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.

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum [IA]

Description

The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum is a nationally recognized center for the study of 20th–century history and the American presidency, as well as offering exhibits relevant to the life of Herbert Hoover (1874–1964), 31st President of the United States.

The site offers exhibits, a research library, guided tours, and special events including concerts and reenactments. The website offers a variety of other online sources for students and educators, including lesson plans; games; digital image archives; digital copies of major Hoover documents; and information and activities focusing on the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957), pioneer and author of Little House in the Big Woods and its sequels.

President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site [VT]

Description

The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site presents Calvin Coolidge's (1872-1933) boyhood home, which also served as the site where he was sworn in as the 30th President of the United States following the death of Warren Harding. The site has been restored to its appearance in 1923, the year in which the aforementioned event took place. In addition to Coolidge's home, the public can also visit the Plymouth Cheese Factory, created by Coolidge's father; a general store; a church; several barns; the dance hall turned temporary White House; heritage gardens; and the home in which Coolidge was born.

The museum offers period rooms and exhibits on Coolidge's life, horse-drawn vehicles, and farming equipment, among other topics.

Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site [TX]

Description

Samuel Bell Maxey and his wife, Marilda, moved into their fashionable new home on the south side of Paris, TX, in 1868. Built in the High Victorian Italianate style, the frame house, plus book house and stable, were a progressive addition to the city's architecture and a proper home for the ex-Confederate general and later United States Senator. Maxey moved to Paris with his family in 1857. Construction of the house began in 1867 and it was remodeled in 1911. Members of the Maxey family lived in the house until 1966. The house has been restored and furnished to reflect almost 100 years of continuous use by the Maxey family.

The site offers tours.

Mount Pulaski Courthouse

Description

Mount Pulaski Courthouse was built in 1848 and served as the Logan County seat of government until 1855. Attorney Abraham Lincoln regularly argued cases in the second-floor courtroom, helping to establish his reputation as both an accomplished practitioner of the law and a gifted speaker.

The site offers tours and occasional educational and recreational events.

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.

Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices

Description

The Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices are within the only remaining building in which Abraham Lincoln maintained a law office. The site consists of the surviving portion of a three-story brick commercial block constructed in 1840–41. The restored building's first-floor visitor center consists of an exhibit gallery and audiovisual theater, along with a room interpreted as an 1840s post office facility. On the second floor are rooms representing those used by the federal court, and on the third floor a "common room" and three lawyers' offices. Two of the offices were used by Lincoln and his partners, prominent local attorneys Herndon and Stephen T. Logan. The recreated offices are notable for the plainness and disorder that were remembered by Lincoln associates.

The site offers exhibits, a short film, and tours.

Westmoreland County Historical Society [PA]

Description

The Westmoreland County Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of Westmoreland, PA. The society offers periodic tours of historical sites in the area and operates the historic Hanna's Town. The village consists of the reconstructed Hanna Tavern/Courthouse and three vintage late 18th century log houses, a reconstructed Revolutionary era fort and blockhouse, and a wagon shed that houses an authentic late 18th century wagon.

Hanna's Town offers school tours, interpretive activities, and a variety of special events including summer camps for schoolchildren, colonial court days, and antique shows. The website offers visitor information, a brief history of Westmoreland County and a calendar of events.

Constitution Hall State Historic Site

Description

James Henry Lane had a significant impact on Kansas history and is one of Constitution Hall's more colorful characters. He was part of a large antislavery delegation that marched into Lecompton to protest the convening of the proslavery Lecompton Constitutional Convention in the fall of 1857. The nation's eyes were fixed on this site, waiting to see what kind of constitution would be drafted and whether Kansas would join the Union as a free or slave state. Visitors to the site can learn more about Jim Lane, the proslavery and free-state forces in the area, and other stories of territorial Kansas at Constitution Hall.

This site offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational programs.

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site [NY]

Description

In 1776 56 loyalists signed the Declaration of Dependence at the Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site.

The Manor Hall currently serves both as a local and national history museum. Highlights of the Hall include the building itself, a collection of Presidential portraits, and exhibits on local history. The website offers a brief history of the site, visitor information, and information regarding upcoming events.