Spartansburg County Historical Association and Museums [SC]

Description

The Spartansburg County Historical Association seeks to preserve and share the history of Spartansburg County, South Carolina. To this end, the society operates three historical sites and a regional museum. The Seay House began as a Scots-Irish one-story log home, built before 1850. This residence is most like the dwelling of an average early inhabitant of the Spartansburg area. Interpretation focuses on late 19th- and early 20th-century women's lives. The circa 1795 Price House grounds also include a kitchen building and double-pen slave cabin. The home served as a residence and bed and breakfast. Interpretation focuses on the original owners, Thomas and Anne Price. The circa 1765 Walnut Grove Plantation includes a plantation home, Rocky Spring Academy, a forge, a meat house, a kitchen building, a well house, a barn, and the reconstructed office of the region's earliest physician to have received collegiate training. The site depicts area life prior to 1805. The Regional History Museum's permanent exhibits address an chronological overview of Spartansburg area developments, textiles, military history, and locally made furniture.

The Seay House offers period rooms, interpretive signage, and school tours. The Price House offers period rooms and guided tours. Walnut Grove Plantation offers guided tours of the home, kitchen, and Rocky Spring Academy; self-guided grounds tours; a nature trail; and the Moore family cemetery. The Regional History Museum offers student tours, curriculum-based programs for students, exhibits, traveling trunks, and summer camps. Reservations are required for school tours to the Seay House and for groups of 10 or more visiting the Price House and/or Walnut Grove Plantation. Visitors to the cemetery are asked to remain on the trail.

Hancock Shaker Village [MA]

Description

The 20-acre Hancock Shaker Village was once a thriving Shaker community, but is now an outdoors museum which presents the history and culture of the Shakers. Collections include 20 historic buildings and more than 22,200 artifacts including furniture, tools, vernacular equipment, household objects, art, textiles, graphics, and archival documents. Shaker beliefs included using dance as a communal form of communication with God, equality of the sexes, group ownership, and celibacy.

The village offers self-guided tours; docents; exhibits; animal encounters; traditional craft demonstrations; a program on Shaker music; a children's discovery room; 19th-century-style lessons in a historic schoolhouse; guided tours of the 1830s Brick Dwelling, 1826 Round Stone Barn, and Laundry/Machine Shop; specialty guided tours; curriculum-based tour outlines for teachers; heirloom gardens; heritage livestock; research library access; a hiking trail; cafe; and a picnic area. Guided tours are only available between late November and mid April. During that time, self-guided tours are unavailable. Appointments are required for research library access.

Judy Garland Museum [MN]

Description

The Judy Garland Museum preserves the birthplace of actress Judy Garland (1922-1969). Garland lived in the home for her first four and one half years. The site presents her biographical information and historical context. The actress is perhaps best known for her 1939 role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

The museum offers exhibits.

Harry S Truman Little White House [FL]

Description

The Harry S Truman Little White House has served as a naval station command headquarters of the Spanish American War, World War I, and World War II; President Harry S Truman's Winter White House between 1946 and 1952; and a Cold War response site. The Little White House is a living museum. More than 4/5 of the current furnishings are original to the house's Truman period. Exhibits address the 1948 election, events of 1948, and the 14 presidents who have vacationed in Florida.

The site offers an introductory film, guided tours, tours for students, and self-guided botanical tour. Student tours have different themes depending on group tours, and are available for fourth graders and above. Tour scripts are available in Czech, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The website offers historic photographs.

Montauk Historic Site [IA]

Description

Visitors can journey into the past at the home of Iowa's 12th governor, William Larrabee and Anna Larrabee, his wife. They can enjoy a guided tour to see and hear how the Larrabee family furnished and maintained this 1874 vintage brick and natural limestone mansion for more than 100 years. All of the furnishings are original to the house.

The site offers tours and occasional recreational and educational events.

James J. Hill House [MN]

Description

The 1891 Gilded Age James J. Hill House served as the residence of James J. Hill (1838-1916), chief executive officer of several Great Northern Railway lines; his family; and their servants. The interpretive focuses include family life and the life of the home's domestic servants. Other topics covered include Hill's career; architecture; interior design; and period heating, power, communication, and lighting systems. Hill's original gallery now displays art exhibits.

The house offers residence tours, exhibits, 75-minute tours of the residence for students, video or slide show introductory programs for students, late 19th-century skill workshops for children, 90-minute walking tours and 45-minute bus tours of the Summit Avenue neighborhood, lectures, concerts, and dramatic performances. Reservations are required for field trips. The website offers a word search.

Benton County Historical Museum [OR]

Description

The Benton County Historical Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of Benton County, and the history of the settlement of Oregon and the Willamette Valley. The museum is located in the 1867 Philomath College building, an important local historic landmark that was kept standing by the advocacy of local citizens.

The museum offers exhibits, guided tours, field trip programs, and special presentations. The website offers visitor information, online exhibits, and a calendar of events.

Greater Oneonta Historical Society [NY]

Description

The Greater Oneonta Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the historical heritage of Oneonta, New York, and the surrounding area. The society has recently purchased the 183 Main Street building, and is working to renovate it for use as a local history museum and research library.

The society offers walking tours of Oneonta as well as tours of Oneonta historic structures and homes. The website offers a calendar of events, photo galleries of Oneonta, and general information regarding the society.