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Northeast USA Museums and Culture

    The Hispanic Society of America, New York State

  613 West 155th Street - New York, NY           
Two beautiful lion sculptures perched on pedestals in all their majesty, greet you at the entrance of the Hispanic Society of America, upon walking up the grand stairs and into a world of vast history and culture. Amazingly enough, the admission at this Manhattan museum is free, in addition to the wealth of resources they provide for the curious mind. The vast collections here are unparalleled, with information on nearly every aspect of culture in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Boasting many archeological artifacts, paintings and sculptures, one will be awestruck at the beauty surrounding them. Just stepping inside this Manhattan museum provides great insight to the Spanish culture. Stop in and take a look at the wide variety of earthenware and porcelain artifacts from other museums. The collection of textiles is among the best in the world, with a fascinating selection of rare carpets that captivate and educate one in the history of each one-of-a-kind piece. If you are seeking to advance your understanding, gain a sense of self and your culture, or you if are simply desirous of surrounding yourself in the rich culture and beauty that abounds in this world, stop in for a spring or summer 2012 visit.
    Bronx Museum Of The Arts, New York State
  1040 Grand Concourse - Bronx, NY             
The Bronx Museum of the Arts (BxMA) is re-envisioning the role of museums in contemporary society: it addresses the changing needs of its diverse constituencies, while standing at the forefront of scholarly discourse, museum practices, and innovative public programs. As such, BxMA is recognized as "an important player in shaping New York art of both the present and the future" (The New York Times).
The Bronx Museum was founded in 1971 by a group of local residents to bring the visual arts to the Bronx. It has remained the only fine art museum in the Bronx. In its first decade, it was housed in the public rotunda of the Bronx County Courthouse located on Grand Concourse and 161st Street. In 1982, it moved five blocks north on the Concourse to 165th street into a former synagogue purchased and donated by the City of New York.
    Harness Racing Museum, New York State
  240 Main Street - Goshen, NY           
"The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame is dedicated to comprehensive, active and authoritative support and promotion of the Standardbred industry through documentation and preservation of the history and traditions of this American-born sport. It will also continue to augment existing collections and provide extensive research, educational programming and exciting exhibitry to expand harness racing's interest and appeal, both nationally and internationally, to assure an informed audience and a successful future."
    Varnum Memorial Armory, Rhode Island
  6 Main St. - East Greenwich, RI           
From July 1918 to January 1996, the Varnum Armory in East Greenwich, RI, housed units from the Rhode Island State and National Guard. Built in 1913 and completed in 1914, the Varnum Continentals had the Armory built in the Medieval architectural style. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and contains an extensive Military & Naval Museum.
    Seabee Museum and Memorial Park, Rhode Island
   - Davisville, RI           
From its founding, the Seabee Museum and Memorial Park has stood on its own, collecting grants from federal, public, and private sectors. The majority of funding received to date has been from the MCB-6 Association, other Seabees, the Rhode Island State Preservation and Historical Society, the Federal HUD Office, and a Federal Grant from the Department of Defense (allowing Seabee Reserves to perform a full summer training program here). While this may sound significant, it’s only a small percentage of the bricks and mortar required to complete this tribute to the "Original Home of the Seabees."
    Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia
  2800 Grove Avenue - Richmond, VA             
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The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts houses a remarkable permanent collection of more than twenty-two thousand works of art from almost every major world culture. Especially noteworthy are the museum’s collections of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Modern and Contemporary American art donated by Sydney and Frances Lewis; French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art and British sporting art given by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon; American art acquired through the J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund; The Lillian Thomas Pratt Collection of Fabergé jeweled objects; and The Jerome and Rita Gans Collection of English Silver. The museum’s holdings of South Asian, Himalayan, and African art are among the finest in the nation.
    New Jersey State Museum, New Jersey
  205 West State Street - Trenton, NJ            
In 1895, the New Jersey State Legislature formally established the New Jersey State Museum in the capital city of Trenton with a mission to collect and exhibit specimens in natural history, archaeology, and industrial history. The State Museum was initially accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1974. Since 1983 it has been a division of the New Jersey Department of State.
    The New Jersey Historical Society, New Jersey
  52 Park Place - Newark, NJ           
The New Jersey Historical Society is a state-wide, private, non profit historical museum, library, and archives dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the rich and intricate political, social, cultural and economic history of New Jersey to the broadest possible audiences. Founded in 1845, it is the oldest cultural institution in the state. Through exhibitions, publications, and programming, it examine what it means to live and work in New Jersey, what contributes to New Jersey's distinct identity, and the unique contributions New Jerseyans make to the region and the country.
    Battleship New Jersey, New Jersey
  62 Battleship Place - Camden, NJ             
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America's most decorated Battleship is now the area's most exciting museum, open for tours, events and overnight encampments. Exploring “BB62” is experiencing history in a whole new way. Not only do you see exhibits of artifacts from the ship’s past, but you are put into the exhibit as you go through the tour route. Sit in the chair from which Admiral Halsey commanded the fleet. Stretch out on the bunks where the sailors slept. Climb into the 16” gun turret and learn how the projectiles were loaded.
    National Museum of Dentistry, Maryland
  31 South Greene Street - Baltimore, MD           
Find your smile at the National Museum of Dentistry! Smile-inspiring exhibitions and innovative programs make a national impact to educate the public about the importance of good oral health to a healthy life.
    The Pocono Indian Museum, Pennsylvania
  Route 209 - Bushkill, PA           
The Pocono Indian Museum is the only museum in Northeastern Pennsylvania dedicated to showing the history of the Delaware Indian. The museum will both inform and, perhaps, shock you. It will show the North American history of man in Northeastern Pennsylvania from 10,500 B.C. to the contact period with European man prior to the American Revolution. It will show the Delaware Indian's peaceful coexistence with other Indians. And, it will show you the shocking and short 100 years it took the white man to virtually eliminate almost all traces of the Indian's existence.
The Pocono Indian Museum traces the history of the Delawares through displays of ancient artifacts, weapons, and tools that form chronological commentary on life among the Indians for thousands of years.
    Newport Art Museum, Rhode Island
  76 Bellevue Avenue - Newport, RI           
Home for the Museum since 1916, the Griswold House is a National Historic Landmark and an Official Project of Save America’s Treasures. Designed in 1862 by famed architect Richard Morris Hunt, it was completed in 1864 for John N.A. Griswold, a China Trade merchant and financier. Griswold House was Hunt’s first major commission in Newport and is the premier example of American Stick Style architecture. Hunt went on to design many of the grand cottages of Newport’s Gilded Age, including The Breakers, Marble House, and Ochre Court.
The Griswold House currently houses restored rooms, galleries, a children’s art classroom, administrative offices, a lecture hall, and the Griffon Shop. The surrounding park and sculpture garden is used for many outdoor programs during the summer months.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    Franklin Institute Science Museum, Pennsylvania
  222 North 20th Street - Philadelphia, PA             
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"Resources for Science Learning" are activities and ideas for inspiring scientific curiosity at home, in school, or wherever you are. Find out about the Center for Innovation in Science Learning and its program offerings for learners and for educators.
    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."
    WV Museum of American Glass, West Virginia
  230 Main Avenue - Weston, WV            
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Imagine a museum dedicated to the region and nation's rich glass heritage. A place where examples of thousands of products can be viewed and compared and where the stories of people and processes come to life! The MAGWV provides this and much, much more.
    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.
    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.
    National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC
   - Washington, DC           
National Museum of Women in the Arts, the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to recognizing the contributions of women artists.
    Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Maryland
  901 West Pratt Street - Baltimore, MD             
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America's most important, historic and comprehensive collection lives to tell the story of railroading every day. Forty acres of heritage and a world class collection await your discovery!
    The Marine Museum, Massachusetts
  70 Water Street - Fall River, MA           
Here you will see one of the world's largest TITANIC exhibit. A 28 foot detailed model is the centerpiece in the collection of artifacts and memorabilia. The famous R. M. S. Titanic, so carefully designed to be called "unsinkable", on her maiden voyage took 1500 people with her to a watery grave on April 14, 1912. The museum's collection includes photographs taken by the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institution, a recorded account of the tragedy by a Titanic survivor, and a video tape of the vessel's discovery. The Marine Museum's newest exhibit, The Andrea Dora, is now open. This exhibit includes photographs, videos, artifacts and a model of the Italian liner which sank off the coast of Nantucket in the summer of 1956.
    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.
    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.
    Children's Museum, New Hampshire
  280 Marcy Street - Portsmouth, NH             
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Founded in 1983 in Portsmouth, the Children's Museum of New Hampshire relocated to Dover in 2008. It offers a blend of art, science and cultural experiences for families. At the heart of our mission is a commitment to offering access to all children and families by minimizing barriers that prevent fair and meaningful educational and cultural opportunities. Since its inception, the Museum has served over 2 million people from New Hampshire and beyond. The Children's Museum is New Hampshire's most visited educational and cultural institution. In our three years in Dover, the Museum has reached over 280,000 students and families from 110 New Hampshire towns and cities, communities throughout New England, and visitors from all over the world. 50% of our visitors came in free or with reduced admission, and 24% are from underserved audiences.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    Seashore Trolley Museum, Maine
  195 Log Cabin Road - Kennebunkport, ME            
Founded in 1939 with one open trolley car, No. 31 from the Biddeford & Saco Railroad Company. Over the years thousands of members have followed the founding fathers by helping the Museum grow to be the premier electric railway museum in the world. Today, our collection contains over 250 transit vehicles, most of them trolleys, from all over the United States, Canada, and many other countries. We are the oldest, and largest electric railway museum in the world.
The mission of the Museum is to present a living history of public transportation relevant to North American life through community-related educational programs. The Museum shall collect, restore, preserve, exhibit and demonstrate the operation of significant transit vehicles with emphasis upon traditional streetcar and interurban service, including rapid transit, trackless trolley and bus service with select world wide comparative representation. The Museum shall provide a repository for artifacts and information of an educational and historic nature relating to the origin and development of the transit industry and its contribution to modern society.