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Northeast USA Museums and Culture

    Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

  1300 Locust Street - Philadelphia, PA            
Founded in 1824 in Philadelphia, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest historical societies in the United States and holds many national treasures. The Society's building, listed on the City of Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items. The Society is one of the largest family history libraries in the nation, has preeminent printed collections on Pennsylvania and regional history, and offers superb manuscript collections renowned for their strength in 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century history. With the addition of the holdings of The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in 2002, the Society has become a chief center for the documentation and study of the ethnic communities and immigrant experiences shared by people whose American history began more recently-between the late nineteenth century and our own times. Together these holdings, old and new, make the Society one of the nation's most important special collections libraries-a center of historical documentation and study, education, and engagement.
    Hofstra University Museum, New York State
  112 Hofstra University - Hempstead, NY           
Public programs including concerts, lectures, family fun festivals, and a day-long tour of East End Long Island artist studios will round out the Museum’s spring offerings. Join us for any of our numerous events and exhibitions and discover the rich resources of the Hofstra University Museum. Beth E. Levinthal, Director
    Center for Jewish History, New York State
  15 West 16th Street - Manhattan - New York, NY           
The Center for Jewish History is home to the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
The collections at the Center constitute one of the most important resources for the documentation and exploration of the Jewish experience and include old and rare books, periodical collections, photos, memoirs, official decrees, personal letters, and contemporary publications about all aspects of Jewish identity. The art collections include posters, paintings, sculptures, archeological artifacts, historical textiles, and ceremonial objects.
    Woodmere Art Museum, Pennsylvania
  9201 Germantown Avenue - Philadelphia, PA           
Celebrate Philadelphia's Artistic legacy. The legacy of Philadelphia's art can be seen through Woodmere's Permanent Art Collection, our Art Classes, the Edward M. David Art Research Library, and Woodmere's Art Tours & Excursions. Enjoy Philadelphia, its art, and its artists through Woodmere Art Museum.
    The Bennington Museum, Vermont
  West Main Street - Bennington, VT            
The mission of the Bennington Museum is to celebrate the history and heritage of the southern Vermont region, as well as serve as a venue for visual and performing arts that enrich our community and our world. Incorporated in 1852 as the Bennington Historical Association, the Bennington Museum is one of only a few accredited museums in the state of Vermont. The Association was founded to commemorate the pivotal 1777 Revolutionary War battle fought near the town. Following the dedication of the 306-foot-tall Bennington Battle Monument in 1891, the Association turned its attention to a more comprehensive preservation of history, art and material culture in southern Vermont and nearby areas.
After years of searching for a permanent home, the Association in 1923 acquired the beautiful, native stone structure that had served as the first St Francis De Sales Catholic Church from 1855 to 1892. Following some functional renovations, the museum opened to the public in 1928 as the Bennington Historical Museum.
    Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, New York State
  5816 Clarendon Road - Brooklyn, NY            
As diverse and unique as any structure in Brooklyn, the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum is a part of American Culture that you cannot afford to miss. Revered as the oldest standing building in New York City and a National Landmark, the Wyckoff Farmhouse is a stunning example of America's colonial past, nestled into the beautiful Brooklyn landscape. During its guided tours, patrons are able to learn about the rich history of the Wyckoff Farmhouse, from its use as a Dutch farm to the impact the farmhouse had on African-American culture. There are several different tours to experience including an in-depth look at the construction of the farmhouse and how it compares to today’s society. The more hands-on exhibits are truly the main attraction of the Wyckoff Farmhouse, offering a variety of colonial tasks including butter churning, herbs and sachet making, and crop examination. If you are fortunate enough to visit the Wyckoff Farmhouse in the Summer 2012 you will have the opportunity to see the organic lifestyle surrounding the colonial days and even participate in a scavenger hunt through the on-site garden. For an experience into Brooklyn's treasured culture and a clock-turning look at the past, make sure you visit the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum.
    Garden State Discovery Museum, New Jersey
  2040 Springdale Museum - Cherry Hill, NJ           
Sure you’ve seen museums, but have you seen one like this? Every exhibit is an invitation to touch, explore and create. With 15 large interactive areas… including Bubble Trouble, the Silver Diner, Down the Shore and Action Newsroom, the Garden State Discovery Museum has lots of room for groups to spend an adventure-filled day together. Visit today and discover why it's recognized as one of the top 20 children’s museums in the country!
    American Swedish Historical Museum, Pennsylvania
  1900 Pattison Avenue - Philadelphia, PA            
The American Swedish Historical Museum in South Philadelphia is the oldest Swedish Museum in the United States. Founded in 1926, the Museum has been dedicated to preserving and promoting Swedish and Swedish-American cultural heritage and traditions for nearly 80 years. The Museum is a place where Swedes, Swedish-Americans, and people of all nationalities who appreciate Swedish contributions to history, art, architecture, music, science and technology can come together.
    USS Constitution Museum, Massachusetts
  P.O. Box 1812 - Boston, MA            
The USS Constitution Museum serves as the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution, by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the stories of "Old Ironsides" and the people associated with her. We seek to create a positive, memorable experience for both children and adults by inspiring within them a love for the freedom that Constitution symbolizes. We will share Constitution's contributions with a global audience, and we will strive to be the best museum possible based on scholarship and innovative ways of sharing Constitution's stories.
    Northlandz, New Jersey
  495 U.S. 202 - Flemington, NJ           
Northlandz is a 16 acre world class attraction developed by Bruce and his wife Jean. Included in this complex is a doll museum, La Peep Doll House, a 2,000 pipe theater pipe organ (which Bruce plays) and art galleries throughout. The building is reflective of the couples lifelong commitment to art, expression, and creativity.
    Geppi's Entertainment Museum, Maryland
  301 W Camden St - Baltimore, MD            
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Geppi’s Entertainment Museum is dedicated to presenting the story of popular culture since the nation’s earliest days in an entertaining and educational fashion so that our guests have the unique opportunity to walk through a timeline that parallels and is entwined with history as a whole.
    Insectropolis Bug Museum, New Jersey
  1761 Route 9 - Toms River, NJ           
Insectropolis is a fun and unique insect learning center that dazzles visitors of all ages. There is plenty to see and do here! Set within the architecture of a bug-themed city, our creative displays entertain guests as they learn about these fascinating creatures.
    The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Connecticut
  600 Main St. - Hartford, CT             
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"We’re more than just the first public art institution in the United States. We were the first museum in America to begin collecting contemporary American art – resulting in our world renowned Hudson River School collection. We staged the first retrospective of Pablo Picasso in America; we were the first museum to both exhibit and purchase works by Surrealist artists – today almost every exhibition about Surrealism includes works borrowed from our collection. We were the first art museum to also have a theater – and we were the first to show Gertrude Stein’s Four Saints & 3 Acts – which we also produced."
    Textile Museum, The, Washington DC
   - Washington, DC           
The Textile Museum is dedicated to furthering the understanding of mankind's creative achievements in the textile arts. As a museum, it is committed to its role as a center of excellence in the scholarly research, conservation, interpretation and exhibition of textiles, with particular concern for the artistic, technical and cultural significance of its collections.
    Peabody Museum of Natural History, Connecticut
  170 Whitney Avenue - New Haven, CT             
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The mission of the Peabody Museum is to serve Yale University by advancing our understanding of earth’s history through geological, biological, and anthropological research, and by communicating the results of this research to the widest possible audience through publication, exhibition, and educational programs.
Fundamental to this mission is stewardship of the Museum’s rich collections, which provide a remarkable record of the history of the earth, its life, and its cultures. Conservation, augmentation and use of these collections become increasingly urgent as modern threats to the diversity of life and culture continue to intensify.
    Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, Rhode Island
  Beavertail Road - P.O. Box 83 - Jamestown, RI           
Discover Jamestown's most visited landmark with its panoramic views of Narragansett Bay. Located on the southernmost tip of Jamestown, Rhode Island, the Beavertail Lighthouse museum features a collection of information, artifacts, and conversation about the history and site of the third-oldest lighthouse in North America. Come and enjoy New England hospitality as you engage with lighthouse history and with interesting elements of Narragansett Bay’s maritime science, technology, art, and culture.
    Stephen Decatur House Museum, Washington DC
  1610 H Street, NW - Washington, DC           
Designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe in 1818 for America's greatest 19th century naval hero, Decatur House was occupied by many of our nation's most important political leaders. As witness to the exciting events of the 19th and early 20th century, Decatur House has a unique and fascinating story to tell.
    The Textile Museum, Washington DC
  2320 S Street NW - Washington, DC            
The Textile Museum expands public knowledge and appreciation – locally, nationally and internationally – of the artistic merits and cultural importance of the world’s textiles.
    Drug Enforcement Administration Museum, Virginia
  700 Army Navy Drive - Arlington, VA            
The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Museum and Visitors Center is to educate the American public on the history of drugs, drug addiction and drug law enforcement in the United States through engaging and state-of-the-art exhibits, displays, interactive stations and educational outreach programs.
    Coggeshall Farm Museum, Rhode Island
  1 Colt Drive - P.O. Box 562 - Bristol, RI           
Coggeshall Farm Museum is a living history farm set on 48 acres in Bristol, Rhode Island. The museum depicts Bristol's agrarian life in the year 1799 through live interpretation, historic structures, and heirloom plants and animals.
    Slater Mill Museum, Rhode Island
  67 Roosevelt Avenue - Pawtucket, RI            
Located on the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Slater Mill is a museum complex dedicated to bringing one of the most exciting and significant periods of American history to life. Visitors to the site experience a time when an America of small farmers and craftsmen were poised to turn the country into the industrial leader of the world.
    Virginia Museum of Natural History, Virginia
  21 Starling Avenue - Martinsville, VA             
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The Virginia Museum of Natural History’s innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education programs reach students, teachers, and the general public statewide and throughout the region. From "at-the-museum" programs to outreach education programs that bring the museum to locations across the Commonwealth, the museum's education programs are correlated directly to the Virginia Standards of Learning and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. VMNH educators are leaders in the field of informal science education throughout the state, providing a vital link between the museum's important research and collections programs and all citizens of Virginia and beyond.
    National Great Blacks in Wax, Maryland
  1601-03 East North Avenue - Baltimore, MD             
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The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum is among the nations most dynamic cultural and educational institutions. Because it is a wax museum committed solely to the study and preservation of African American history, it is also among the most unique. Primarily, the presentation of life-size, life-like wax figures highlighting historical and contemporary personalities of African ancestry defines its uniqueness.
    Delaware Art Museum, Delaware
  800 South Madison Street - Wilmington, DE             
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It might seem that an institution like a museum is carved in stone, but since its founding in 1912, the Delaware Art Museum has actually changed a great deal. Our Centennial Timeline, installed in the Museum’s Orientation Hallway, is a look at how things were and how they have changed, both here at the Museum and in the community that we serve. To put the Museum’s historical achievements in context, the Timeline mirrors notable Museum milestones with important local and world events.
A century ago, the Museum started life with an original purchase of approximately 100 Howard Pyle paintings. That collection has grown to include 12,000 works of art by great American masters such as Winslow Homer, artists of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and well-known American illustrators. The Museum’s name and physical space have also changed considerably. Originally called the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts, and then the Delaware Art Center, the Museum officially became the Delaware Art Museum in the early 1970s. And although we spent decades traveling around—with no permanent gallery space—the Museum now encompasses 80,000 square feet of exhibition and administrative space, four studio art classrooms, and a sprawling 9-acre sculpture park—the first of its kind in the region.
    Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village, Delaware
  866 North DuPont Highway - Dover, DE           
For the child who believes milk comes from the grocery store instead of a cow, for the woman who remembers using a cornsheller on her grandmother's farm, the family who takes twentieth century technological advances and the farmer for granted, the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village offers a memorable and educational experience. By preserving the quickly fading agricultural heritage of Delaware and the Delmarva Peninsula, the Museum stands as an important legacy for future generations.
    National Firearms Museum, Virginia
  11250 Waples Mill Road - Fairfax, VA            
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The mission of the National Firearms Museum is to develop and manage educational programs that promote appreciation, understanding, and participation in gun collecting, and the preservation of the heritage of firearms through collection, conservation, exhibition and research as part of a nationally recognized museum in America.
    Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Maryland
  830 E. Pratt Street - Baltimore, MD            
Mission: To be the premier experience and best resource for information and inspiration about the lives of African American Marylanders. The museum seeks to realize its mission by collecting, preserving, interpreting, documenting and exhibiting the rich contributions of African American Marylanders from the state’s earliest history to the present and the future.
    Historical Society of Delaware, Delaware
  505 Market Street - Wilmington, DE           
The Delaware History Center dominates the 500 block of Market Street Mall in downtown Wilmington and is composed of the Delaware History Museum, Old Town Hall, Willingtown Square, and Society's research library. Ample public parking is available at 4th and King Streets, 7th and King Streets, 6th and Shipley Streets, and at street meters.
The Delaware History Center is just a few blocks from the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, the First USA Riverfront Arts Center, and the Wilmington train station.
    Submarine Force Museum, Connecticut
  1 Crystal Lake Rd - Groton, CT           
The Submarine Force Museum, located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut, maintains the world's finest collection of submarine artifacts. It is the only submarine museum operated by the United States Navy, and as such is the primary repository for artifacts, documents and photographs relating to U.S. Submarine Force history. The museum traces the development of the "Silent Service" from David Bushnell's Turtle, used in the Revolutionary War, to the Ohio and Virginia class submarines.
The museum's collections include more than 33,000 artifacts, 20,000 significant documents and 30,000 photographs. With so many holdings, the displays change frequently and a return visit will be a new experience. The 6,000 volume reference and research library is a world-renowned collection relative to the history of U.S. submarines and is open to anyone looking for information on submarines or submarine history.
    John Brown Wax Museum, West Virginia
  168 High St. - Harpers Ferry, WV            
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Sunday, October 16, 1859, Brown, accompanied by about 20 men, all fully armed, crossed the Potomac into Virginia (now West Virginia) at Harper's Ferry. They overpowered the watchmen at the following locations: the Baltimore & Ohio railroad bridge, the United States armory and arsenal, and the rifle factory above the town on the Shenandoah. They placed guards at those points and at the street corners of the town. Brown established himself in the thick-walled brick building at the armory gate, one room of which was the quarters of the watchman and the other contained a fire-engine. He then sent six men, to seize the principal citizens in the neighborhood and incite those of African decent to rise and join in the insurrection.