MIT Museum [MA]

Description

The MIT Museum showcases current technologies and research being done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The museum houses a variety of exhibits and demonstrations that give visitors a glimpse into cutting edge technologies and innovations.

The museum offers exhibits, presentations, and programs that showcase current MIT research. In addition, the museum runs hands-on educational programs for local schoolchildren. The museum also offers individual and group tours of the museum. The website offers visitor information as well as information regarding upcoming events, presentations, and programs.

Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust [MA]

Description

The Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust preserves the structures and history of Martha's Vineyard. The trust owns nine historic properties, including the 1672 Vincent House, the 1840 Dr. Daniel Fisher House, and 1843 Old Whaling Church.

The trust offers tours of the Vincent House, which is furnished to depict life and architecture on the island during the last four centuries, and the Fisher House and Whaling Church. The trust also operates the Flying Horses Carousel, open continuously since 1876. The website offers visitor information, historic information regarding the island, and virtual tours of several properties.

New Bedford Whaling Museum [MA]

Description

The New Bedford Whaling Museum chronicles the history of the whaling industry in New Bedford and New England in general. The museum also serves as a local history museum, with exhibits on New Bedford’s past.

The museum offers a variety of exhibits pertaining to whaling and New Bedford, special events such as lectures and presentations, and educational programs that operate year-round. The website offers visitor information, a calendar of events, a summary of all exhibits, and information regarding educational and special programs.

Winslow Crocker House

Description

In 1936, Mary Thacher, an avid collector of antiques, moved the house of a wealthy 18th-century trader and land speculator, Winslow Crocker, to its present location. Considering that Cape Cod in the 18th century was a region of small farms and fishing ports, the Winslow Crocker House is surprisingly elaborate, with rich paneling in every room. Miss Thacher remodeled the interior in order to provide an appropriate early American backdrop for the display of her collection. Woodwork was stripped, smaller-paned windows installed, and a fireplace rebuilt to contain a beehive oven. The result is a colonial Cape Cod house with a 20th-century flavor. Miss Thacher's collection of furniture, accented by colorful hooked rugs, ceramics, and pewter, presents a thorough survey of early American styles, from Jacobean, William and Mary, and Queen Anne, to Chippendale.

The house offers tours.

Battleship Cove [MA]

Description

Battleship Cove is the largest collection of historic naval ships in the world. The cove boasts four large World War II-era battleships, along with a collection of smaller boats and naval helicopters.

The cove offers a variety of tours which can be adapted to any age group, a collection of naval ships available for tours, and a small museum with naval history exhibits. The website offers historical information regarding all of the cove's ships, visitor information, and an events calendar.

Nantucket Fire Hose Cart House [MA]

Description

The Fire Hose Cart House is the last remaining 19th century firehouse on Nantucket Island. The structure was built in 1886, and was in service for well over a half century. The structure was acquired by the Nantucket Historical Association in 1960. Today, visitors to the museum can view a variety of vintage firefighting equipment, including some rare equipment relating to the great fire of 1846.

The site offers brief historical and visitor information regarding the Hose Cart House. In addition, the site is part of the greater website of the Nantucket Historical Association, and so offers library access, information about the rest of the association's historical properties, and information regarding upcoming events. In order to contact the historical association via email, use the "contact us" link located on the bottom left of the webpage.

Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park [MA]

Description

The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park is dedicated to showing the history of canals and their role in transportation between emerging industrial centers in the 19th century. Among the park's attractions are the Blackstone Canal itself, the Millville Lock, the Blackstone Gorge, and a variety of outdoor activities including camping and hiking.

The site offers historical and visitor information regarding the park, including detailed trail and topographical maps of the park and surrounding areas.

Longmeadow Historical Society and Storrs House [MA]

Description

The Longmeadow Historical Society, founded in 1899 and one of the oldest historical societies in the country, is dedicated to preserving the history of Longmeadow, MA, and more specifically, the Storrs House. The society is headquartered in the historic 1786 Storrs House, and also helps to preserve the "East Village" and Olde Burying Yard. In addition, the society maintains a small genealogical library.

The society offers tours of the Storrs House, period rooms, and self-guided tours of the Olde Burying Yard. The website offers extensive historical information regarding Longmeadow, the Storrs House, the "East Village," and the Olde Burying Yard. In addition, the site offers an events calendar, and external links to other historical resources.

Lexington Historical Society [MA]

Description

"The Lexington Historical Society in Lexington, Massachusetts preserves and celebrates Lexington's history, with a special emphasis on the town's important role in the beginning of the American Revolution." The society manages three historic house museums, the Hancock-Clarke House, which was Paul Revere's destination in Lexington during his famous midnight ride, Buckman Tavern, the gathering place for the Lexington Militia on April 19, 1775, and the Munroe Tavern, which served as the temporary British headquarters during the British retreat from Concorde to Boston. All of these locations have been restored so that visitors can experience the locations exactly as they were at the beginning of the American Revolution. In addition to the museums, the society maintains a historical archive and puts on a variety of educational programs.

The site offers visitor information, detailed historical information on all three historic house museums as well as the society, an events calendar, information on the educational events provided by the society, a museum store, and research information.

Brockton Fire Museum [MA]

Description

"Opened in May of 1992, the Brockton Fire Museum was constructed for the purpose of preserving the proud history of fire fighting in the Brockton area. The artfully designed building, with wide pumpkin pine floors and subdued lighting, effectively conveys the atmosphere of a classic Brockton fire station during Victorian times." Visitors to the museum can enjoy thousands of firefighting artifacts, as well as a restored 1850s Hand-Tub Pumper and a memorial to the 13 firemen who were killed in the Strand Theater disaster.

The site offers visitor information, a virtual tour, and historical information regarding the museum.