The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St, Allentown, is continuing its exhibit, “JFK Returns to the Lehigh Valley.”

The exhibit is devoted to the life and legacy of President John F. Kennedy.

The exhibit pays particular attention to JFK’s visit to the Lehigh Valley on Oct. 28, 1960, which drew an estimated 85,000 to hear him speak.

“Kennedy’s late October four-day tour of eastern Pennsylvania electrified the region,” said Joseph Garrera, Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum Executive Director.

With 32 electoral votes, the second highest in the nation, Pennsylvania was a key battleground state.

From the time Kennedy’s plane approached then Allentown Bethlehem Easton Airport at about midnight as police labored to contain the enthusiastic onlookers swelling beyond the safety fences, to Kennedy’s morning talks in Bethlehem and Allentown, his visit created stories and memories that remain as shining moments for the thousands who still recall that day.

Items in the LVHM exhibition include:

Kennedy campaign memorabilia, including election posters, campaign buttons, and invitations to the inauguration in Washington, D.C.

A collection of photographs taken in Allentown on Oct. 28, 1960, during Senator Kennedy’s campaign visit.

Original metal inaugural signs displayed along Pennsylvania Avenue the day of Kennedy’s inauguration.

Original 1963 newspapers reporting on the Kennedy assassination, including The Call-Chronicle and the New York Daily News.

100 images relating to JFK’s life, with emphasis on key turning points in his presidency such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, his initiative to land a man on the moon, and early Civil Rights work.

Information: 610-435-1074