Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site [NY]

Description

The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site presents the circa 1819 home in which Whitman was born, as well as information on his life. The home was built by Whitman's father and now contains 19th-century furnishings. Collections include more than 100 letters, artifacts, and archival materials. Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was a famous poet, often referred to as the father of free verse. His works contain aspects of both Transcendentalism and Realism, and he faced censure during his lifetime for the sexuality of his poems.

The site offers educational programs, an introductory film, guided tours, exhibits, and a picnic area.

Dyckman House Park [NY]

Description

The Dyckman House Park consists of a circa 1784 Dutch Colonial farmhouse, surrounded by a small park, in New York City. The site focuses on the years 1815 through 1820 and 1915 through 1916, referred to by the park as the "farm" and "city" periods of the property.

The park offers period rooms, guided tours, educational programs which meet state educational standards. Reservations are required for groups of ten or more. The website offers pre- and post-visit activities.

St. Ignatius Mission [MT]

Description

St. Ignatius Mission is an 1890s religious structure located in the present-day Flathead Indian Reservation. The mission contains 61 paintings by one of its brothers. Paintings include depictions of the Salish Lord. A museum presents artifacts related to both the mission and Native American peoples.

The mission offers exhibits.

The Frick Art and Historical Center [PA]

Description

The Frick Art and Historical Center consists of the personal collections of Helen Clay Frick, daughter of Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919)—industrialist, steel tycoon, and major art connoisseur. The center includes the museum and Clayton, the Frick family's late Victorian home. The collection includes carriages, historic automobiles, and fine and decorative arts dating as far back as the Renaissance. Highlights include works by Jean-François Millet and an 1898 Panhard automobile.

The center offers themed tours of both the museum and Clayton, Act 48 educators' workshops, concerts, children's weekend workshops, summer camps, and more than 25 educational programs. The website offers lesson plans.

Ohio County Historical Society and Museum [IN]

Description

The Ohio County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Ohio County, Indiana. To this end, the society operates a museum, housed in a 19th-century plow factory. This museum focuses on local life in the 1800s and early 1900s. Collection highlights include a record-winning, early 20th-century race boat called the Hoosier Boy and an auto-harp.

The society offers exhibits.

Shoshone County Mining and Smelting Museum [ID]

Description

The Shoshone County Mining and Smelting Museum presents the local history of the Silver Valley, Idaho, with a particular emphasis on mining and smelting history. Exhibits cover mining, environmental history, smelting equipment, minerals, metallurgy, medicine, and electricity. Collection highlights include an 1899 Nordberg Air Compressor and scale models of the Bunker Hill and Sunshine Mines. Dating to 1906, the museum structure was built as the residence of Stanley A. Easton (died 1961), manager of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Company.

The museum offers exhibits and a period sitting room.

Houston Fire Museum [TX]

Description

The Houston Fire Museum presents the history of U.S. firefighting. It is housed in the historic Fire Station No. 7, which was built in 1895. Collection highlights include a 19th-century pumper, an 1895 steamer, and a restored watch office. A new museum building is being added, and will emphasize fire safety.

The museum offers exhibits and guided tours. Reservations are required for group tours.

Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation [CA]

Description

The Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation operates the Tor House and Hawk Tower. The Tor House was built in 1918 through 1919 as the residence of poet Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) and his family. The property was modeled after English Tudor barns. Jeffers later built the 1924 Hawk Tower for his wife and children. Guests who visited the Jeffers on their land include Sinclair Lewis, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Langston Hughes, Charles Lindbergh, George Gershwin, and Charlie Chaplin. The site also includes an English-style garden. Jeffers's poetry often focused on the Californian coast, and today his work is highly lauded for its environmental consciousness.

The foundation offers tours.

Evergreen Museum and Library [MD]

Description

The Evergreen Museum and Library presents more than 50,000 objects once owned by Baltimore's railway royalty—the Garrett family. The collection, which includes manuscripts, decorative arts, artworks, and more than 8,000 rare books, is housed within the residence in which the Garretts lived between 1878 and 1942. Key artworks include those of Degas, Picasso, and a variety of post-Impressionists; and the museum boasts one of the largest privately held collections of both Japanese minor arts and Tiffany glass. Also within the house is the Bakst Theatre, decorated by Leon Bakst, costume and set designer of the Ballet Russes, a major visual influence of the early 1900s. A 28,600-volume library is available for use. The non-circulating collection's strength is 16th- and 17th-century English literature and history.

The museum offers guided tours, concerts, lectures, library access, and boxed lunches for group tours (at an additional price). Groups of 20 or more require advance registration.