ABC6 News Tours Edward M. Kennedy Institute of the US Senate
By Mike LaCrosse
It’s do doubt Edward Moore Kennedy was a powerhouse in American politics.
The liberal, “Lion of the Senate” as he was called, served the people of Massachusetts for 47 years in Congress.
His legacy now lives on in an institute that bears his name. It’s located at Colombia Point in Boston right next to his big brother’s Presidential Library.
“Today is a little bit of a walk down memory lane. Seeing all those images of my father seeing his staff who are so loyal. It’s a really nice warm feeling … about my dad all he was able to to as a public servant,” said CT State Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr.
The 68,000 square foot facility cost $78 million dollars with $38 million coming from federal funding. The opening comes nearly six years after the death of Ted Kennedy in May of 2009.
The institute features interactive exhibits on the history of Kennedy and the Senate.
Visitors can follow the process of how a bill becomes law and even make actual votes in a full scale replica of the US Senate Chambers.
The Kennedy family says the goal of the institute is to give people a better understanding of how congress operates.
“It’s great to see the vision my father had. A vision to have an institute that really would encourage young people to get involved in public service,” said Ted Kennedy Jr.
The institute also has a replica of Kennedy’s Washington DC office complete with mementos and family pictures.
“This institute is opening for the first time and hopefully we’ll have visitors not only from Massachusetts and the United States, but from all over the world who want to learn about this unique great body,” said Ted Kennedy Jr.
The EMK Institute opens to the public on Tuesday March 30th.
(C) WLNE-TV 2015
