Wells Fargo History Museum [MN]

Description

Located in the Wells Fargo Tower in downtown Minneapolis, a landmark building designed by Cesar Pelli, the Wells Fargo Museum of Minneapolis showcases the history of the Wells Fargo Company and its contributions to Minneapolis. The museum is home to a variety of historic artifacts, including historic stagecoaches and a reconstructed 1900s bank.

The museum offers guided tours, educational programs, exhibits, and special events. The website offers visitor information, a history of the company, and a listing of upcoming events.

Hay House [GA]

Description

The 1859 Italian Renaissance Revival-style Hay House is a historic house museum, which largely contains pieces from 1926 to 1962. In those years, the Hay family occupied the house. Parks Lee Hay founded Banker's Health and Life Insurance Company. At the time of construction, the house was already outfitted with hot and cold running water, an early intercom system, indoor bathrooms, heating, and a ventilation system. Tours focus on these features and on the architecture itself.

The house offers period rooms, guided tours, traveling trunks for kindergarten through eighth-grade students, nine curriculum-based programs for kindergarten through high school students, homeschool programs, and educational programs for teachers.

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.

Crowley Heritage Museum [CO]

Description

The Crowley Heritage Museum presents the history of Crowley County, Colorado, founded in 1911. At this time, recent irrigation developments had permitted Crowley County to become one of the most fruitful agricultural areas within Colorado. The area also displayed ethnic diversity—with farmers of German, Hispanic, and Japanese descent. Collection highlights include ranching artifacts and several types of barbed wire. The museum is located within a 1914 school building.

The museum offers exhibits.

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.

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library [VA]

Description

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, located at the site of Woodrow Wilson's birth in Staunton, VA, provides a museum and memorial for the presidency and life of Woodrow Wilson. The library consists of a museum, which takes visitors through Wilson's life, and a vast research library, which offers all papers from Wilson's presidency.

The library offers field trip programs, guided tours, galleries and exhibits, and educational outreach programs. The website offers resources for teachers, visitor information, a brief biography of Woodrow Wilson, and online access to the library.

Split Rock Lighthouse Historic Site [MN]

Description

The Split Rock Lighthouse was constructed in 1910 in reaction to several shipwrecks resulting from a 1905 storm. Shipwrecks from a mighty 1905 November gale prompted this rugged landmark's construction. Today, the lighthouse has been restored to its 1920s appearance and, in conjunction with the visitor center and keeper's house, gives visitors a glimpse into the life at the lighthouse in the 1920s.

The lighthouse offers exhibits, guided tours, a historic house museum, and field trip programs. The website offers visitor information, a history of the lighthouse, a photo gallery, and information regarding upcoming events.

Grover Cleveland Birthplace [NJ]

Description

In 1837, Grover Cleveland was born in this house while his father, the Reverend Richard Falley Cleveland, was the minister to the First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell. Most of the first floor rooms portray the house as it was in 1837. Among the artifacts on display from Cleveland's early years are his cradle and original family portraits. The exhibit gallery features a striking display of artifacts that reflect the financial and political success Cleveland achieved during the last quarter of the 19th century. Here, the mud-slinging campaign of 1884, the public's intense interest in his wife and children, and America's political climate throughout his split terms of office are explored.

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

Hawaiian Historical Society [HI]

Description

The Hawaiian Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Hawaii and the Pacific region. The society places particularly emphasis on the creation of scholarly publications. The society's archival collections are strongest in 19th-century materials and include voyage information, items in the Hawaiian language, newspapers, manuscripts, photographs, maps, and pamphlets.

The society offers access to archival collections for research.

Howard Steamboat Museum [IN]

Description

The Howard Steamboat Museum is located within and includes the 1894 residence of the Howards, a steamboat building family. The house contains many of its original furnishings, some of which were created by shipyard master craftsmen. The Howard Shipyard would eventually become the country's largest inland shipyard. The museum also includes artifacts relevant to the era of the steamboat, including models and paintings of vessels. Collection highlights include the paddle wheel shaft of the Delta Queen and paintings by Harlan Hubbard.

The museum offers exhibits, period rooms, and guided tours. The website offers historic photographs.