Virginia Military Institute Museum

Description

The Virginia Military Institute Museum, located in the 1916 Jackson Memorial Hall on the Institute's campus, displays artifacts from its historical collection to chronicle the creation and development of the Virginia Military Institute and the contributions of its alumni to history.

The museum offers exhibits, guided tours for school groups, and research library access by appointment.

Old State Capitol Museum of Political History [LA]

Description

Louisiana's 150-year-old Old State Capitol has withstood war, fire, scandal, bitter debate, and abandonment. Today, the building functions as the Museum of Political History, presenting multimedia history exhibits that engage visitors in an interactive exploration of the events and people that contributed to Louisiana's story. In particular, the "We the People . . ." civic awareness exhibit helps audiences internalize the process of campaigns, elections, and the day-to-day aspects of democracy.

The museum offers exhibits and serves as a venue for press conferences, traveling exhibits, special programs, and an annual lecture series.

Green Animals Topiary Garden [RI]

Description

This small country estate in Portsmouth was purchased in 1877 by Thomas E. Brayton (1844–1939), Treasurer of the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company in Fall River, Massachusetts. It consisted of seven acres of land, a white clapboard summer residence, farm outbuildings, a pasture, and a vegetable garden. Gardener Joseph Carreiro, superintendent of the property from 1905 to 1945, and his son-in-law, George Mendonca, superintendent until 1985, were responsible for creating the topiaries. There are 80 pieces of topiary throughout the gardens, including 21 animals and birds in addition to geometric figures and ornamental designs, sculpted from California privet, yew, and English boxwood. Green Animals is the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States. Mr. Brayton's daughter Alice gave the estate its name because of the profusion of "green animals." She made the estate her permanent residence in 1939. Upon her death in 1972, at the age of 94, Miss Brayton left Green Animals to The Preservation Society of Newport County. Today, Green Animals remains as a rare example of a self-sufficient estate combining formal topiaries, vegetable and herb gardens, orchards, and a Victorian house overlooking Narragansett Bay.

The site offers tours.

Rosecliff [RI]

Description

Commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899, architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. After the house was completed in 1902, at a reported cost of $2.5 million, Mrs. Oelrichs hosted fabulous entertainments here, including a fairy tale dinner and a party featuring famed magician Harry Houdini.

The mansion offers tours.

French Lick/West Baden Springs

Description

Unprecedented in the nation, the grand hotels in French Lick and West Baden Springs—both listed in the National Register of Historic Places and located one mile apart in southern Indiana—offer a window on the grand hotel era of the early 20th century and the tradition of "taking the waters." Guests from Al Capone to FDR, Bing Crosby to Helen Keller, captains of industry and pampered socialites, came to imbibe the waters and take spa treatments, enjoy sports and entertainments, and test their luck in the casinos. Today, the restored French Lick and West Baden Springs Hotels still draw visitors for the same pursuits. Like Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, and Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, French Lick and West Baden Springs offer overnight accommodations in an atmosphere steeped in history.

The hotels offer tours.

Eudora Welty House [MS]

Description

The Eudora Welty House served as the residence of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty (1909-2001) for 76 years. The Welty home retains the author's own belongings, set as she lived among them. Welty authored short stories, novels, and her memoir. She is best known for her novel The Optimist's Daughter, a story of family and loss. Her stories and novels depict life in the South.

The house offers period rooms, gardens, tours, and archive access. Reservations are required for both tours and archive access.

C.M. Russell Museum [MT]

Description

The C.M. Russell Museum is dedicated to the art of C.M. Russell, an artist who painted landscapes of the American West during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum offers five permanent exhibits of Russell's work spanning his entire lifetime as well as galleries devoted to other artists who also portrayed the West. Visiting exhibits include information on Native Americans, bison, and the culture of the West.

The Museum offers field trips free of charge to school groups and homeschoolers. Themes for school tours include C.M. Russell, Montana history, Native American life, current exhibits, and a special 5th grade tour. Special school tours and activities are available during Native American Awareness Day (the 4th Friday in September). All field trips include a hand-on activity.

Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum [WI]

Description

The Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum claims to be the only museum focusing solely on the creation of wooden type and the printing process involving said type. Collections include more than 1.5 million individual pieces of wooden type. In the 19th century, pieces such as those in the collection were a necessity for mass communication. Aside from type, the museum displays printing tools, type specimen catalogs, hot metal type production, and hand operated printing presses.

The site offers exhibits and demonstrations. Field trips are welcome.

Cayuga Museum of History and Art and the Case Research Lab [NY] Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:38
Description

The Cayuga Museum of History and Art presents the history and culture of the Auburn, New York area. The museum is located within the 1836 Willard-Case Mansion, with the permanent exhibit addressing the history of the Auburn Correctional Facility. The Case Research Lab preserves the site where the first commercially successful talking film technology was developed. The site includes the darkroom, chemistry lab, recording studio, exhibits on talking film ventures, recording equipment, and the first sound camera.

The museum offers exhibits, guided tours, and thematic slide presentations. Reservations are required for guided tours.

Stranahan House [FL]

Description

The Stranahan House was originally built in 1901 as a trading post for the Seminole and area settlers. Shortly thereafter, the structure was used as a post office, town hall, and community center. Between 1906 and 1971, the site served as the residence of Frank and Ivy Stranahan. Frank was postmaster and a banker and businessman, while Ivy taught. The home has been restored to a 1913 through 1915 appearance, and is furnished accordingly.

The house offers period rooms, one-hour guided tours, educational programs for students, an outreach program for students, guided group tours, and guided Scout tours. Group tours are by advance notice. The website offers student activities.