Brownville Historical Society, Captain Bailey House, and Carson House [NE]

Description

The Brownville Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Brownville, NE and its people. To this end, the society operates the Captain Bailey House and Carson House. The Captain Bailey House, erected prior to 1877, was once home to a Civil War Captain. It now houses a museum of local history. The Carson House was built by the founder of Brownville prior to 1864, and contains many furnishings original to the site.

The society offers exhibits and period rooms. Both museums are open mid-May through October.

Fort Branch [NC]

Description

Fort Branch preserves the site of a Confederate earthwork fort, with the initial phases of construction having taken place in 1862. The fort's location permitted strategic defense of the Roanoke River, CSS Albemarle, and a railway bridge needed for supply lines. This is the only Southern earthwork fortification which possesses artillery original to the site. Sights include eight of the original 11 cannon, Native American pottery, artifacts from an 18th-century river town, a late 19th-century steam engine, and an 1850s farmhouse.

The site offers exhibits, and is open April through November.

North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame [NC]

Description

The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame honors past and present North Carolina residents who either excelled within sports or greatly impacted today's world of sportsmanship. The hall of fame operates a museum of sport history. Artifacts on display include equipment and uniforms used by prominent athletes.

The museum offers exhibits and guided tours. Wheelchairs are available for use on site.

Benton County Historical Society and Frank G. Ray House [IA]

Description

The Benton County Historical Society operates a historic railroad depot and the 1894 Queen Anne Frank G. Ray House. Between the 1930s and 1985, the main residential structure was divided into six apartments. The historical society is currently restoring the property to its original appearance.

The society offers tours of the Frank G. Ray House, depot tours, and educational programs. Reservations are required for educational programming and depot tours.

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden [DC]

Description

The 1816 neoclassical Tudor Place was built for Martha Custis Parker, Martha Washington's granddaughter, and her husband Thomas Peter. The site presents the governmental, business, and societal aspects of the Peters' lives, as well as the lives of their servants—both enslaved Africans and the English and Irish. Another interpretive focus is the development of Washington, DC, beginning in the 18th century. Collection highlights include 19th-century silver, porcelain, and more than 100 artifacts originally owned by George and Martha Washington. The five and a half acres of gardens largely retain their Federal era design.

The site offers period rooms, gardens, educational programs for students, a summer camp, guided house tours, and self-guided garden tours. Reservations are required for groups of 10 or more. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to notify the staff of their visit in advance.

African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa

Description

The African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa presents African American life—both modern and historical—within the state of Iowa. Collections consist of more than 1,600 artifacts.

The museum offers exhibits; guided tours; self-guided tours; adult, preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school workshops; summer camps; an interactive living history program for students; Scout programs; outreach programs; traveling trunks; distance learning classes; non-circulating research library access; traveling exhibits; and an oral history project in which children are trained to conduct interviews. Guided tours must consist of 15 or more visitors. Two weeks advance notice is required to schedule guided tours. Please call ahead to ensure space if you plan on taking a self-guided tour. The website offers an educator's guide, a website scavenger hunt, and virtual exhibits.

Kansas State Historical Society, Archives, and Museum, Potawatomi Mission, and Stach School

Description

The Society manages and operates the state's Museum of History, which preserves and presents the history of the state. Exhibits include a Cheyenne tipi; a fully-stocked covered wagon ready for a trip on the Oregon Trail; a 1950s diner made by the Valentine Industries; and a locomotive made in 1880 for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. In the same complex, the society maintains the 1847 Potawatomi Mission, once operated as a boarding school for children of the Potawatomi Indians, and the one-room Stach School, interpreted as it was in the 1910s and 1920s.

The society offers research library access and school tours to orient middle- and high-school students to the library; the museum offers exhibits, tours (including standards-based school tours), and occasional recreational and educational events. The mission offers tours, a small exhibit on Kansas missions, and a period classroom for school groups; the Stach School offers school tours and "Rural School Days"—four-hour programs for fourth- and fifth-grade students that introduce them to student life in 1920.

South Windsor Historical Society and Museum [CT]

Description

The South Windsor Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of the South Windsor, CT area and its people. To this end, the society operates a museum of local history within the 1837 Pleasant Valley District 5 Schoolhouse. Historically, major area industries have included agriculture and ship building.

The museum offers exhibits, and is open May through November.