Henry Whitfield State Museum

Description

In 1639, a group of Puritans led by their minister, Reverend Henry Whitfield, built the stone house in which this museum is housed. As well as serving as a home for the Whifield's, it was also a fort for the community. Its massive stone walls and chimneys, steeply-pitched roof, and casement windows reflect the style of post-medieval domestic architecture found in England—rare in 17th-century America and unique today. It is Connecticut's oldest house and New England's oldest stone house.

The museum offers exhibits, research library access, tours, and educational and recreational programs.

Old Dutch Church Heritage Museum [NY]

Description

The Old Dutch Church Heritage Museum presents the history of a working Reformed Protestant church founded in 1659. The church dominies actively promoted the Patriot cause in the Revolutionary War and the Union cause during the Civil War—with the site being used as a state armory and field hospital in the 1860s. The earliest grave on site dates to 1710. The current structure dates to 1859.

The church offers exhibits and archival access. Appointments are required for archival access.

Bartram's Garden

Description

Visitors to Bartram's Garden experience America's oldest living botanical garden, a pastoral 18th-century homestead surrounded by the urban bustle of Philadelphia. They can visit the wildflower meadow, majestic trees, river trail, wetland, stone house and farm buildings overlooking the Schuylkill River, and the historic botanic garden of American native plants.

The site offers tours, educational programs, research library access, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Hancock Shaker Village [MA]

Description

The 20-acre Hancock Shaker Village was once a thriving Shaker community, but is now an outdoors museum which presents the history and culture of the Shakers. Collections include 20 historic buildings and more than 22,200 artifacts including furniture, tools, vernacular equipment, household objects, art, textiles, graphics, and archival documents. Shaker beliefs included using dance as a communal form of communication with God, equality of the sexes, group ownership, and celibacy.

The village offers self-guided tours; docents; exhibits; animal encounters; traditional craft demonstrations; a program on Shaker music; a children's discovery room; 19th-century-style lessons in a historic schoolhouse; guided tours of the 1830s Brick Dwelling, 1826 Round Stone Barn, and Laundry/Machine Shop; specialty guided tours; curriculum-based tour outlines for teachers; heirloom gardens; heritage livestock; research library access; a hiking trail; cafe; and a picnic area. Guided tours are only available between late November and mid April. During that time, self-guided tours are unavailable. Appointments are required for research library access.

Historic St. Mary’s Mission [MT]

Description

Historic St. Mary's Mission is located in the Bitterroot Valley under the shadow of St. Mary's Peak, which rises over 4,000 feet from the valley floor. The mission dates from the early 1840s, and was created by three Jesuit Missionaries for the purpose of enlightening the local American Indian population.

The mission offers guided tours. The website offers a history of the mission, brief biographies of the founders of the missionary, a photo tour of the mission, and visitor information.

Historic Rugby [TN]

Description

In 1880, the town of Rugby was established by British author and social reformer Thomas Hughes as a Utopian colony for Christians who wanted to build a cooperative agricultural community free of class tensions and distinctions. Though the colony caused a lot of controversy and only lasted two decades, the descendents of some of the colonist has preserved this interesting compound in rural Tennessee.

Guided tours of the historic town are available, though there is no specific tour for school groups. Workshops and events are offered but can be quite expensive. Lodging and dinging options are also offered on site.

Acadian Village [LA]

Description

The Acadian Village presents daily life and society within 19th-century Acadian Southern Louisiana. Seven of the 11 site structures are restored historic residences containing local period furnishings. Exhibit topics include Cajun music; spinning; weaving; medicine; and Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc (1894-1971), who strove to preserve Cajun culture. Replica period settings include a blacksmith shop, chapel, home, and schoolhouse; while the LeBlanc exhibit is located within the senator's birth home.

The village offers exhibits, period rooms, and self-guided tours. Reservations are appreciated for group visits. Picnics are encouraged. Tour brochures are available in English and French. The village is open January through October.

This is the Place Heritage Park [UT]

Description

Visitors can journey back in time at Old Deseret Village, a collection of more than 40 historic homes and buildings brought to life by historical interpreters. This is the Place Monument, located in the park, marks the end of the 1,300-mile Mormon trail.

The park offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, demonstrations, and educational and recreational events (including living history events).

Mission San Luis [FL]

Description

The Mission San Luis recreates life at the time of Spanish settlement. The site depicts the ways of life of 17th-century Spanish settlers and the Apalachee people. Sights include the visitor's center, Apalachee council house, the Spanish Deputy Governor's home, and a Franciscan church and friary. Costumed living history interpreters show how the people interacted with each other, their material cultures, and the land.

The mission offers an introductory film, audio tours, exhibits, demonstrations, costumed living history interpreters, one- through three-hour interactive curriculum-based school tours, four curriculum-based school outreach programs, day camps, and workshops for adults. The film is captioned, audio tours are t-coil compatible, and arrangements can be made for a descriptive orientation for visually impaired visitors. Publications are available in Braille, and one exhibit was designed with the assistance of the Florida Division of Blind Services. Wheelchairs are available on request. The website offers pre- and post-visit lessons, vocabulary, and a teacher's guide

Filson Historical Society, Ferguson Mansion, and Museum [KY]

Description

The Filson Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Kentucky and the Ohio Valley. The society's offices are located within the 1905 Beaux Arts Ferguson Mansion. A museum is located within the carriage house. Collection highlights include the largest number of antebellum portraits in Kentucky; Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, family artifacts; and Shaker artifacts. Exhibit topics include Kentucky pioneers, Shaker life, slave life, and the Civil War. The society also operates a library, containing more than 50,000 volumes.

The society offers period rooms, exhibits, tours of the mansion and museum for students, traveling trunks, non-circulating research library access, and research assistance. A daily fee is charged for research library access. Payment is required for research conducted on request. Please call ahead if you wish to use the library. Reservations are required for student tours.