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MaryM
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Gwen mentioned in another thread that:
momwise wrote:
| For historical field trips I prefer the living historical sites. |
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I would love for people to list favorite living history museums or other sites where the history really comes alive (period dress, reenactments, hands-on activities). Maybe we could compile a listing for fellow 4-Real travelers. The big ones like Colonial Williamsburg or Plimoth Plantation are always listed, but I have found that lesser known sites aren't necessarily listed (or highlighted) in travel books - even the ones for families. Which I always think is weird.
Gwen listed the one she had just visited and really enjoyed. South Park City Museum in Fairplay, Colorado
There is one here in the Denver area in Littleton, CO - the Littleton Historical Museum. It's kind of low-key but very nice and ties in with the Little Britches series of books by Ralph Moody. The books are about growing up in that area.
My favorite living history museum is Rancho de las Golondrinas near Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is fabulous, especially during their theme weekends. I love the southwest culture though so am biased, I think.
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Mary M. in Denver
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teachingmom
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Along with others from this group, we really enjoyed the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, VA.
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MaryM
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Oh, I posted before I included my other favorite living history site -
Bent's Old Fort in La Junta, Colorado. I feel transported back in time there. Kelly, you'll have to come sometime for the celebration they have in early December which includes Los Posadas. 
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Mary M. in Denver
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momwise
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This is a great thread. I have been to the Littleton museum several time as well as Bent's Old Fort. Going for Las Posadas would be so fun. I am anxiously awaiting the day I get to go Las Golandrinas  . I would also love to visit the Colonial sites and travel to some battle reinactments. I know the Buffalo Soldiers have some know and then. Any other forts in the west that have living history?
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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teachingmom
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MaryM wrote:
| My favorite living history museum is Rancho de las Golandrinas near Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is fabulous, especially during their theme weekends. I love the southwest culture though so am biased, I think. |
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I just checked out the website for this place. We were in Santa Fe 4 years ago. Oh, how I wish I had heard about this museum back then!!! It would have been wonderful to see. At the time we were driving throughout the Southwest, I was reading aloud to the girls from the American Girl Josephina books. This place would have fit in perfectly. Oh, well . . . next time!
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Karen E.
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Some friends of ours went to the Living History Farms in Des Moines, Iowa ... it's now on my list of places we want to go.
See this link:
Living History Farms
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Karen E.
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Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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MaryM
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teachingmom wrote:
| I just checked out the website for this place. We were in Santa Fe 4 years ago. Oh, how I wish I had heard about this museum back then!!! It would have been wonderful to see. At the time we were driving throughout the Southwest, I was reading aloud to the girls from the American Girl Josephina books. This place would have fit in perfectly. Oh, well . . . next time! |
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Hopefully, you'll have the chance. It is a wonderful place. I am pretty sure (although I can't find proof) that the Montoya ranchero from the Josefina books is based on the Rancho de los Golondrinas. It's in Santa Fe, on the Camino Real, looks so similar to the pictures they use, is a fully restored ranchero.
Also, everyone thanks for the links you've been posting. As Irene said - she didn't know about the one in Santa Fe when she was there. I really find that to be the case with many of the living history museums - they don't get the publicity they should. This is exactly what I was hoping for - keep them coming!
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Mary M. in Denver
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momwise
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This stagecoach ride is not part of a museum but it is living history. We were thinking of taking it while on vacation but our budget ran short  . I see on the site there is another stagecoach ride setup in AZ.
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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Kelly
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We're planning to be in Santa Fe for a week next summer, so Rancho de las Golondrinas sounds like a must-see. Love the tie-in to Josefina, too.
If anyone is ever visiting North Florida (no one ever is, but they should ) we have the fabulous San Luis Mission in Tallahassee. Founded in the late 1500s, it provided supplies to St. Augustine and was a successful mission site (one of 100 between St. Augustine and Pensacola), not to mention a fort AND Indian village. The mission church and rectory, as well as two huge Indian roundhouses, and outbuildings for the Spanish settlers, have been meticulously reconstructed, right down to the thatch roofs, thatched by Zulu craftsment flown in for that express purpose (the only craftsmen that still thatch the "old-fashioned" way!). Every year they hold a Mass in the church, which the governor often attends. The church itself is very moving. Plans are currently underway to reconstruct the fort, too. Every first weekend of the month, especially in the Fall, there are costumed interpreters hanging around, planting gardens, cooking over outdoor fires or working the smithy. Once we found a guy shooting 16th century cannons---got a private demo, very exciting. And all for free!
Kelly in FL
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lilac hill
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About 6 years ago we went to Conner Prairie in Indiania.
Really enjoyed it.
Viv
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Viv
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guitarnan
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We just went to Plimoth Plantation and totally loved it. The colonial living history interpreters are the best I've ever encountered (and I've been to Williamsburg about 10 times!). The Native American area is staffed entirely by Native People and they use a 20th century viewpoint, which is valuable because they discuss how much they wish their younger generations would value the traditions and culture of each tribal nation.
We liked Conner Prairie, too.
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Kelly
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Aaaagh, Nancy, that was the ONE place we didn't get to on our Colonial Tour last month, and boy-am-I-sorry! I had this sneaking suspicion---when the concierge at our hotel told me Plimoth Plantation was "hokey"--- that it was probably JUST the kind of place we wanted to see! Next time I'll go with my intuition.
Well, have to have something for our next visit! 'Til then, thanks for the insight.
Hokey ol' Kelly in FL
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Caryn
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Hi, everyone. This thread is timely for me--my dd and I are on a business trip to Philadelphia with my dh, and we have spent several days visiting the Old City.
We visited Independence Hall, where you stand in the very rooms where the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution were signed. The Liberty Bell pavilion has multi-media exhibits, and then of course the bell itself in a beautiful glass pavilion. You can walk all arond it, and get quite close to it. The Betsy Ross house has several living history interpreters, and her story might be especially interesting for the girls; she survived three husbands, and supported her family by her upholstery business through all of it.
The new National Constitution Center is amazing! They have a half-hour multi-media presentation on "We the People," with actors, and the history of the Constitution is covered from inception to today with interactive exhibits. You could easily spend a full day there, with older children.
There is also a lovely Free Quaker Meetinghouse, with exhibits and tours by current members of the congregation.
Tomorrow we visit Christ Church and the Jewish History Museum.
I know some of these are not interactive/hands-on, but there is a very hands-on feeling to all the historic sites we have visited here. The interpreters and docents are friendly and knowledgeable, and being able to walk to so many of the sites gives you an opportunity for little ones to burn off energy between visits.
My dd said that standing in the rooms where the Declaration and Constitution were debated and signed was a "near religious" experience for her. All the littles who were present were very good, so maybe they all felt the vibes!
Caryn
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momwise
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Caryn wrote:
Hi, everyone. This thread is timely for me--my dd and I are on a business trip to Philadelphia with my dh, <snip>
We visited Independence Hall, where you stand in the very rooms where the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution were signed.
<snip> The Betsy Ross house has several living history interpreters
<snip>.
The new National Constitution Center is amazing! They have a half-hour multi-media presentation on "We the People," with actors,
<snip>Tomorrow we visit Christ Church and the Jewish History Museum. |
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WAAAAAAAAAAAA ........I wanna go!
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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MaryM
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MaryM wrote:
| Maybe we could compile a listing for fellow 4-Real travelers. |
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Hey, I should have figured there was a comprehensive listing somewhere of these types of sites (Living History Museums). This website was posted on the CCM yahoo list. There are a lot of suggestions. The Living History Museums are in the middle. Hopefully people will add even more.
Simply Charlotte Mason.com Destinations
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~Rachel~
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There is Old Salem, NC
The Adam Thoroughgood House in Virginia Beach, Va.
Just down the road to this you also have Lynnhaven house and the Francis Land House.
These are just about 30 minutes from Williamsburg... and if you go to Williamsburg, then you need to see Historic Yorktown and the originial site of the Jamestowne Fort.
Of course there are a number of wonderful plantation homes to visit down that way too  .
Here is a site which links to them all James River Plantations
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stefoodie
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If you're a AAA member, they have these state tour guides that you can get for free -- they have detailed information on all the things you can see, arranged by cities. The indices usually have a listing of "historic sites", and each description will tell you the hours they're open, how much they charge for admission, how many hours you should allot for a visit, etc. Whenever we visit a state we get one of these, so we've got an itinerary (and budget) planned before we go. Very helpful stuff!
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Lori†
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Ephrata Cloisters (it was a religious community, but not Catholic!) in PA. They have special Community Days: See the link:
www.ephratacloister.org/EducationalPrograms/educationalProgr ams.html
More places in PA (you would have to visit each link under this link to see what they offer):
www.phmc.state.pa.us/bhsm/trailofhistory.asp?secid=14
Living History at Old Bedford Village:
http://www.oldbedfordvillage.com/
And Old Sturbridge Village in MA:
http://www.osv.org/
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momwise
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Lori† wrote:
Ephrata Cloisters (it was a religious community, but not Catholic!) in PA. They have special Community Days: See the link:
www.ephratacloister.org/EducationalPrograms/educationalProgr ams.html |
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Is this anywhere near Lancaster? I think I went there as a teen on a family trip!
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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ladybugs
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We like:
The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA
The Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA
Legion of Honor in San Francisco, CA
Steinhart Aquarium of San Francisco, CA
The Raptor Center of Davis, CA at UC Davis
Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, CA
Sacramento has two Discovery Museums - one in old town dealing with history and one about 25 miles away on Space...and nature....
That's all I can think of for now.
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4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: Living history museums & sites?
