In 1928, Henry Ford moved Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory facilities from their original location in New Jersey and had them reconstructed in Dearborn, MI. On September 20<sup>th</sup>, 2014, a ceremony was held at the Henry Ford Museum’s Greenfield Village to officially declare the Thomas Edison Menlo Park laboratory as a National Historic Chemical Landmark. Many American Chemical Society (ACS) members from the Detroit Local Section and national branches were present for the ceremony, as well as members from the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) and Wayne State University student chapters. In addition to being present for the ceremony to dedicate Thomas Edison’s labs as a landmark, a great number of volunteers from the UDM Chem Club performed a chemistry “magic” show for the children walking through the Village. UDM students performed all of their "classic" demos, from elephant toothpaste to the electric pickle, and even brought back the liquid nitrogen soap bubble experiment that had long been absent from their demo show lineup. All of the ACS members in attendance, including professionals, graduate students, and undergraduate students, formed a notable presence near the Menlo Park facilities in hopes of inspiring families walking through the park to stop by and see what was happening. A great number of enthusiastic kids ended up stopping by UDM's magic show, and the smiles on the kids’ faces (in their kid-sized goggles - safety first!) were priceless, as always.

When history and chemistry collide: Dedication of Thomas Edison's Menlo Park laboratory

251st National Meeting (2016)

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