Historic Pullman Foundation [IL]

Description

The Historic Pullman Foundation supports visitation, preservation, and restoration of the historic town of Pullman, Illinois. Founded in 1880 by George M. Pullman, president of Pullman's Palace Car Company, as a model industrial community, Pullman was situated for easy access to the big city markets of the day via rail. Buildings of note include the 1881 Hotel Florence; the 1880 rail car construction facility; the 1893 Market Hall, and the 1887 Greenstone Church, which contains one of the few manual tracker organs in the U.S. today. Artifacts on view include furniture from the Pullman Mansion and Hotel Florence, as well as a model train collection of Pullman manufactured rail cars.

Historic Pullman offers exhibits, an educational video, self-guided tours, walking tours, and tours specifically for schools and/or large groups.

Historical Society of Palm Beach County and Johnson Palm Beach County Museum [FL]

Description

The Historical Society of Palm Beach County promotes local history, in part through support of the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County Museum. Located in a historic 1916 courthouse, the museum presents artifacts that once belonged to Pre-Columbian inhabitants; Seminole Indians; early pioneers; the business and philanthropic community; educators; and influential leaders in communications, medicine, and politics.

The museum offers exhibits, a video display, and both self-guided and docent-guided tours. The society offers fourth-grade Florida history and preservation curricula, a seventh-grade county history and civics curriculum, several traveling trunks, docent-guided walking tours, lectures, an annual art contest with a historic theme, and a history institute for social studies and history teachers.

Washington State Capital Museum and Outreach Center

Description

The Washington State Capital Museum and Outreach Center is located in the historic Lord Mansion (built 1923 as a Spanish Colonial style villa), and is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history and culture of Washington. Topics covered include regional Native American history and Olympia as Washington's capital. The Delbert McBride Ethnobotanical Garden, located on the grounds of the museum, displays a selection of Northwest flowers, shrubs, and trees that have been used for food, tools, and medicine by the Native American tribes in Western Washington.

The museum offers exhibits, a garden, lecture series, guided tours, exhibit enrichment classes taught by professional artists and historians, and a traveling trunk.

Quincy Historical Society [MA]

Description

The Quincy Historical Society presents the history of Quincy, Massachusetts, best known as the home of John and Abigail Adams and John Quincy Adams, and the its contributions to ways of life in the United States. Other notable influences from Quincy include use of their granite supplies; the "Quincy Method" in education; the Fore River Shipyard and its products; and Howard Johnson ice cream, restaurants, and hotels. The Adams Academy, which houses the society, used to function as a boys' college preparatory school and dates to 1872. Gothic revival in style and using local granite, the academy stands on the previous site of the house in which patriot John Hancock was born.

The society offers exhibits, guest lectures, guest performances, curricula, public speaking by request, several publications, and a non-circulating library.

Ventura County Museum of History and Art [CA]

Description

The Ventura County Museum of History and Art works to preserve the history of Ventura County and showcase art of Ventura County and local art. The museum hosts collections of art, documents, photographs, and artifacts which represent a comprehensive record of life in Ventura County from prehistory to present.

The museum offers exhibits, special events, school outreach programs, guided tours, and field trip programs. The website offers visitor information, an events calendar, and information regarding field trip and school outreach programs.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum National Historic Site [NY]

Description

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is located in a historic tenement that was home to roughly 7,000 people between 1863 and 1935. Today, the building stands as a historic museum, where visitors can tour the cramped living space and learn about the lives of past residents of the building.

The museum offers presentations, special events such as plays, art exhibits, and readings that represent the immigrant experience, and guided tours. The website offers a history of the site, along with lesson plans for students, visitor information, and a virtual tour of the museum.

Albany Institute of History & Art [NY]

Description

The Albany Institute of History and Art chronicles the history of the Hudson River Valley and also contains a world-renowned collection of art including pieces from the Hudson River School. The Institute is open year round and offers a variety of exhibits and services.

The institute offers educational programs, tours, and seminars, a research library, a variety of exhibits on art and local history, and special events including guest lectures. The website offers teacher resources, including source reproductions and resource kits, visitor information, and an events calendar.

Pardee Home Museum [CA]

Description

The Pardee Home Museum is the centerpiece of Oakland's Preservation Park Historic District, and is a phenomenal piece of 19th century architecture. The home was built by California Governer Enoch Pardee who became famous for his handling of the enormous earthquake in 1906. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and today stands as a historic house museum.

The home offers tours and an educational curriculum for fourth through sixth graders. The curriculum corresponds to collections inside the home. The website offers visitor information and basic historical information regarding the home.

Jacksonville Historical Society and Merrill House [FL]

Description

The Jacksonville Historical Society preserves the history of Jacksonville, Florida, and operates the 1886 Queen Anne-style Merrill House, which today serves as a historic house museum.

The society offers periodic guided tours of Jacksonville as well as a bookstore and a collection of photographs. The Merrill House is open year-round for tours and can accommodate groups by appointment. The website offers visitor information and histories of Jacksonville, the Merrill House, and the society, as well as special features which highlight particular aspects of Jacksonville's history.