Brookgreen Gardens

Description

In 1931 Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington founded Brookgreen Gardens, a non-profit 501(c) (3) garden museum, to preserve the native flora and fauna and display objects of art within that natural setting.

Today, Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark with the most significant collection of figurative sculpture, in an outdoor setting, by American artists in the world, and has the only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on the coast of the Carolinas.

In 2010, the Brookgreen Gardens Education Department provided field trip experiences for 4,093 students with South Carolina curriculum-based programs about History, Art, and Nature. Additionally, our annual curriculum-based special event for Horry and Georgetown County students, “Gullah Gullah Days,” a third-grade social studies program, provided educational enrichment for 1,708 students.

Programs generally are 50-minutes in length. History programs are: “Creek Excursion”, “Stretching and Growing: Children on Lowcountry Rice Plantations: and “Rice Plantation Exploration.” Cultural presentations offered are: “Gullah Lessons on History, Family & Respect”, “Gullah/Geechee Rhythms”, and “Priscilla’s Posse, A (Simulated) Press Conference about Gullah Heritage.” Teachers receive pre-visit Program Information Sheets that detail: content area, grade, maximum number of students, South Carolina State Standards, and program description. Program descriptions also are available at www.brookgreen/org, after viewers click on Education.

The Children’s Discovery Room attracts numerous enthusiastic public guests. Its seven interactive stations target 4- to 12-year-olds and reflect the history, nature, and art of Brookgreen Gardens. Educators also may gain historical enrichment through visiting one of the following Public programs: Gullah/Geechee Program Series, the Lowcountry Trail Audio Tour, Oaks History and Nature Trail, the Creek Excursion, and the “Lowcountry Change & Continuity” exhibit.

Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site [MO]

Description

One of America's highest ranked military officers, Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, spent most of his childhood years in the small town of Laclede. Pershing was born Sept. 13, 1860, and moved into the Gothic nine-room house in Laclede with his family at age six. He taught at Prairie Mound School, and in 1886, graduated from the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, thus beginning his military career. Between 1886 and his military retirement in 1924, Pershing fought his way up through the military ranks. In 1917, Pershing was sent to France as Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I and two years later was named General of the Armies of the United States by a special act of Congress. Today, visitors can tour Gen. Pershing's boyhood home. A statue of "Black Jack" stands next to the home surrounded by granite tablets naming war veterans. Inside Prairie Mound School, an exhibit gallery allows visitors to walk through the many doorways Gen. Pershing passed through during his childhood life, military career, and numerous accomplishments.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, and tours.

Zoar Village State Memorial [OH]

Description

Founded by the German religious dissenters called the Society of Separatists of Zoar in 1817 as a communal society, Zoar today is an island of Old-World charm in east-central Ohio. Many of the German-style structures built by the Zoarites have been restored and are open to the public as Zoar Village State Memorial. Others are privately-owned, and serve as residences, shops, restaurants, and bed and breakfast inns. Visitors can experience the life of the agrarian Separatists by visiting the ten restored buildings (Number One House, Kitchen/Magazine Complex, Bimeler Museum, Garden House, Bakery, Tinshop, Dairy, Wagon Shop, Blacksmith Shop and Zoar Store), which are staffed with costumed interpreters and furnished with items made or used by the Separatists. Some buildings are staffed, others open by guided tour. Volunteers give craft demonstrations during the many yearly special events.

A second website, for the Zoar Community Association, can be found here.

The site offers exhibits, tours, demonstrations, classes and other educational programs, and recreational and educational events.

Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor [OH]

Description

The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor provides a dramatic overview of the impact of the iron and steel industry on Youngstown and other Mahoning Valley communities. The building, designed by renowned architect Michael Graves in 1986, houses the museum's permanent exhibit, "By the Sweat of Their Brow: Forging the Steel Valley," which explores labor, immigration, and urban history, using videos, artifacts, photographs, and reconstructed scenes. Objects on display range from workers' tools and clothing to "last heats," the last batches of steel produced at each of the mills before they closed. Hundreds of photographs, some more than 30 feet long, are used throughout the museum. Videos examine topics such as housing, recreation, and urban history. Life-size scenes—including a mill's locker room, part of a company-built house, and a blooming mill, where steel ingots were shaped for further processing—help visitors understand steelmaking and the lives of steelworkers.

The center offers exhibits, tours, research library access, and educational programs.

Larz Anderson Auto Museum [MA]

Description

The Larz Anderson Auto Museum seeks to increase interest in collector cars and foster community among those interested in antique vehicles. The museum collection includes at least 14 vehicles from before 1930, including an 1899 Winton. Interpretation focuses on the ways in which automobile technology has altered U.S. culture.

The museum offers exhibits, lawn events, guided tours, customizable guided group tours, lesson plans, a play zone, and educational programs for students.

Ohio Statehouse Education and Visitors Center

Description

The Statehouse Education and Visitors Center interprets the state capitol's history and significance for the public, and guides school groups in their study of government, citizenship, and Ohio history. The Statehouse complex represents one of America's finest examples of Greek Revival civic architecture, and is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States. Visitors can see where and how the vital business of state government is conducted, view architectural and artistic treasures, and learn more about Ohio through guided tours, educational displays, and interactive touch-screen kiosks.

A second site, specifically for the Statehouse, can be found here.

The center offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and educational and recreational events.

Arrow Rock State Historic Site [MO]

Description

Arrow Rock State Historic Site is an integral part of the town of Arrow Rock. The site's visitor center museum features exhibits that tell about Arrow Rock and the historic "Boone's Lick Country." The Bingham Home, built by Missouri's preeminent artist of the 1800s, George Caleb Bingham, has been restored and furnished as it might have been when he lived there. The Huston Tavern, dating back to 1834, stands ready to serve you its traditional hearty fare. The old courthouse, a town doctor's home, a stone jail and other historic buildings are part of a walking tour offered at the site.

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

National Road / Zane Grey Museum [OH]

Description

This modern museum has three major exhibit areas. First is the National Road, early America's busiest land artery to the West. The National Road stretched from Cumberland, MD, to Vandalia, IL. Begun in 1806, the "Main Street of America" was the only significant land link between east coast and western frontier in the early 19th century. A 136-foot diorama of the National Road plus many objects illustrates this theme. Second is Zane Grey, the "Father of the Adult Western." The Zanesville author wrote more than 80 books. His study is recreated plus many manuscripts and other memorabilia are displayed. Finally, a central portion of the museum is devoted to Ohio art pottery.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, and educational programs.

Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site [MO]

Description

The Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site preserves the cabin in which Samuel Clemens (1835-1910), widely known as Mark Twain, was born. The site presents Twain's life. Exhibit highlights include furniture which once belonged to Twain; first editions of his works; and a handwritten manuscript of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Another of Twain's definitive works is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As an author, Clemens is lauded for his sharp observational skills and intense satire.

The site offers exhibits and a public reading room.

Bollinger Mill State Historic Site [MO]

Description

The 19th-century mill and its neighboring covered bridge offer a glimpse of now-rare Americana that once might have been expected around many turns in a Missouri road. The present mill, dating to the Civil War period, is a massive four-story stone and brick building where visitors can still observe corn being ground into meal by water power—just as it was done long ago. The succession of three mills that have stood on this site represent more than 200 years of milling history. The Burfordville Covered Bridge standing alongside stretches its 140-foot span across the Whitewater River, which powers the mill. Begun in 1858, it is the oldest of only four remaining covered bridges in Missouri.

The site offers exhibits, tours, demonstrations, and occasional recreational and educational events.