The American Celebration on Parade (ACP) is a unique exhibit that showcases an impressive collection of huge, historical and handmade parade floats, props, and memorabilia from some of America’s most famous parades and celebrations. This 44,000 square foot building is home to 15 parade floats that graced the streets in parades, such as Inaugural Parades, Tournament of Roses Parades, Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parades, and many more.
Out front of the building is “Lady Liberty” which is 40-feet tall and weighs 1,700 pounds. It appeared in the 2000 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California.
On the lawn next to the ACP building is a giant frog and “The Cootie” which was modeled after the children’s game and appeared in the Macy’s Day Parade in New York City from 1975 to 1981.
A little history. Earl Hargrove Jr. (1928-2015) served two tours with the U.S. Marine Corps after WWII. He began his career trimming holiday store front windows in Washington, DC. Earl and his father then established Hargrove Displays, Inc and began creating parade floats. Their first big job was creating the Presidential Inauguration Float for Harry Truman in 1949. Many more inaugural floats followed. In 2000 he wanted to share his collection with the public and opened the ACP which has approximately 90,000 visitors per year. In 1966, Earl also purchased the nearby Shenandoah Caverns.
Upon entering the ACP, you are welcomed by Robert the tour guide. Tours are every hour on the hour. After a short talk from Robert, a very short video gives a quick background of the ACP. The tour lasts about 45 minutes then you are welcome to tour everything on your own.
At the entrance way you will be amazed at the humongous Jester, flanked by two drummers and a model train layout to the left. On the right is a “Love Tester” old time machine
The first float on the tour was the ducks appearing in a few “Singing in the Rain” themed floats and also were dressed as hockey players in a Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade while the flowers were used in John F. Kennedy’s inauguration float. To the right of the ducks float is a Patriotic Sculpture.
Next is the “Special Delivery” bear on a Harley-Davidson three-wheeled trike from the 2008 Rose Parade, followed by the “Amazing Elephant” used in a number of parades, and the Giant Genie which won the Best Design Award in the 1992 Rose Parade. The parts and pieces were used from the original King Neptune float for different floats. The seahorses were used for 50 years in various floats and the wheels in the Neptune chariot were once reused for a gladiator float.
Continuing on, the polar bears were first used in the 1998 Rose Parade, a Blue Boot was built for President Bush’s float, as he was a Texan who wore boots, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” was colonial soldier drummer who led the Presidential inaugural parades for the older Bush and then Clinton.
The “Native American” was used in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade and the President Bill Clinton Presidential Inauguration Parade. The mammoth flag float was built for President Reagan’s second Inaugural (see image at top of page). It was Mr. Hargroves pride and joy. He built it to look like it was waving in the wind. Due to freezing conditions this parade was canceled which was the only one in history to be canceled. The President still wanted to greet all who were to participate so they used the float as a backdrop in a local arena. The Flag Float also appeared in Obama’s first Inaugural Parade and it was the last float that Mr. Hargrove at the age of 80 drove.
The “Train Float” was first built for the 1994 Tournament of Roses Parade. Mr. Hargrove recovered this float in vivid colors of faux fur and it appeared in President Clinton’s Inaugural Parade in 1997. It was also used in the Thanksgiving day parade in Philadelphia.
Other floats included the “Cinderella Carriage” for Barbara Bush in her first inaugural parade as the First Lady.
Vehicles are also included in the exhibit. The 1939 pumper truck was first on the scene when the Shenandoah Caverns hotel had burned the 2nd and 3rd floors and was also used for Ronald McDonald special events with Willard Scott. The horse drawn fire truck was once used by the Great Escape Amusement Park in Great Falls, New York and in various parades and exhibitions. And it wouldn’t be complete without the Shenandoah Caverns Trolley.
Lastly, there are a number of caricatures like me at the inauguration pulpit and with Jake and Elwood Blues, a 50’s guy in front of a limousine float, and big birds on the ceiling.
A few photo credits to my daughter Jennifer Graf Spencer who accompanied me on this journey.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS !!
If you Visit:
Address: 397 Caverns Road, Quicksburg, Virginia 22847. It is very close to Interstate 81 Exit 269. There are no real easy travel options besides driving to get here.
Admission: Adults $20, Children $10. If you want to visit the nearby Shenadoah Caverns, you can buy a caverns ticket and get an add on admission to the ACP for an additional $10 at the caverns front desk.
Hours: The ACP tours start at 10:00 AM and continue at the top of each hour until the last tour at 4:00 PM. The season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with some weekends throughout the year. Always call ahead to make sure they are open 540-477-3115.
Parking: Plentiful and free directly in front of the entrance or a short walk to the parking lot at the caverns.
Tour: The guided tour is 45 minutes long. The ACP building is completely handicap accessible with places to sit throughout.
I would love to visit this museum. It’s like the parade stands still and visitors parade around it! 🙂 There is such detail that we never really get to examine while the floats and vehicles are moving along the street!
Me, too! It’s like getting a backstage tour…