Most cities across the country, even the smallest rural or suburban communities, will have a museum, historic house or some another special place set aside to pay tribute to the history and legacy of that particular location. Many folks think of historic house tours and museum visits as vacation-only activities, but you may be missing out on some amazing discoveries that lay in wait for you right around the corner!
I used to all but ignore the local history that surrounds me, yet at the same time be fascinated by the special places and museums in other cities, states and countries. Is our own history less interesting? Absolutely not!
By visiting the museum(s) in your own area, you will learn about former residents: their feats, inventions and other quirky facts. Your family will also probably uncover some random, silly and odd details about your own, or a neighboring, town or city.
We live in a city that does not boast a museum, but our county has a lovely building dedicated to preserving and presenting it’s own heritage. The layout of our county museum is probably not unlike any other place where local history comes alive. Upon entering you will learn about the lay of the land and see pictures of the way the city, town or county looked throughout time. This could be one of the best aspects of your visit for your kids. They are going to absolutely love spotting the familiar landmarks that remain today in the black and white or sepia toned photographs on display. They may also be able to peruse ancient maps and drawings of your hometown and try to spot your street and house (or home’s plot if it was not built yet) and should be encouraged to think about how far things have come in their own backyard in a short period of time (say, 50-70 years). You may also discover that brilliant thinkers, painters or inventors hail from the places you live, work and go to school – and that is pretty cool! Many of the works of art, sculptures, journals and belongings of these locals could be on display. The museum may even be housed in the childhood home of a legendary former resident.
It is possible that your town plays host to a niche museum for boating or racecars or some other famous person or activity. A helicopter museum is located in a city not far from where I call home. A lot of the unique and specialty museums and historic places are scattered across the country, in the smaller towns, often because the place has an important relationship to the museum’s theme.
When you go, be sure to inquire about discounts for kids and/or local residents, at the ticket office and gift shop. The museum may also have a day of the week set aside as a free admission day. Get out there and learn about and, at the same time, support your hometown! It is important for kids and their parents alike to have a sense of place and history when it comes to their home.
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Check out Families.com LOCAL to learn about and interact with people from your home state! They may even have some great local museum tips for you!
Taking advantage of local exhibits