College Football Hall of Fame [IN]

Description

The College Football Hall of Fame is located adjacent to the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The Hall of Fame seeks to honor the best college football players as well as promote the sport in general. At the Hall of Fame, visitors can view a variety of exhibits that give insight into the culture and history of the sport of football at the collegiate level.

The site offers a virtual tour, visitor information, an event planner and calendar, information on all inductees to the hall of fame, a gift shop, and an overview of the Hall of Fame's educational program, "Stay in Bounds."

Art Deco Society of California [CA]

Description

The Art Deco Society of California (ADSC) is dedicated to honoring the aesthetic and architectural achievements of the first half of the 20th century, especially the decades of the 1920's, 30's and 40's that is now known as the Art Deco period. The ADSC was founded in 1981 by an architectural historian in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a member of the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies. The ADSC "endeavors to increase public awareness of the Art Deco era, to preserve and promote its art, architecture, music, fashions, transportation, and other forms of its popular culture." The ADSC researches and documents buildings and other artifacts worthy of preservation and also awards certificates of merit for noteworthy preservation and restoration efforts in California.

The site offers a calendar of events, a listing of notable Art Deco structures in the San Francisco Bay Area, past ADSC award winners, photo galleries for all past events held by the ADSC, and an archive of all issues of the ADSC magazine, "The Sophisticate," which are available for purchase.

Woodland Opera House State Historic Park [CA]

Description

Built in 1885, the original Opera House burned down in the 1892 fire that destroyed much of downtown Woodland. It was rebuilt on the same site, using some of the remaining foundations and bricks from the walls, reopening in 1896. Today, the interior of the Opera House has been painstakingly restored to the grandeur it enjoyed at the turn if the century. Careful attention was paid to reproduction of the wallpaper friezes, paint colors, and carpeting. The main floor carpet was manufactured in England and shipped to the Opera House for installation. Comfortable main floor theater seating was built on the East Coast for installation and the historic pew-like benches in the balcony area were repaired or carefully replaced.

A second, individual website for the Opera House can be found here.

The park offers tours and year-round performances, productions, classes, and workshops.

Blue Ridge Institute and Museum [VA]

Description

Ferrum College's Blue Ridge Institute & Museum showcases the heritage and folkways of the Blue Ridge Mountains and western Virginia. Through rotating gallery exhibitions, engaging hands-on activities, and an 1800 living-history farm museum, students explore not just the past but also folk traditions in modern form. Tailored to the teacher’s specific needs, BRI school-group offerings include farm life tours with games and crafts, cornbread tours with hands-on open hearth cooking, Jack Tales tours with live theater, and Day on the Farm tours with costumed students cooking, driving oxen, blacksmithing, and gardening. BRI tours meet a variety of Virginia Standards of Learning at all K-12 grade levels. Outreach classroom visits by BRI museum interpreters are available. The BRI also offers a wealth of online resources for educators including online exhibitions and nearly 5,000 musical performances and photographs.

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park [CA]

Description

Located in Jamestown, in the heart of California's Gold Country about 100 miles southeast of Sacramento, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is home to the Historic Jamestown Shops and Roundhouse—an intact and still-functioning steam locomotive repair and maintenance facility, portions of which date back to 1897. This one-of-a-kind attraction combines industrial heritage and railroad history with the lore of Hollywood’s film industry. The Railtown 1897 Interpretive Center and the authentic roundhouse are among the Park's unique year-round offerings.

A second, individual website for the park can be found here.

The park offers train rides, exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational events.

John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Ca d'Zan, and Circus Museums [FL]

Description

Located on a 66-acre estate on Sarasota Bay, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art was established in 1927 as the legacy of John Ringling (1866–1936) and his wife, Mable (1875–1929). Recognized as the official State Art Museum of Florida, the Museum of Art offers 21 galleries of European paintings as well as Cypriot antiquities, Asian art, American paintings, and contemporary art. The Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing hosts a variety of traveling exhibitions throughout the year. The estate features the spectacular Cà d'Zan ("House of John"), a waterfront mansion that was restored in 2002. The Circus Museums, including the Tibbals Learning Center, display the world's largest miniature circus, costumes, wagons, performance equipment, and other artifacts chronicling the history of the Circus. The estate also features Mable Ringling's Rose Garden, completed in 1913, and beautifully landscaped grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay.

The museums offer exhibits and tours; the Ca d'Zan offers tours; the museum complex as a whole offers performances, lectures, film screenings, educational programs, research library access, educational and recreational events.

Johnson Victrola Museum [DE]

Description

The Museum is a tribute to Delaware's native son, Eldridge Reeves Johnson, who founded the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901. Exhibits include phonographs, recordings, memorabilia, trademarks, objects, and paintings that highlight Mr. Johnson's successful business enterprises and chronicle the development of the sound-recording industry.

The museums offers exhibits, tours,

Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame

Description

The Museum is a 7,200-square-foot facility located on the main level of the Sommet Center. The Museum features interactive games such as a virtual reality, one-on-one basketball game; strength training apparatus used by Olympic swimmers; college football and basketball exhibits; NASCAR video games, two 30-seat theaters with sports videos; and more.

The hall offers exhibits, tours, film screenings, and educational programs.