HOURS UPDATE: The Durham Museum will be closed Friday (11/15) for a private event.

The Durham Museum celebrates National Root Beer Float Day with free root beer floats Saturday, August 7th

The Durham Museum will celebrate National Root Beer Float Day with free 8 oz. root beer floats to all visitors on Saturday, August 7. Each visitor will receive a ticket for one root beer float during museum hours, 10AM-4PM. Regular museum admission applies and members are free. The complimentary floats are being generously underwritten by the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Memorial Foundation, Upstream Brewing Company, Hiland Dairy Foods and Oriental Trading Company.

Guests will also have a chance to participate in fun activities at the museum’s Platform including puzzles, games and crafts all themed around the delicious, foamy float. In addition, each museum guest will receive a complimentary soda jerk hat at the front desk to wear during the day.

The Durham Museum’s authentic soda fountain dates back to the earliest days of Union Station, which opened in 1931. Soda jerks still make floats the old-fashioned way, by hand-scooping ice-cream and adding root beer flavoring and seltzer water. In addition to the famous treat, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the history of soda jerks and experience how travelers enjoyed the soda fountain while passing through Union Station in its heyday.