The best living history museums in the United
States immerse visitors in the everyday life experiences of people from the
past. Visit these top destinations, and step back in time.
A living history museum is no ordinary museum. They bring the past alive by recreating the sights, sounds, aromas, and even tastes of the past. The experience is akin to stepping onto a movie set or traveling back in time.
Across the
United States and beyond, living history attractions such as the ones
listed below open windows into local history and cultures spanning more than
500 years. Choose one near you, or travel to one that celebrates your family’s
culture or speaks to your interests.
Cherokee Heritage Center, Tahlequah, Oklahoma
The Cherokee Heritage Center transports guests into the everyday life of Diligwa, a 1710 Cherokee village.
This indoor and outdoor
experience features nearly 20 wattle and daub structures set in a detailed historical
landscape, with a primary council house, a summer and winter house, a corn
crib, and more. Alongside is a museum that preserves the genealogy of the
Cherokee people and tells the powerful story of the Trail of Tears.
Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg creates an entire British colonial city from the 1700s.
Stroll historical
avenues—or travel them in a horse-drawn carriage. Talk with staff who portray
various historical figures, and ask the master tradespeople and apprentices
about their handiwork. Feel the political tensions of the time as they are reenacted
at the governor’s mansion. You can even enjoy dining on a colonial-era menu and
spend the night in a canopied bed.
Conner Prairie, Fishers, Indiana
A family-friendly destination, the living history museum Conner Prairie is all hands-on history!
At a recreated Lenape camp, enter a
wigwam, throw a tomahawk, and learn about fur trading. An 1836 Prairietown
neighborhood bustles with hardworking artisans, settlers, and heritage
varieties of livestock. Visit an Indiana town from 1863, where smoke still
rises from a Civil War raid. Gather supplies for the wounded, or join military
drills. Feeling brave? Lift off the ground in an 1859 helium balloon.
Frontier Culture Museum, Staunton, Virginia
The Frontier Culture Museum recreates the Old World and New World environments of people who migrated to colonial Virginia.
Visit reimagined immigrant homelands of
England in the 1600s, as well as Ireland, Germany, and West Africa in the
1700s. Explore reconstructions of Native American dwellings in the 1700s and
European settlements from the 1740s, 1820s, and 1850s. Highlights include an
Irish forge, an early frontier schoolhouse, and a log church.
Genesee Country Village and Museum, Mumford, New York
The Genesee Country Village and Museum brings together 68 buildings, heirloom gardens, and fields of livestock to recreate a working historical community. Visitors progress through three distinct eras: early settlement (1790–1820), the village (1830–1860), and the city (1860–1900).
Explore homes and businesses tended by
costumed interpreters, try your hand at historic games and crafts, or watch
artisans at work. Come during the summer to witness 19th-century vintage baseball
games in the replica 19th-century stadium.
Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan
The open-air Greenfield Village celebrates historical American ingenuity and perseverance on its 80-acre campus.
Witness common tasks on a 19th-century
working farm or in the Liberty Craftworks, where you’ll find several kinds of
mills, a machine shop, printing office, and more. Peek into the workshops of
Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and the Wright brothers, and see how lives changed
as technologies changed. A favorite thing to do here is to take a ride in a restored
Model T car!
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
At the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, immerse yourself in the experiences of enslaved African Americans, refugees from slavery, and those who acted against slavery.
Engage with storytelling and hands-on
activities that recount the experiences of those who resisted slavery during
the mid-1800s. Immerse yourself in stories you see recreated on film in an
experiential theater. Peer into an actual slave pen used to imprison enslaved
people in the early 1800s.
Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts
The 17th century comes alive at Plimoth Plantation, where visitors witness interactions between two cultures: the native Wampanoag people and English immigrants who were trying to establish a coastal settlement.
See the reconstructed Mayflower II ship
docked on the waterfront. Visit with Native guides—some descending from those
early residents—at a Wampanoag home site. Or visit others in the English village
who play the roles of Plymouth colony residents. Try old tools and artisanal
techniques in the Craft Center, explore the working gristmill, or see historical
livestock breeds.
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, St. Augustine, Florida
Fountain of Youth is a living history museum that commemorates the history of the oldest successful European settlement in the continental United States.
Visit a painstakingly reconstructed Timucuan village, and learn about those who lived here when Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s. Step into the Franciscan mission building, modeled after the 1587 original from local materials. Stand in the shade of the Spanish watchtower, listen to the roar of a cannon firing, see antique firearm demonstrations, and watch a blacksmith creating Spanish colonial-style iron goods.
Ready to learn how your own family history fits into these fascinating stories from the past? Discover what your heritage is by searching your surname. Or, if you already know your heritage, learn more about it using FamilySearch’s country pages.
Source: Family Search
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