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Northeast USA Museums and Culture

    Garibaldi Meucci Museum, New York State

  420 Tompkins Avenue - Staten Island, NY            
One of the most unique and beautifully preserved homes in America is the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum on Staten Island. Maintained to look as it was, over a hundred and fifty years ago, the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is owned and operated by the Sons of Italy as a tribute to the famous Italians Antonio Meucci and Giuseppe Garibaldi. Inside, the house is divided to represent both of these famous men by having a variety of exhibits and displays documenting their lives work. You could try one of the early versions of the telephone which Meucci is proclaimed to have invented years before Alexander Graham Bell or even look at the first underwater communication models. If Italian revolutionaries are more to your liking, you can experience first renditions of Garibaldi’s novels about the Italian people or gaze at Italian artifacts provided directly from the Italian government. The museum is built by the people and for the people, giving its patrons an opportunity to feel a true part of this Italian legacy. This New York City museum is one of the most beautiful depictions of Italian culture and makes it a fun and highly informative destination for any native New Yorker.
    Greater Cape May Historical Society, New Jersey
  653 ½ Washington Street - Cape May, NJ           
The mission of the Greater Cape May Historical Society is to collect, preserve, document , interpret and share the history of the greater Cape May area. The headquarters of this 26year old organization is the Colonial House Museum c 1775, located behind Alexander’s Restaurant and next to Cape May City Hall at 653 ½ Washington St, Cape May. This museum was originally a tavern and the family house of Revolutionary War Patriot Memucan Hughes. The front room features an annually changing exhibit. Other rooms open to the public in this unsung survivor from Cape Island’s very beginning depict a colonial era cooking/eating room and bedroom.
    Metz Bicycle Museum, New Jersey
  54 W Main St # 2 - Freehold, NJ           
A step into the Metz Bicycle Museum in Freehold is truly a stroll through history. The Museum houses one of the world's finest collections of antique bicycles, dating from the 1850's to the 1950's. Hundreds of bicycles are artfully displayed. Boneshakers, highwheelers, quadricycles, tricycles, ordinaries, safeties, children's bikes, trick bikes, and many more unusual and one-of-a kind cycles make up this fascinating collection.
The Metz Bicycle Museum houses much more than bicycles. The sign over the entrance to the museum reads "Treasures of Years Gone By," and treasures you will see! On display at the Metz Museum are extensive collections of children's riding toys, kitchen and household gadgets, antique mousetraps, cast iron bottle cap openers, pencil sharpeners, antique cars, and lots more. Bicycle accessories, such as horns, seats, oil lanterns, bicycle tools and posters complete the display.
    Ellis Island Immigration Museum, New York State
  Ellis Island - New York, NY             
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From Battery Park, you can take the ferry across to the famous Ellis Island Immigration Museum. You will be astounded by the wealth of information they have. Make sure you check out the American Family Immigration History Center where you can access passenger records. A great sense of pride comes with finding out about your family’s history by accessing this great interactive exhibit. The museum is also currently featuring a special exhibit in the west wing “The Spirit of America” Gibson Les Paul guitar is up on display. Made of artifacts preserved during the centennial restoration of the island, this exhibit is an amazing mixture of art, culture and beauty. Wood grain details from the preserved steps and doors of the main building really catch the eye, while the copper inlay is composed of copper preserved from the Statue of Liberty National Monument. While the creators seem to use the universal language of music to send a message of freedom and convey a great sense of pride for the land we call America. Visit often during the year to experience some of the most intriguing New York museums and culture. You may find you can spend a whole day lost in history at this one of-a-kind museum.
    Adirondack Museum, New York State
  Route 30 - Box 99 - Blue Mountain Lake, NY             
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The Adirondack Museum believes in the power of history to ignite the imagination, stimulate thought and shape the future. Our collections and engaging programs reflect stories of life, work, and play in the Adirondack Park and northern New York State.
The Adirondack Museum is renowned for the breadth of its collections that include historic artifacts, photographs, archival materials, and fine art documenting the Adirondack region's past. Twenty-two exhibit spaces and galleries tell the stories of the men and women who have lived, worked and played in the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River.
The museum includes a research library, publications program, and an active education department that offers special events, classes, symposia, workshops, demonstrations, field trips, and engaging hands-on experiences for thousands of visitors each year.
    Ford's Theatre & Lincoln Museum, Washington DC
  511 10th St. NW - Washington, DC           
The evening of April 14, 1865, has forever been marked with tragedy. On that night, our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated in Ford’s Theatre by actor John Wilkes Booth. Just days after General Lee’s Confederate troops surrendered at Appomattox, VA, a time of hope and peace in Washington and around the country turned to a period of mourning that America had never seen before.
    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.
    Red Mill Museum, New Jersey
  56 Main Street - Clinton, NJ           
The Red Mill Museum Village is the setting for over 200 years of history. Within the walls of a dozen buildings, contained in the wood and cloth of 40,000 objects are the stories of the growth of a community. The museum offers changing exhibits, lectures, concerts and special events that provide visitors with an ongoing conversation with the past. The museum welcomes visitors during its open season, April to October, Tuesday through Sunday.
    Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, Washington DC
  3900 Harewood Road, NE - Washington, DC           
Activities for Children
Children 0-5: Build with blocks; create art rubbings of saints, angels and nature; ring the bells; play dress up; and watch Bible stories under a tent.
Children 5-8: ring the bells; discover melody selections from Catholic hymnals; and create an electronic stained-glass window. Children 8 & up: participate in a scavenger hunt, available at the Admissions Desk.
    National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC
   - Washington, DC           
Generations of remarkable Americans are kept in the company of their fellow citizens at the National Portrait Gallery. The Gallery presents the wonderful diversity of individuals who have left–and are leaving–their mark on our country and our culture. Through the visual and performing arts, we celebrate leaders such as George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr., artists such as Mary Cassatt and George Gershwin, activists such as Sequoyah and Rosa Parks, and icons of pop culture such as Babe Ruth and Marilyn Monroe. They all link us to our past, our present, and our future. For anyone fascinated by famous Americans and their stories, the National Portrait Gallery is a must-visit destination.
    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 Newport Historical Society, Rhode Island
  82 Touro Street - Newport, RI           
The Newport Historical Society was chartered in 1854 to collect and preserve books, manuscripts, and objects pertaining to Newport’s history. Its manuscripts, portraits, silver, furniture, decorative arts, and genealogical collection are nationally recognized.
    Independence Seaport Museum, Pennsylvania
  211 South Columbus Blvd. & Walnut St. - Philadelphia, PA            
Independence Seaport Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Independence Seaport Museum Tickets include admission to Independence Seaport Museum's Galleries, Cruiser Olympia and WWII Submarine Becuna.
    Please Touch Museums, Pennsylvania
  210 North 21st Street - Philadelphia, PA            
Please Touch Museum, the children’s museum of Philadelphia. Please Touch is designed for families with young children and since 1976, has dedicated itself to enriching the lives of children by creating learning opportunities through play.
Let your child be your guide as they interact with our museum exhibits, take part in museum activities or enjoy one of our interactive theater performances.
    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.
    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."
    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."
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    Virginia Museum of Transportation, Virginia
  303 Norfolk Avenue - Roanoke, VA           
Come experience the only remaining examples of the N&W's legendary success at the Virginia Museum of Transportation: the N&W Class A 1218 and the Class J 611. In our Rail Yard, explore historic steam and diesel engines, cabooses, and other rail equipment as modern trains rumble past. Inside the Museum, enjoy model trains, hands-on exhibits, and stroll among our antique automobiles, and truck and bus exhibits.
    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.
    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.
    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.
    The Brick Store Museum, Maine
  117 Main Street - Kennebunk, ME           
The mission of The Brick Store Museum is to preserve the rich heritage of the Kennebunks for year-round residents, seasonal visitors and future generations through the collection, preservation, interpretation and exhibition of its material culture.
History - William Lord was born at Kennebunk Landing in 1799, the third son of Tobias Lord and Hephzibah Conant Lord. As a merchant and ship owner, Lord became one of Kennebunk’s most important patriarchs and citizens. In 1820 he married Sarah Cleaves of Biddeford, and they lived in what was then the Jonas Clark house at 20 Summer Street. It sits high on the hill and is now known as the William Lord Mansion, a private residence. It was here that Lord and his wife raised their large family of 10 children.
    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.
    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.