Salmon Brook Historical Society and Museums [CT]

Description

The Salmon Brook Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Granby, Connecticut. To this end, the society operates four museum buildings. The circa 1732 Abijah Rowe House has been restored to an early 1800s interior appearance. It also houses a collection of Victorian toys. The circa 1790 Weed-Enders House houses the society research library and a Victorian parlor. The circa 1870 Cooley School House has been furnished and styled to a 19th-century appearance. The circa 1914 Colton-Hayes Tobacco Barn offers a recreated Shaker meeting house; town microcosm; and exhibits on vernacular items, Native American artifacts, and the Civil War.

The society offers exhibits, period rooms, and library access. The museum buildings are open between June and September. Reservations are required for groups.

Fort Toulouse / Fort Jackson State Historic Site [AL]

Description

History is alive and outside at Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson. Here Native Americans, Spanish explorers, French soldiers, English and Scottish traders, American settlers, and modern archaeologists have all left their mark. Frequent living history events showcase a recreated 1751 French fort, recreated Creek Indian houses, and the partially restored 1814 American Fort Jackson. A 3,000-year-old Mississipian Indian mound, the William Bartram Nature Trail, and an early 19th-century house weave even more strands into this colorful tapestry of Alabama's earliest days.

Two other websites for the site exist: a second general website here and a website for the site's living history programs here.

The site offers exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum [IL]

Description

The Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum presents the impact of St. Louis, Missouri on the history and development of aerospace technology. The first manned balloon flight (1836), first parachute jump from an aircraft (1912), and the making of Mercury and Gemini spacecraft all occurred in the St. Louis area. Collection highlights include Mercury spacesuits, letters written by Charles Lindbergh, and vintage airline schedules. The museum is located within a historic aircraft hangar at the Saint Louis Downtown Airport.

The museum offers exhibits and group tours. Group tours can be scheduled outside of normal museum hours.

Mosby Heritage Area Association [VA]

Description

The Mosby Heritage Area Association seeks to preserve and share the history, culture, and environment of the Northern Virginia Piedmont. The association places particular emphasis on the life and travels of Confederate soldier John Singleton Mosby.

The association offers a outreach programs for students, a monthly two-hour family program, and outreach speakers.
The website offers a virtual tour, a recommended reading list for students, suggested post-visit activities, and area scavenger hunts.

Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation and the Hunt-Morgan House [KY]

Description

The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation advocates preservation of historic architecture within Lexington, Kentucky. The trust operates the 1815 Federal-style Hunt-Morgan House, restored to period appearance. The upper floor contains the The Alexander T. Hunt Civil War Museum.

The trust offers exhibits, period rooms, tours of the Hunt-Morgan House, traveling exhibits for rental, monthly brown bag lectures, preservation resources, a local history curriculum, walking tours of Gratz Park, and self-guided walking tours.

Fort Delaware Society and Museum [DE]

Description

The Fort Delaware Society operates the Fort Delaware Museum, Sutler Shop, and W. Emerson Wilson Research Library. Fort Delaware protected the Delaware River area between the War of 1812 and World War II. It is best known for its stint as a Civil War prison.

The society offers exhibits and archive and reading library access. The archives and library are open to the public between October and April.

Strawberry Banke Museum [NH]

Description

The Strawberry Banke Museum is a living history museum of one of New Hampshire’s oldest neighborhoods and its history that dates back to the 1600's. The outdoor museum contains 42 historic buildings, the earliest build in 1695, and many contain live demonstrations of craftsmanship, cooking, and other forms of daily life at work.

School groups can tour the neighborhood on their own and partake in a Time Travel Workshop that includes hands-on activities lasting about 90 minutes on a specific, curriculum-based topic. Other programs on architecture, archeology, cooking, Early America, Trade and Maritime history, and the Industrial revolution meet New Hampshire education standards for many grade levels. The site also offers programs for home-schoolers and holiday programs.

Naval Undersea Museum [WA]

Description

The Naval Undersea Museum presents information on the oceans and marine technology. Permanent exhibit topics include the physics and biological aspects of the world's oceans, torpedoes, mine warfare, civilian and military diving gear, and submarines. The museum torpedo display is the largest in the country. Collection highlights include a Confederate marine mine.

The museum offers films, audio, exhibits, hands-on activities, and speakers. Offerings for students include focus tours, art projects, construction projects, gallery tours, films, and a youth docent program.

Fort McKavett State Historic Site [TX]

Description

Originally called Camp San Saba because it overlooks the headwaters of the San Saba River Valley, Fort McKavett State Historic Site was established by five companies of the Eighth Infantry in March 1852 to protect frontier settlers and travelers on Upper El Paso Road. The camp was later renamed for Captain Henry McKavett, killed at the battle of Monterey on Sept. 21, 1846. The fort was abandoned in March 1859 and reoccupied in April 1868. By 1880, the fort was no longer needed and it was again abandoned on June 30, 1883. Gen. William T. Sherman once called Fort McKavett "the prettiest post in Texas."

The site offers tours.

Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site [LA]

Description

Fort St. Jean Baptiste was established by the French in 1716 to prevent the Spanish in Texas from entering French Louisiana. The fort proved crucial to trade among the French, Spanish, and local Native Americans. In 1762, with the loss of the French and Indian War, France ceded the Louisiana Territory to Spain. Initially used for trade purposes, the fort was eventually abandoned by the Spanish as it lacked an obvious military purpose. The historic site contains a reconstruction of the fort.

The site offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and a picnic site.