Historic St. Mary's City [MD]

Description

Historic St. Mary's City presents the first capital of Maryland and fourth permanent British New World settlement via living history interpretation. Sites include the reconstructed 1676 State House, the square-rigger Maryland Dove, a working tobacco plantation, and a Yaocomaco Native American settlement. St. Mary's is an early example of government supported freedom of religion.

The museum offers exhibits, interpretive signage, an audio tour, self-guided tours, four hour school tours which complement state educational standards, hands-on activities, and picnic areas. Reservations are required for school and group tours. The website offers a virtual tour and children's activities.

Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site [CA]

Description

The 13–acre Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site commemorates the only Nobel Prize–winning U.S. playwright, through preservation of the Tao House. A Spanish–colonial structure with an interior scheme inspired by Chinese Taoism, this building served as the home of O'Neill and his wife Carlotta between 1937 and 1944. Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953) is the author of The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten, among other works. His pieces introduced realism to American drama, were among the first U.S. plays to include speeches in the vernacular, and are populated with marginalized characters.

The site offers guided tours of the Tao House, self–guided tours of the grounds, and twice yearly presentations of O'Neill's plays. Reservations are required to enter the house.

Ephrata Cloister [PA]

Description

One of America's earliest religious communities, the Ephrata Cloister was founded in 1732 by German settlers seeking spiritual goals rather than earthly rewards. Gathered in unique European style buildings, the community consisted of celibate Brothers and Sisters, and a married congregation of families. At the zenith of the community in the 1740s and 1750s, about 300 members worked and worshiped at the Cloister.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, educational programs, research library access, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Pullman State Historic Site

Description

The site preserves surviving portions of the industrial complex developed in the early 1880s by George M. Pullman (1831–1897) to build luxury railroad passenger cars. The site, though under heavy reconstruction, features special interest tours of the factory site and regular temporary exhibits, and participates in or co-hosts a number of special events and cosponsors community programs for all ages and backgrounds.

The site offers research library access, exhibits, tours, lectures, workshops, and other educational and recreational events and programs.

Smithfield Community Association and Gerrit Smith Estate [NY]

Description

The Smithfield Community Association manages the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, lifelong residence of abolitionist and social reformer Gerrit Smith (1797–1874), and preserves this history of Petersboro, New York, a major Underground Railroad destination and site of the inaugural meeting of the NYS Anti-Slavery Society in 1835.

The association's offerings vary. Please check Upcoming Events. Examples include Civil War living history, lectures, and Gerrit Smith Estate building tours.

Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest [VA]

Description

Poplar Forest is one of two structures which Thomas Jefferson personally designed to serve as his own residence. Unlike Monticello, this location was designed as a retreat for his later years, beginning in 1809 when he was 66 years of age; and, as such, was created exclusively to his personal tastes. The structure is based on the Roman villa with Renaissance Palladian, 18th-century French, and contemporary British and Virginian architectural influences. The floor-to-ceiling windows, alcove beds, skylight, and indoor privy were all based on French styles which Jefferson had witnessed abroad.

The site offers exhibits; a 15-minute video on the restoration and archaeological work being conducted; guided house tours; self-guided grounds tours; an annual opportunity for students to interview Thomas Jefferson and other historical figures; and a summer archaeology, history, and restoration camp. Group tours are available by appointment. The website offers lesson plans and suggested reading for students and for teachers.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History [MI]

Description

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History presents the history and culture of African Americans and their points of origin within Africa. It is is the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience. The museum boasts over 30,000 artifacts and archives, including major Underground Railroad and Detroit labor movement collections. Permanent exhibits include a historical overview of the African American experience, an interactive alphabet exhibit, and several large–scale works of art.

The museum offers exhibits; living history tours; tours led by museum educators; self–guided tours; workshops; films; live performances; lectures; a research library; a summer teacher's institute; and a designated dining area with sandwich, fruit, and beverage vending. Reservations are required for school groups, and the museum offers pizza and soda for an additional fee. The website offers a list of Michigan educational standards which correspond to traveling and permanent exhibits; a Martin Luther King, Jr. activity book; and an Internet treasure hunt.

Old Economy Village [PA]

Description

Old Economy Village interprets the history of the Harmony Society, a highly successful 19th-century religious communal society, and preserves and interprets the unique material culture of the Society during its period of residence in Beaver County, PA, for citizens of and visitors to the Commonwealth.

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

Town Creek Indian Mound [NC]

Description

For more than a thousand years, Indians farmed on lands later known as North Carolina. Around A.D. 1200, a new cultural tradition arrived in the Pee Dee River Valley. Termed "Pee Dee" by archaeologists, it was part of a widespread tradition known as "South Appalachian Mississippian." These Native Americans established a political and ceremonial center at the Town Creek and Little Rivers. Here, visitors can now see a reconstructed ceremonial center, featuring a temple mound and major temple, minor temple, and burial hut.

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

Enfield Shaker Museum [NH]

Description

The Enfield Shaker Museum is located in the "Great Stone Dwelling," the largest Shaker building in the world. Built in 1841, it served as a dwelling for Shakers until it was sold in 1927. Today, visitors can tour the building and its grounds for a view into Shaker life during the 19th century.

The museum offers exhibits, special programs, concerts, guided tours, and craft demonstrations, as well as a collection of Shaker furniture, tools, clothing, photographs, and agricultural implements. School tours may be customized for any grade level. The website offers visitor information, a history of the museum, a photo tour of the museum and surrounding village, and a calendar of events.