The Durham Museum celebrates National Root Beer Float Day with free root beer floats this Saturday, August 5th

The Durham Museum will celebrate National Root Beer Float Day with free 8 oz. root beer floats to all visitors on Saturday, August 5. Each visitor will receive a ticket for one root beer float during museum hours, 10AM-5PM. Regular museum admission applies and members are free. The complimentary floats are being generously underwritten by Renewal by Andersen, Oriental Trading and the Baer Foundation.

As a kick-off for Saturday’s event, Durham Museum summer camp teachers and KETV Newswatch 7 Meteorologist Alex Alecci, will compete in a first of its kind Root Beer Float Race! The competition will start at noon on Friday, August 4 in The Durham Museum’s Swanson Gallery. Contestants will compete to see who can make and then eat/chug a Root Beer Float the fastest. The winner goes home with the “golden mug”. The summer camp kids watch and cheer, craziness will ensue and then each camper will get a small root beer float to celebrate the last day of camp as well as Root Beer Float Day! Media and museum guests are welcome to watch.

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.