WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — When you talk about the Winston-Salem Open, you think tennis rackets, but doubles players Joel Salisbury and Rajeev Ram were playing on a much smaller scale, with paddles before they hit the real court. The two professional tennis players were the first to play table tennis in the newly renovated ping-pong room at the Reynolda House.
The ping-pong table is in the basement of the house and museum and now anyone can play!
“I can’t imagine a better way to bring back ping-pong here. I don't think anyone has played in the ping-pong room at Reynolda since the 60s,” said Phil Archer, Director of Public Programs at Reynolda House. The ping-pong room wasn't part of the original plan when Katharine Reynolds built the house. But by the time her daughter Mary Babcock lived in the house in the 30s, the basement became a recreation spot.
Archer says even if you're not a professional like Salisbury and Ram, you can grab a paddle and have a nice game, with no additional charge to your museum entrance fee.
The ping-pong room is part of the recreation area in the basement which also includes a bowling alley, a carnival-type shooting range, and a bar among other things.
“I don't know of any other museum where you can play indoor sports right in the room it was designed for. While
There's plenty that you can't touch at Reynolda still, this is a place dedicated to play,” said Archer.
The Reynolda House and Museum is open every day but Monday. Admission is $18 a person, although various groups get in free, like veterans and children under 18 years of age.