Heyward-Washington House [SC]

Description

The Heyward-Washington House was built in 1772 by rice planter Daniel Heyward for his son Thomas Heyward, Junior (1746-1809), Revolutionary War soldier and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The residence was rented to George Washington for one week during 1791. Other structures on site include an 18th-century well, a 1740s kitchen building, and a carriage house. Collection highlights include the Holmes Bookcase, considered the finest example of furniture made in the U.S.

The site offers period rooms; gardens with heirloom plants; educational programs; outreach programs; and student tours with a general, Revolutionary War, African American history, or architectural focus.

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park [CA]

Description

The temple is the oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California. On display are art objects, pictures, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War. This Taoist temple is still a place of worship and a fascinating look into the role played by Chinese immigrants in early California history. The temple was built in 1874 as a replacement for another that had burned. Many of the historical objects have been restored and the structure itself stabilized.

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

USS Midway Museum [CA]

Description

The USS Midway is the longest serving 20th-century U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Collections include 25 restored aircraft, dating from World War II through Operation Desert Storm. The majority of exhibits display the various functions of the rooms and sections aboard the Midway.

The museum offers traditional and interactive exhibits; films; three flight simulators; music videos; hands-on aircraft; two audio tours—one of which is designed for students; guided tours; a one-hour narrated video tour; docents available to answer questions; youth overnight programs; and educational programs which meet state educational standards. Reservations are required for guided tours. The site is approximately 60 percent wheelchair accessible, and wheelchairs are available upon request. Student audio tours are available in English and Spanish.

National Museum of Civil War Medicine [MD]

Description

The National Museum of Civil War Medicine presents the technological techniques and changes made in medicine between 1861 and 1865, as well as the stories of those involved with Civil War-era medicine—soldiers, medical practitioners, and their families. Topics include medical education, recruitment, camp life, evacuation of the wounded, field dressing stations and hospitals, embalming, and modern military medicine. Frederick, Maryland, site of the museum, was the location of forty Civil War skirmishes and battles. The museum has an additional location at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum on the Antietam National Battlefield. This site focuses on the development of first aid and emergency medicine during the 1862 Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg.

The museum offers exhibits, 90-minute guided tours, question and answer sessions, hands-on activities, lectures, educational programs, and research assistance. Payment is required for research assistance.

Maturango Museum [CA]

Description

The Maturango Museum presents the geology and cultural and natural histories of the Northern Mojave Desert. Artifacts on display include mammoth and bison fossils, items from the Native American populations of California, a Sidewinder missile, and local minerals. The grounds hold a desert garden.

The museum offers exhibits, a hands-on children's area, a garden, lectures, concerts, and an art gallery.

Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site

Description

On October 25, 1864, approximately 2,800 Union troops attacked and defeated about 8,000 Confederates along the banks of Mine Creek. This was one of the largest cavalry battles in the Civil War and was the only major battle fought in Kansas. The Union brigades were commanded by Colonels Frederick W. Benteen and John F. Philips. After this battle, Federal forces pursued and defeated additional Confederates in Missouri as they attempted to return to Arkansas, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), and eventually Texas. Visitors to the site can learn more about the soldiers and their stories as this dramatic story comes alive at the Mine Creek Battlefield.

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

Maine Aviation Historical Society and Air Museum

Description

The Maine Aviation Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of aviation in the state of Maine—recreational, military, civil, and commercial. To this end, the society operates the Maine Air Museum, located within a Cold War-era missile assembly and maintenance structure at the Bangor International Airport. The airport location provides for viewings of working aircraft in addition to the offered exhibits. The museum covers flight by balloon, airplane, and space shuttle.

The museum offers exhibits. Advance notice is appreciated for group visits.

Monroe County Historical Society and Museum [MO]

Description

The Monroe County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Monroe County, Missouri. To this end, the society operates a research center and museum. The museum is located within the Monroe County Courthouse, and presents information and artifacts relevant to local history. Collection highlights include prehistoric stone tools and historical weaponry.

The society offers exhibits, research library access, and research assistance. Museum tours can be arranged with advance notice. Research assistance requires payment. The website offers an online collections catalog and transcriptions of historic data.

Pioneer Living History Village [AZ]

Description

The Pioneer Living History Village is a 90-acre living history 1800s town. Structures are either period or reproductions based on historical research. Sights include an opera house in which Lilly Langtry (1853-1929), famed English actress and beauty, once sang; the childhood home of Henry Fountain Ashurst (1874-1962), one of the first Senators of Arizona; and a circa 1880 cabin which survived an Apache raid.

The museum offers period rooms, demonstrations, living history interpreters, and re-enactments. The museum is closed on rainy days.

Fort Revere Park [MA]

Description

The 8-acre grounds of Fort Revere Park contain a water tower, military museum, and the remains of two coastal forts.

The park offers an observation deck, exhibits, and a picnic area. Appointments are needed for weekday visits to the water tour and/or museum.