Marathon County Historical Society and Yawkey House Museum [WI]

Description

The Marathon County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Wisconsin—with particular emphasis on Marathon County. To this end, the society operates a local history exhibit area, research library, and the Yawkey House Museum. The Yawkey House is a 1901 Classical Revival residence now furnished in the style of 1915.

The society offers exhibits, 30-minute exhibit and museum guided tours, outreach presentations and slide shows, research library access, research assistance, relevant videos for rental, a junior historical society, and genealogy classes. Payment of a fee is required for research assistance. Reservations are required for museum group tours. The website offers historical photographs and biographies of past county residents.

Historic Collinsville [TN]

Description

Historic Collinsville is a living history museum featuring several authentically restored log houses and outbuildings from the mid 1800s. The settlement is also home to a one-room schoolhouse, church, and a exhibit center which focuses on Collinsville-area wildlife and Native Americans.

The museum offers exhibits, guided tours, and field trip programs. The website offers visitor information regarding the museum.

Strawberry Banke Museum [NH]

Description

The Strawberry Banke Museum is a living history museum of one of New Hampshire’s oldest neighborhoods and its history that dates back to the 1600's. The outdoor museum contains 42 historic buildings, the earliest build in 1695, and many contain live demonstrations of craftsmanship, cooking, and other forms of daily life at work.

School groups can tour the neighborhood on their own and partake in a Time Travel Workshop that includes hands-on activities lasting about 90 minutes on a specific, curriculum-based topic. Other programs on architecture, archeology, cooking, Early America, Trade and Maritime history, and the Industrial revolution meet New Hampshire education standards for many grade levels. The site also offers programs for home-schoolers and holiday programs.

Grand Ledge Area Historical Society and Museum [MI]

Description

The Grand Ledge Area Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of the Grand Ledge area, Michigan. To this end, the society operates a museum of local history. The museum is located within the 1880 Gothic Revival Pratt-Shearer Cottage.

The society offers exhibits, research assistance, step-on guides, and a self-guided walking tour. The website offers historic images.

Conestoga Area Historical Society [PA]

Description

The Conestoga Area Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of the Penn Manor Area, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. To this end, the society operates the circa 1850 Harnish House; an outdoor oven; a local history museum, housed in a 19th-century tobacco barn; and a working blacksmith shop. The Harnish House contains a selection of reproduction furniture, and addresses the life of the Harnish family. Society highlights include a Conestoga wagon and a tobacco stripping display.

The society offers exhibits and demonstrations.

Historic Bethlehem [PA]

Description

Historic Bethlehem presents and interprets three centuries of life within Bethlehem, PA. The site consists of a visitor center, the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, Burnside Plantation, Colonial Industrial Quarter, and Goundie House. The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts discusses the history of the Lehigh Valley in the 18th through 20th centuries via a collection of decorative arts. The museum also hosts toys from the 1830s to 1930s. The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, housed within a 1741 structure, presents the lives of Bethlehem, PA's Moravian founders. The Burnside Plantation consists of a barn and farmhouse dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. The site was once home to a Moravian missionary active in local politics. The Colonial Industrial Quarter consists of the 1869 Luckenbach Mill; Miller's House; 1762 Tannery; 1762 Waterworks, the first pumped town water system in the U.S.; and the restored working Blacksmith's Shop. The 1810 Federal Goundie House presents exhibits of local history.

The site offers exhibits, period rooms, group site tours, educational programs for students, a student outreach presentation, a traveling trunk, walking tours, Segway tours, lectures, and step on guides. Note that participants must weigh between 100 and 250 pounds for the Segway tours.