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Children can explore key dates and events in the city’s past through role-playing, hands-on activities and elements based on the popular long-running BBC television series Doctor Who at the Hampton History Museum’s free 2nd Saturday Family Event, “Doctor Who in Hampton: Time Travel of Historic Proportions” on Saturday, July 9, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Doctor Who is an eccentric yet compassionate extraterrestrial Time Lord who zips through time and space. With their imagination and with the help of museum staff, volunteers and activity partners, children can join the Doctor to explore what he would see on several dates in history if he were to stop in Hampton on his travels.

Setting the scene for this time travel adventure is a life-size TARDIS created by Alexander Phillip Baker, leader of the Steampunk Alliance of Eastern Virginia. The TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) is blue 1930s-style British police box in which the Doctor travels. Families will encounter Daleks and their calls to "Exterminate!" brought to the museum by Old Dominion Daleks. The Daleks are merciless and pitiless cyborg aliens bent on conquest of the universe and the elimination of what they see as inferior species.

Visitors will meet cosplayers portraying different Doctor Whos from various seasons of the long-running show, as well as other characters from the series. Attendees are encouraged come dressed as their favorite Doctor Who character and join the fun while learning about history and enjoying arts & crafts and other creative hands-on activities.

Through imaginary time travel, families will visit critical events in American History that took place in Hampton, such as the arrival of the first Africans in 1619; The 1775 Battle of Hampton; The Civil War in Hampton, including the Burning of Hampton and the Contraband story; and the founding of NACA (later NASA) in 1917.

Activity partners include Heritage Education and the Virginia Air & Space Center.

Family activities are free of charge and take place in the museum’s Great Hall and courtyard continuously from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Admission to the museum galleries is a special $3.00 per person reduced rate on 2nd Saturdays. Afterwards, families can enjoy all there is to see and do at the 2nd Saturday ArtsWalk in downtown Hampton.

The Hampton History Museum is located at 120 Old Hampton Lane, Hampton, VA. There is free parking in the garage across the street from the museum. For more information, dial 757/727-1610, visit www.hamptonhistorymuseum.org, or follow the museum on Facebook Facebook/HamptonHistoryMuseum and Twitter @HamptonHistoryM.