Virginia Aviation Museum [VA]

Description

Located in Richmond, Virginia, the Virginia Aviation Museum features the spectacular SR-71 Blackbird as well as 36 historic vintage aircraft and other pieces of aviation memorabilia. The museum also is home to the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame.

The museum offers exhibits, field trip programs, outreach programs, and occasional special events such as the annual Air Fair. The website offers visitor information, information regarding some of the aircraft on display, and information regarding the educational programs offered.

Oregon Coast History Center [OR]

Description

The Oregon Coast History Center seeks to preserve and share the history of Lincoln County, Oregon and the Central Oregon Coast. To this end, the society operates the Burrows House and Log Cabin. The 1895 Queen Anne-style Burrows House. The house offers exhibits on local history, a law office setting, and a Victorian parlor. The Log Cabin presents Lincoln County history, including maritime history, local bridges, and Native American life. Plans exist to create a maritime history center. Collections include more than 40,000 artifacts dating as far back as 1850. Collection highlights include the charter boat, Kingfisher.

The center offers exhibits, period rooms, district walking tours, educational outreach programs, research library access, oral histories, and research assistance. The log cabin includes a children's hands-on learning area. Reservations are required for group tours.

Jefferson County Historical Society Museum and Village [lL]

Description

The Museum and the Village, with its buildings and their contents, reflect life in Jefferson County from the mid-19th century to more recent years. Among the furnished buildings one finds homes of the 19th century, a one-room school, a log church and log jail, operating blacksmith and print shops, merchandise in the general store, and a variety of medical equipment from a foot-treadle dentist's drill to a Civil War amputation kit in the Medical Building. The Museum currently houses exhibits of the history of telephones and weaving and of military personnel and their lives from the Civil War to the current armed forces, as well as collections donated by Jefferson County residents.

The museum and village offer exhibits and occasional educational and recreational events.

Hat Museum [OR]

Description

The Hat Museum presents over 900 hats. Collections include modern hats, novelty hats, men's hats, and hats from between 1880 and 1980. Historical hats have been selected to exemplify the most characteristic styles and details of their day. The 1910 Arts and Crafts Ladd-Reingold House, in which the museum is located, was the home of an early 1900s milliner.

The museum offers exhibits. Reservations are required.

Museum of Automobiles [AR]

Description

The Museum of Automobiles presents historic automobiles, related memorabilia, historic arcade machines, an antique gas pump, a player piano, and antique firearms. The museum permanent collection consists of 30 vehicles—with others on loan from locations throughout the U.S. Vehicles on display date from 1904 through 1969.

The museum offers exhibits. Advance notice is required for groups.

Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum [SC]

Description

The Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum presents U.S. Naval and air history and technology via a collection of Navy vessels and World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and modern military planes. The USS Yorktown, a World War II aircraft carrier; 24 historical military aircraft; the USS Laffey, a World War II destroyer; the USS Clamagore, a Cold War Balao-class submarine; the USCGC Ingham, a World War II and drug bust cutter; a Congressional Medal of Honor exhibit; a Vietnam War Naval Support Base Camp replica; and the Cold War Submarine Memorial are all located on site.

The museum offers traditional and interactive exhibits, guided group tours, self-guided tours, a youth overnight program, curriculum-based history and science educational programs for students, scavenger hunts for students, youth leadership and history seminars, two snack bars, and food options in the mess hall. The mess hall only offers food between April and November. The USS Laffey, USS Clamagore, and USCGC Ingham offer little to no wheelchair accessibility. Groups must contain at least 15 paid visitors.

The USS Laffey is closed until further notice for repairs.

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum [TX]

Description

George H. W. Bush was the 41st President from 1988-1992, as well as the former director of the CIA. "Included in the museum's main exhibit are items ranging from a 1925 film of George H. W. Bush's first steps in Kennebunkport, Maine, documents that highlight his service at the CIA and United Nations, and records and correspondence from his tenure as the 41st President of the United States of America."

Tours are free for school groups and the museum offers a variety of educational programs for grades pre-K-12. Teacher resources are also provided online to download.

Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park [CA]

Description

Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 8,000 pounds. It sits in a lantern room that had been constructed at the Lighthouse Service's general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using a 24-inch Aero Beacon.

The park offers exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Friendship Firehouse Museum [VA]

Description

The Friendship Fire Company was established in 1774, and was the first volunteer fire company in Alexandria. The current firehouse was built in 1855, remodeled in 1871, and renovated in 1992. The Engine Room on the first floor houses hand-drawn fire engines, leather water buckets, axes, sections of early rubber hose, and other historic fire-fighting equipment. An exhibition discusses the development of firefighting technology and other fire companies that have served the citizens of Alexandria. The second floor Meeting Room is furnished the way it was during the late 19th century, the real heyday of Friendship as a community organization. On view here are various ceremonial objects such as parade uniforms, capes, banners, and other regalia. George Washington's association with the Friendship Fire Company, honored by members for over 200 years, is symbolized by several images of him throughout the museum.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Napa Firefighters Museum [CA]

Description

The Napa Firefighters Museum presents the history of the Napa, California firefighting department. Collections include hydrants, extinguishers, firefighting toys, global firehouse images, an 1859 hand pumper, and early 1900s fire engines.

The museum offers exhibits. School tours are encouraged, and can be scheduled outside of normal admission hours.