Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site [KS]

Description

The Pawnee Nation was the dominant power of the Central Plains for hundreds of years. This museum tells the story of an 1820s Pawnee village. The most remarkable feature is the museum’s centerpiece—the excavated floor of a large 1820s Pawnee earth lodge. Visitors can walk the perimeter of the lodge and view the rare sacred bundle that hangs above the altar. After touring the museum, they can walk the interpretive trail that winds through the depressions marking other lodges.

The site offers exhibits, tours, and educational programs. An alternative website for the Pawnee Indian Museum is located here.

Fort Boonesborough State Park [KY]

Description

Fort Boonesborough was originally built in 1775 by Daniel Boone and his men to serve as a frontier outpost along the Kentucky River. Today, the fort has been completely reconstructed and functions as a living history museum, giving modern-day visitors a sense of what life was like for pioneers in Kentucky. In addition to the reconstructed fort, the park contains the Kentucky River Museum, which provides visitors with "insight into the lives of families who lived on the river and worked the locks and dams in the 1900s."

The park offers exhibits, tours for school groups, living history demonstrations, special school days throughout the year, and other educational and recreational events. The website offers visitor information, a photo gallery featuring 13 photographs of the park, and an events calendar.

William Whitley House State Historic Site [KY]

Description

The William Whitley House was one of the first brick houses built west of the Appalachian Mountains. Built in 1794, the house was frequented by many famous early Kentuckians, including George Rogers Clark and Daniel Boone. In addition, the house was the site of the first circular racetrack built in Kentucky. Now, the house has been restored to its condition in the 18th century, and features a gift shop in addition to the historical attractions.

The site offers visitor information, limited historical information, a photo gallery with seven photographs, and an events calendar.

Historical Museum of Southern Florida [FL]

Description

The Historical Museum of Southern Florida presents the history of South Florida and the Caribbean. The museum's permanent exhibit addresses Native American life, the international rivalry for dominance in the region, southward expansion and Seminole displacement, the development of technology and the region's economy, and immigration and tourism to South Florida. Consistent themes include ethnic diversity, immigration, and use of the natural environment.

The museum offers exhibits, summer camps, curriculum-based programs for students, historical site excursions for students, outreach programs for students, evening history programs, family programs, social and ecological history tours for adults, and research library and archive access. The website offers pre-visit materials.

Museum of the Oregon Territory [OR]

Description

The Museum of the Oregon Territory provides visitors with changing exhibits on the Oregon Territory, Clackamas County, and historic Oregon City. Recognized as the official end of the Oregon Trail, Oregon City was Oregon’'s first capital and a major industrial and political center in the West. Highlights include 15,000 year-old petroglyphs and artifacts from Willamette Valley Native American communities. The museum is also home to the Clackamas County Historical Society’s extensive collection and library, where guests can research land claim documents, marriage returns, Civil War records, and historical photographs.

The museum offers exhibits and a research library.

Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site [NY]

Description

The Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site preserves Fort Niagara, founded in 1726. The majority of structures on site date from the 18th and 19th centuries. The fort is strategically located at the mouth of the Niagara River. As a result, it was crucial to deciding American dominance in the Great Lakes Region, as opposed to control by the French or British. Both the British and French controlled either the fort itself or the site of the fort at various points of time. Soldiers lived and trained on site for both World Wars. The fort also shaped the history of the Iroquois. Collections include more than 102,000 artifacts.

The site offers period rooms, student programs, guided tours for students, school overnight programs, school outreach programs, and school distance learning programs. The website offers a virtual tour.

East Tennessee Historical Society and Museum [TN]

Description

The East Tennessee Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the unique history of Eastern Tennessee and its people. To this end, the society operates the Museum of East Tennessee History. Permanent exhibits include a historical overview off the area, addressing the Cherokee, frontier life, the Civil War, the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, the Tennessee Valley Authority, country music, and the Civil Rights Movement. The museum also presents a recreated early 20th-century streetscape, including period dentist and drug store settings and an original streetcar.

The society offers exhibits, period rooms, genealogy workshops, school tours and scavenger hunts, curriculum-based programs, curriculum-based outreach programs, and educator workshops and summer institutes. The website offers lesson plans and genealogy resources for use in the classroom.