History Center of Olmsted County and Mayowood Estate [MN]

Description

The History Center of Olmstead County presents the history of Olmstead County, Minnesota. To this end, the center operates as a museum. The museum includes rooms devoted to the decorative arts; a hands-on children's cabin; and exhibits on topics which include IBM, St. Mary's Hospital, the 1883 Rochester tornado, and historical medicine. Artifact collections include textiles, military, decorative arts, Native American, agricultural and mechanical, and medical items. The center also operates the Mayowood Estate historic house museum. Erected in 1911 as the home of Dr. Charles H. Mayo, cofounder of the Mayo Clinic, Mayowood now contains period rooms.

The museum offers exhibits, educational programs, hands-on activities, museum tours, traveling trunks, and library access. Reservations are required for tours. The center also organizes baseball games, played in 1860s style. The Mayowood Estate offers period rooms and guided tours. The website offers virtual exhibits.

Women in History [OH]

Description

Women in History seeks to increase awareness of women's impact on U.S. history through dramatic re-creations of the lives of notable female figures. Costumes are period or patterned from period pieces, and hairstyles are created by a specialist in historic hair design. The organization is able to portray more than 100 historical figures.

The organization offers presentations, which generally include two 25-minute living history presentations by costumed "historical figures," an opening and closing, and time for questions and answers. The organization also offers two programs designed specifically for elementary and middle school students.

Pender County Museum [NC]

Description

The Pender County Museum presents the history of Pender County, North Carolina. Collection highlights include a whiskey still, historical farming equipment, decorative arts pieces, World War II artifacts, and medical artifacts.

The museum offers exhibits, 41 oral history transcriptions from World War II veterans, and library access.

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum [AL]

Description

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum houses the largest collection of vintage motor vehicles in the world. The museum is home to over 900 motorcycles, as well as a substantial collection of the Lotus and other racers. In addition, the museum houses a research library, which contains 5,000 books and back issues of over 50 motorsports magazines.

The museum offers guided tours, a research library, and exhibits on all types of motorsport vehicles. The website offers visitor information and information regarding the museum's extensive resources.

Collier Memorial State Park [OR]

Description

Collier Memorial State Park has an outdoor camping focus but also has one of the finest Logging Museums in the country. The outdoor museum features more than 75 pieces of antique logging and railroad equipment as wells as a Pioneer village.

The outdoor museum offers free, self-guided tours. There are no educational programs designed for school groups. Wagon rides and costumed interpreters may be offered, check before making reservations.

Bannack State Park [MT]

Description

Bannack State Park is the site of Montana's first major gold discovery on July 28, 1862. This strike set off a massive gold rush that swelled Bannack's population to over 3,000 by 1863. As the value of gold steadily dwindled, Bannack's bustling population was slowly snuffed out. There are over 50 buildings that line Main Street with their historic log and frame structures that recall Montana's formative years.

A second website for the site can be found here.

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

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station [MD]

Description

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station located in Silver Spring, Maryland, is one of the few carefully preserved railroad station in the state of Maryland. The station was designed in the Colonial Revival style of architecture, and today stands much as it did during its service in the mid 20th century.

The station offers guided tours, special events, and is available for rent. The website offers a history of the station and visitor information.

Centre County Historical Society [PA]

Description

The Centre County Historical Society is the one of the oldest and largest of the country's historical organizations. The society is headquartered in the Centre Furnace Mansion, a former ironmaster's home that is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open as a historic house museum. In addition to the mansion, the society owns the Boogersburg School, a one-room schoolhouse that holds educational programs year round.

The society offers guided tours of the mansion and school, field trip programs, educational programs in the Boogersburg School, and a historical archives and library. The website offers visitor information, histories of the mansion, school, and society, information regarding all programs offered by the society, and an events calendar.

Lukens National Historic District [PA]

Description

The Lukens National Historic District chronicles the history of the iron and steel works industry in the town of Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The Lukens mill started as a small mill, but grew to become an industrial complex that held the world's largest plate mill. Today, the mill is open to visitors and stands much as it did when it finally closed down.

The historic district offers guided tours, a lecture program, house tours, and field trip programs. The website offers visitor information, a brief history of the Lukens mill, and an events calendar.