Imagine the year 1898 in rural Nebraska – a horse-drawn carriage travels down the main street, an Arithmetic teacher instructs students in a school set up in a one-room house, the smell of freshly made chocolate wafts from a general store.
In “living” history museums, visitors don’t need to imagine. Museum-goers experience the past for themselves.
Here are three living history museums in the United States, highlighting different periods in the country’s history.
Stuhr Museum
Located among the tall grasses of the central Nebraska prairies, the Stuhr Museum preserves the memory of the early pioneers who settled in the Midwest territory.
“We tell the story of this part of the country — how things worked and didn’t work, cultural conflicts (…) how the growth of this part of the country was part of the expansion of the U.S.,” says Joe Black, the museum’s executive director.
Among the people working in Railroad Town are living historians who operate the town’s businesses and homes. Visitors can make tools at the tinsmith, buy candy at the general store, and watch the coals burn in the blacksmith’s shop.
“What is popular is the aspect related to ‘living history’,” says Black. “Visitors really get to see, smell, hear, touch, or get hands-on with an activity from the past.”
At the museum, immersive holiday events for Christmas, Halloween, and the Fourth of July attract crowds from across the state and the country. In the summer months, historians teach classes ranging from fishing and horseback riding to baking cakes and pies, as well as watercolor painting.
“That ability to forget you’re in a museum, even if it’s just for a second, because you get so immersed in the visit to Railroad Town — I think that’s the advantage we have,” says Black. “We’re able to create that moment.”
Plimoth Plantation
Founded in 1947 on the historic grounds of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Plimoth Plantation tells the story of the 17th-century English settlers who colonized the area and the native Wampanoag people.
More than 300,000 people visit the museum annually to walk the streets of the 1624 English village, buy cornmeal at the water-powered mill, and interact with the modern Wampanoag people.
“Living history has the power to transport visitors in a way that can have a really profound impact on how you move forward and see the world,” says Kate Sheehan, a museum employee.
According to Kate, certain exhibits like the Mayflower II — a replica of the original ship that sailed from England to Plymouth — cannot be replicated, and people cannot have the same feeling anywhere else. The Mayflower II has been under the museum’s stewardship since 1957 as a gift from the British people.
“It [the ship] is really a floating classroom,” says Kate. “The Mayflower II tells the story of the 1620 voyage (…) but it’s also a historic ship on its own merits.” Currently undergoing restoration, the Mayflower II will return to the museum soon to mark the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing in Plymouth.
San Diego Maritime Museum
At the San Diego Maritime Museum, visitors can board original ships and replicas of vessels whose history spans 500 years.
Educational programs allow guests to explore the ships, learn from instructors and crew members who perform reenactments, and even take to the sea on a replica of a Spanish galleon from 1542 or board the Star of India — the world’s oldest active sailing ship.
Children develop teamwork skills through tasks on the boat, and adults enjoy historical cruises while learning about the history of the San Diego Navy.
“It’s more than just a museum you’re walking through,” said Theresa Smullen, a museum staff member. “It’s something that transports you from land to sea and really provides a more complete experience of the West Coast and our rich maritime heritage and historical connections to the Pacific world.”
Source: share.america.gov