Murfreesboro Historical Association [NC]

Description

The Murfreesboro Historical Association is dedicated to preserving the historical heritage of Murfreesboro, North Carolina. The society in particular works to aid in the preservation of Murfreesboro's historic district, which contains 12 museums, including the society's Brady C. Jefcoat museum, which serves as a local history museum.

The association offers guided tours of Murfreesboro museums, walking tours of the town, periodic town festivals, and exhibits. The website offers a brief history of Murfreesboro, visitor information, and an events calendar.

Gunston Hall Plantation [VA]

Description

Visit the home of George Mason, the author of the Virginia Bill of Rights (the basis of the Constitution's Bill of Rights). Completed in 1759, Gunston Hall is a fine example of Virginia's colonial architecture in the Georgian style. The mansion's grounds and gardens were surveyed and designed by Mason himself and are available for visiting today.

The site welcomes field trips and offers school tours based on Virginia SOLs and on-site programs for all grades. Outreach programs are also available if a visit is impossible. Teacher resources and curriculum guides are available for purchase in the museum shop. Teacher workshops and lectures are also featured as well as an on-site research library.

Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center [NV]

Description

The Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center is dedicated to preserving the early history of human habitation in Carson Valley. In addition, the museum focuses on Carson Valley's role as the first area in Nevada settled by people of European descent.

The society offers exhibits, guided tours, and frequent special presentations. The website offers visitor information and a calendar of events.

Philip Foster Farm [OR]

Description

The Philip Foster Farm was one of the first settlements in Oregon in the 1840's and served as a part of the Oregon Trail, the "last leg" for many westward travelers. The farm is an excellent example of 19th century agricultural life in Oregon. The site includes the farmhouse, a log cabin, an 1860's barn, gardens, etc.

The site offers on-site school tours for grades K-8 (Pioneer Life or Winter Traditions) as well as homeschoolers tours. Educational programs and educational outreach options are also available.

Thomas P. Kennard House [NE]

Description

Dedicated as the Nebraska Statehood Memorial in 1968, the Kennard House is the oldest standing structure in Lincoln's original plat. At the 1869 Italianate home of Nebraska's first Secretary of State, Thomas P. Kennard, visitors will learn about the excitement of creating a new state capital, and see the formality of Victorian lifestyles. The oldest residence in Lincoln has been restored to the 1870s with tours available year round.

The site offers tours and occasional recreational and educational events.

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.

Elgin Area Historical Society [IL]

Description

The Elgin Area Historical Society supports its own museum dedicated to local history. Exhibit topics include Early Elgin, Elgin Road Races, Elgin Architecture, the Hiawatha Pageant, and the Elgin Watch Factory and Industry. The Museum is housed in a historical 1856 building known as the Old Main.

School groups of all ages can take an educational tour of the museum while completing a scavenger hunt. Groups can also upgrade to the Grand Tour which includes hand-on educational activities for each of the museum's five exhibits. The museum also offers programs with specific topics including cooking, architecture, Native Americans, pocket watches, and pioneers. Travelling trunks can also be reserved.

Dinsmore Homestead [KY]

Description

The Dinsmore Homestead is dedicated to teaching visitors what rural life was like in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The homestead is open to the public year round.

The homestead offers guided tours, educational outreach programs, workshops, and field trip programs. The website offers a history of the home, a brief biography of the Dinsmores, a virtual tour, and visitor information.

Tualatin Historical Society and Heritage Center [OR]

Description

The Tualatin Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Tualatin, Oregon, settled circa 1850. To this end, the society operates the Tualtin Heritage Center, located within a 1926 Craftsmen-style church. Collection highlights include mastodon tusks and molars, Native American artifacts, an 1879 ox yoke, and Missoula flood objects. The center grounds include heritage gardens. The land was originally inhabited by the Atfalati tribe of the Kalapuya people.

The society offers exhibits, heritage gardens, and a family archive for genealogical research.

Kelley House Museum [CA]

Description

The Kelley House Museum presents the history of the logging and shipping industries in and the Victorian architecture of the Mendocino Coast, California. The museum is located within an 1861 residence. Permanent exhibits include artifacts from the 1850 wreck of the Frolic, a clipper ship involved in the international opium trade.

The museum offers exhibits, guided walking tours, gardens, and archival access. Archival access is by appointment only.