W.W. Mayo House [MN]

Description

The W.W. Mayo House was home to both the Mayo and Cosgrove families, who would go on to found the Mayo Clinic and Green Giant Food Company respectively. The home was hand-built by W.W. Mayo in 1859, and today is open as a fully restored historic house museum.

The home offers tours by costumed guides. The website offers a brief history of the home and visitor information.

Winslow Crocker House

Description

In 1936, Mary Thacher, an avid collector of antiques, moved the house of a wealthy 18th-century trader and land speculator, Winslow Crocker, to its present location. Considering that Cape Cod in the 18th century was a region of small farms and fishing ports, the Winslow Crocker House is surprisingly elaborate, with rich paneling in every room. Miss Thacher remodeled the interior in order to provide an appropriate early American backdrop for the display of her collection. Woodwork was stripped, smaller-paned windows installed, and a fireplace rebuilt to contain a beehive oven. The result is a colonial Cape Cod house with a 20th-century flavor. Miss Thacher's collection of furniture, accented by colorful hooked rugs, ceramics, and pewter, presents a thorough survey of early American styles, from Jacobean, William and Mary, and Queen Anne, to Chippendale.

The house offers tours.

California Surf Museum [CA]

Description

The California Surf Museum preserves and showcases the history of the sport of surfing.

The museum offers a large collection of surfing equipment, including vintage surfboards. The museum puts on a variety of events, including concerts and educational programs and videos. Tours are available to the public year round and to groups by request. The website offers basic visitor information and information regarding upcoming events.

Former Governors' Mansion State Historic Site [ND]

Description

The site consists of a large two-and-one-half story restored Victorian house and a carriage house. Constructed in 1884, it housed 21 chief executives between 1893 and 1960. Room exhibits feature the restoration process, architectural style changes, and furniture used by several governors.

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

Louis Armstrong House and Archives [NY]

Description

In 1943, Louis Armstrong and his wife, Lucille, settled in a modest house in Corona, Queens, where they lived for the remainder of their lives. Today, the furnishings and the house are preserved very much as they were during the Armstrongs’ lifetime.

Today, visitors are offered guided 40-minute tours, as well as occasional special events. Group tours (8 or more) must be scheduled in advance. The museum also holds several collections of artifacts that are available to researchers by appointment. The website offers visitor information, information regarding upcoming events and current exhibits, and a biography of Louis Armstrong. In order to contact the house via email, use the "contact" link located under the "about us" tab.

Cherokee Strip Museum [OK]

Description

Located on five acres of land about an hour north of Oklahoma City, the Cherokee Strip Museum provides an opportunity to explore the remarkable events and people who made up the history of the Cherokee Outlet. The Cherokee Strip was created in 1835 in order to fulfill terms of an agreement by the US government and the Cherokee people to create an "outlet" for the Cherokee people out west. The museum chronicles the history of this territory.

The museum offers tours and exhibits, as well as the Rose Hill School, which offers a living history exhibition showing modern day schoolchildren what school was like in the days of the single-room schoolhouse. The site offers visitor information, a brief history of Cherokee outlet, as well as nine online exhibits and information about upcoming events.

Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site [TX]

Description

Governor Hogg bought this property in 1902. While he had initially thought of it as an investment, Hogg soon came to think fondly of the plantation as a second home for his scattered family. Hogg was convinced that the property contained oil in quantities equal to Spindletop, and he drilled several wells trying to find it. He died, however, in 1906, 14 years before his beliefs were vindicated. The West Columbia field was brought in during 1920 and proved very productive, becoming the cornerstone of the Hogg family wealth. Until 1958, the Hogg family leased the surface rights for farming and raising livestock, but usually kept the house and immediate outbuildings for weekend and vacation use. In 1958, Miss Ima Hogg, well-known Texas collector and philanthropist, refurbished and refurnished the house and kitchen building and donated the property to the state to commemorate her father and other Texas and American heroes.

The site offers tours.

Wrightsville Beach Museum of History [NC]

Description

"Visitors to the cottage will find a scale model of Wrightsville Beach circa 1910, exhibits featuring the early days of the beach including Lumina Pavilion, our hurricane history and information about the interaction between the people and our natural environment which have shaped the 100 year history of Wrightsville Beach." The museum is a historic house museum, and visitors can view the restored cottage and its rooms as they appeared in the early 1900s.

The site offers a detailed history of Wrightsville Beach, visitor information, and information regarding the museum's current exhibits.

Erie Canal Museum [NY]

Description

The Erie Canal Museum was opened in 1962 in order to chronicle the history and culture of the Erie Canal. Presently, the museum offers exhibits on topics as varied as the history of Syracuse, the history of the canal, jobs on the canal, and taverns on the canal. Visitors to the museum can also take part in a variety of educational programs, including guided tours, online interactive activities, and lectures.

The site offers visitor information, a series of historical features, a listing of current exhibits, a small photo gallery featuring photographs of the Erie Canal Museum building, and an online museum shop.