Glenn museum in New Concord offers snapshot of astronaut’s life
Nwould devastate the space program.
Glenn’s boyhood home in New Concord, where he lived until he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, has been preserved as the John & Annie Glenn Museum. John had what he called an “idyllic early childhood” in New Concord, and met his future wife, Annie, there when both were toddlers.
Visitors to the home
see a movie about John and Annie and get a living-history tour of the home. The era represented on the tour varies, with the decor and furniture changed periodically.
Currently, the home is set up as it would have been in 1962, the year Glenn became a worldfamous astronaut. The living-history guides represent John Glenn’s parents, Clara and Herschel. They talk about the historic day when their son was in orbit, and some of the aftermath of his fame.
The museum also contains many Glenn family mementos and memorabilia from Glenn’s military, astronaut and political careers.
After his first epic flight, Glenn did not return to space — at least not soon. He served as a U.S. Senator from Ohio from 1974 to 1999 and ran unsuccessfully for president.
And in 1998, Glenn finally returned to space at age 77 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, becoming the oldest person ever to fly in space.
He died in 2016 at age 95.
For more information about the John & Annie Glenn Museum, call 740-826-3305 or visit johnglennhome.org.
Steve Stephens is the Dispatch travel writer. sstephens@ dispatch.com @Stevestephens