Spartansburg County Historical Association and Museums [SC]

Description

The Spartansburg County Historical Association seeks to preserve and share the history of Spartansburg County, South Carolina. To this end, the society operates three historical sites and a regional museum. The Seay House began as a Scots-Irish one-story log home, built before 1850. This residence is most like the dwelling of an average early inhabitant of the Spartansburg area. Interpretation focuses on late 19th- and early 20th-century women's lives. The circa 1795 Price House grounds also include a kitchen building and double-pen slave cabin. The home served as a residence and bed and breakfast. Interpretation focuses on the original owners, Thomas and Anne Price. The circa 1765 Walnut Grove Plantation includes a plantation home, Rocky Spring Academy, a forge, a meat house, a kitchen building, a well house, a barn, and the reconstructed office of the region's earliest physician to have received collegiate training. The site depicts area life prior to 1805. The Regional History Museum's permanent exhibits address an chronological overview of Spartansburg area developments, textiles, military history, and locally made furniture.

The Seay House offers period rooms, interpretive signage, and school tours. The Price House offers period rooms and guided tours. Walnut Grove Plantation offers guided tours of the home, kitchen, and Rocky Spring Academy; self-guided grounds tours; a nature trail; and the Moore family cemetery. The Regional History Museum offers student tours, curriculum-based programs for students, exhibits, traveling trunks, and summer camps. Reservations are required for school tours to the Seay House and for groups of 10 or more visiting the Price House and/or Walnut Grove Plantation. Visitors to the cemetery are asked to remain on the trail.

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.

Benton County Historical Museum [OR]

Description

The Benton County Historical Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of Benton County, and the history of the settlement of Oregon and the Willamette Valley. The museum is located in the 1867 Philomath College building, an important local historic landmark that was kept standing by the advocacy of local citizens.

The museum offers exhibits, guided tours, field trip programs, and special presentations. The website offers visitor information, online exhibits, and a calendar of events.

Historic Deerfield [MA]

Description

In historic Deerfield, visitors can step back into early America as they tour 11 house museums, exploring hundreds of years of history along an original, mile-long street. Two houses, the Stebbins House and Sheldon House, are available for self-guided tours all day during the regular season.

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

Des Moines Historical Society [WA]

Description

The Des Moines Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the historical heritage of the greater Des Moines area of Southern King County in Washington. The society owns and operates a local history museum, which serves to showcase the society's collection of local historical artifacts and documents.

The society offers exhibits and guided tours of the society's museum. The website offers a history of the area and visitor information.

National Civil Rights Museum [TN]

Description

The National Civil Rights Museum is located in the Lorraine Motel, the site of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The museum is focused both on preserving the site of King's assassination as well as chronicling the history of the Civil Rights Movement as a whole.

The museum offers field trip programs, guided tours, exhibits, and special events. The website offers visitor information, an events calendar, and resources for teachers including curriculum guides, primary sources, and worksheets.

Batavia Historical Society and Depot Museum [IL]

Description

The Batavia Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the historical heritage of Batavia, IL, and chronicles the town's transformation from a frontier town in the Midwest to a thriving suburb of Chicago. The society owns and operates a local history museum, the Batavia Depot Museum, and a research center.

The society offers exhibits and guided tours of the museum, as well as research resources. The website offers a history of Batavia, visitor information, and a calendar of events.

Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum [OR]

Description

The Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum presents the history of Mt. Hood, an active volcano. Exhibits address Mt. Hood's natural history, as well as that of skiing, exploring, and the forest service on Mt. Hood. The center also devotes space to an exhibit of fine arts. Collections include sporting equipment and clothing, as well as artifacts related to natural history, the forest service, local history, and Barlow Road.

The center offers exhibits. During June through August the center also offers talks and daily guided walks.