREMONT — People can celebrate Presidents Day — Monday, Feb. 19 — with free admission and special activities planned at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums site. Beyond being the estate of former President Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president in U.S. history, this Fremont-based site is also home to America's first presidential library. The museum comprises several buildings related to the life and presidency of Hayes. Day-long celebration Hayes Presidential will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 19. Visitors can take a free, self-guided tour of the museum and sign up for a free tour of the first floor of the Hayes Home. Hayes Home tours will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and no advance reservations are taken. The first tour is at 9:15 a.m., and the last tour is at 4:30 p.m. Attendees must check in at the museum front desk to get their tour time and tickets. The research library will be closed for the holiday. There will be a variety of events and activities in the museum, including scavenger hunts, a campaign lantern craft, a presidential photo station, an artifact display, presidential trivia and story time. The schedule of events is as follows: • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — museum open for self-guided tours • 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — tours of the Hayes Home's first floor • 10:15 a.m. — artifact display near the carriage on the museum's main level • 11 a.m. — presidential trivia in the history lab in the lower level • 11:30 a.m. — storytime • 1 p.m. — presidential trivia in the history lab in the lower level • 1:30 p.m. — storytime • 2:15 p.m. — artifact display near the carriage on the museum main level • 3 p.m. — presidential trivia in the history lab in the lower level The Presidents Day celebration is sponsored by the Knight Baldwin Charitable Fund. Horse-drawn trolley rides People can also celebrate Presidents Day at the museum by taking a horse-drawn trolley ride through Hayes' estate with a costumed living history presenter. Trolley rides are from 1-4 p.m. and are given by South Creek Clydesdales. The rides are a nostalgic trip through the wooded estate, past the historic Victorian Hayes Home and down Lover's Lane, a favorite pine-tree-lined spot on the grounds. Tickets are $6 per person ages 3 and older and free for kids 2 and younger. Advance tickets can be purchased at rbhayes.org. Search for "horse-drawn trolley." Walk-ins are also welcome. In-person ticket sales end at 3:45 p.m. on Feb. 19. The trolley can fit 16 to 18 people. It will be decorated for the holiday and feature a costumed presenter focusing on presidential speeches during the ride. Rides will be offered whether or not there is snow. But if the wind chill is below 0 degrees or there are thunderstorms, rides will be canceled. For updates, visit rbhayes.org or Hayes Presidential's social media pages. If Hayes Presidential cancels the rides, refunds for the ticket price will be issued. Otherwise, there are no refunds. Runners club hosting event Put on your favorite patriotic and presidential garb and run or walk the Presidents Day 5K on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the site to raise money for Hayes Presidential. The Fremont Elite Runners Club is organizing the first Presidents Day 5K, which begins at 10 a.m. Registration is at 9 a.m. in the museum auditorium. Pre-registration is available at fremonteliterunnersclub.com/events/presidents-day-5k. Pre-registration costs $25, and day-of registration costs $30. Those who pre-register will receive a race T-shirt in the size they prefer. The race, which is 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles, begins at the entrance to the museum and will follow a course in the area. Prizes will be awarded to first-place finishers in the men's and women's categories and for the best costume. All participants will receive a presidential-themed gift. Refreshments will be served in the auditorium. Race participants can tour the Hayes Home and museum for a $2 discount the day of the race. This race was formerly the Jingle Bell Run, which took place in December at Hayes Presidential. The runners club decided to change up the timing and make the run a Presidents Day weekend event instead. The Fremont Elite Runners Club donates proceeds from this event to Hayes Presidential as it did in the past with the Jingle Bell Run. "The Fremont Elite Runners Club has been so generous to us by donating back race proceeds from the Jingle Bell Run," said Sue Berryman, Hayes Presidential's development director. "We are excited to partner with them this year for the first President's Day Run. In the past, many runners dressed in Christmas costumes. I can't wait to see the presidential costumes this year." On the morning of the run, the main entrance to Spiegel Grove will be closed from 9:45-11:30 a.m. The Jefferson Gate off Hayes Avenue will instead be used for vehicle traffic during that time.