North America Museums and Culture

    National Lighthouse Museum, United States

  30 Bay Street - 5th floor - Staten Island, NY            
A bright light on a dark coast, the National Light Museum in Staten Island is one of the newest contributions to American culture and distinguishes an often overlooked part of maritime development. Guest speakers from the museum explain the significance and development of the lighthouse on the east coast. They also speak of the various stories involving the history of shipping and waterways of the State of New York and the application of lighthouses to the modern day maritime world. In Spring of 2012, the National Lighthouse Museum was given a high honor by playing host to the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Titanic to New York. While the museum itself highlights some of the most unique and important developments for lighthouses and boating from the past, the crown achievement of the National Lighthouse Museum has been the development of in-depth boat tours chronicling the different lighthouses along the New York coast. The boat tour, in cooperation with the museum, establishes the history and importance of lighthouses and how they helped in everything from merchant travel to wartime efforts. The National Lighthouse Museum is a beacon, both literally and figuratively, of America’s growth and heritage.
    Textile Heritage Museum, United States
  2406 Glencoe Street - Glencoe, NC           
The Textile Heritage Museum is located in the Glencoe Mill Village, just north of Burlington, North Carolina.
The museum features history and machinery of the textile industry from the cottage industry to the present, the family labor system, life in the mill villages, and a company store exhibit, and presents various exhibits of interest.
    Confederate Memorial Hall Museum, United States
  929 Camp St. - New Orleans, LA           
Confederate veterans of Louisiana founded Memorial Hall, also known as the Confederate Museum, in New Orleans in 1891 as a repository for their memorabilia from the War Between the States. These veterans and their families have donated more than 90% of the artifacts preserved and now exhibited in Memorial Hall. Ninety thousand of their war-related documents are housed on permanent loan at Tulane University and are available for research purposes. Thanks to the foresight of these men, their valuable relics and stories have been preserved for more than a century in our historic museum.
    Skyscraper Museum, United States
  44 Wall Street - Lower Manhattan - New York, NY            
Just steps from the "Charging Bull" sculpture, Battery Park and The Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation and walking distance from many favorite New York City attractions, lays the home of the greatest tribute to skyscrapers of NYC. Celebrating the great architectural history of the city and boasting many scale models this Manhattan museum houses a vast resource of information in print and via computers, chronicling the architecture, building styles and techniques used to create the great hub that is New York. Saturday mornings are all about family, with a rotating schedule of enticing events that families are sure to enjoy. Explore the principles of urbanism, architecture, and engineering through hands-on activities, a great way to get the family together to learn really intriguing facts and functions. The Skyscraper Museum also shares a building with the Ritz Carlton; so, after your fun-filled day you will surely want to stop by Crumbs Bake Shop and get yourself a taste of awesomeness offering a wide variety of flavors to satisfy any sweet tooth. The s'Mores cupcake will definitely leave you longing for s'more to take home and enjoy! Leave the area satisfied that you have learned most everything about the buildings that surround and captivate you.
    Hands on Children's Museum, United States
  8580 Beach Blvd - Jacksonville, FL           
With bright colors and a building shaped like a castle, the Hands On Children's Museum opened it's doors in October 2000 , with generous community support. Funding is now provided by the Jacksonville community through admissions and sponsorships from individuals, small businesses and corporations.
By Summer 2008 the Hands On Children's Museum will have served over 275,000 visitors from all over. Including over 3500 school groups, with teachers from public and private schools in Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Clay and surrounding counties enjoying all the interactive hands-on exhibits.
    Bronx Museum Of The Arts, United States
  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, United States
  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."
    International Wildlife Museum, United States
  4800 W Gates Pass Road - Tucson, AZ           
The International Wildlife Museum is dedicated to increasing knowledge and appreciation of the diverse wildlife of the world as well as explaining the role of wildlife management in conservation.
Founded in 1988, the museum highlights over 400 species of insects, mammals and birds from around the globe. Some of the collections are more than 100 years old and all the animals found at the museum were donated by various government agencies, wildlife rehabilitation centers, captive breeding programs, zoos and individuals.
    Queens County Farm Museum, United States
  73-50 Little Neck Parkway - Queens - Floral Park, NY           
A very intriguing throwback to the past is the Queens County Farm Museum. Located on the largest undisturbed tract of farmland, the museum is the only continuously worked farm site left in New York City. Visitors have an opportunity to forget the busy life of the city and instead enjoy the rural atmosphere through a variety of activities designed to give patrons an idea of how farm life used to be in New York. The museum itself is rich in activities, as visitors can do just about anything involving farm life. Interacting with livestock, a working greenhouse and guided exploration of the historic farm buildings are all part of the experience. The museum also plays host to many guest presentations, including representatives of the Native Americans originally in New York, the Queens County Fair and several antique car and motorcycle road shows. Starting in Spring 2012, the farm is offering hayrides which encompasses the entire compound and make you feel like one of the farmers back in the agricultural heyday. For a chance to experience New York’s past in one of the most beautiful parts of New York City, plan a visit to the Queens County Farm Museum.
    Weatherspoon Art Museum, United States
  UNC Greensboro - Greensboro, NC           
The Weatherspoon Art Museum at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has one of the foremost collections of modern and contemporary art in the Southeast. Through a dynamic annual calendar of exhibitions and educational programs, the Weatherspoon provides an opportunity for audiences to consider artistic, cultural, and social issues of the times, and enriches the life of the university and community.
    Musée Mécanique, United States
  Pier 45 at the end of Taylor Street - Fisherman's Wharf - San Francisco, CA           
One of the world's largest (over 200) privately owned collection of coin-operated mechanical musical instruments and antique arcade machines in their original working condition. (You can play them!)
    Bytown Museum, Canada
  P.O. Box 523, Station B - Ottawa, ON           
The Bytown Museum tells the story of Ottawa’s first century.
The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Ottawa, at the Rideau Canal locks between Parliament Hill and the Château Laurier – one of the most picturesque sites in the city.
    Durham Mining Museum
   - Greenland, GL           
"Two different accounts of the history of coal mining in County Durham are presented.
The first comes from The Victoria History of the Counties of England - Durham, published in three volumes in 1907. It contains a large section on the history of coal mining in the county. This work focuses on the detailed history and does not cover the social or practical side of the industry. We have reproduced the text up to the start of the nineteenth century.
The second comes from The History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan, second edition, published in 1894. Once again there is a large section of the history of coal mining in the county, however, it concentrates on the nineteenth century, but the major part covers the practical and the social side of mining during the nineteenth century.
The two works complement each other, and together present an overall history of the coal industry in County Durham. The history is nor complete without coverage of the twentieth century and the eventual demise of the industry - this topic is too large and complex to cover here and is best left to the many books on the subject. We do however, provide some information for the twentieth century in the individual pages on each colliery."
    Ontario Archaeological Museum, Canada
  1444 Queen St. E., Suite 102 - Toronto, ON           
The Ontario Archaeological Society is a registered charitable organization that promotes the ethical practice of archaeology.
Ontario's historic and prehistoric resources are continually being destroyed by urban, commercial and industrial development.
    Elgin Military Museum, Canada
  30 Talbot St. - St. Thomas, ON           
Created to collect, record, preserve, interpret and exhibit items of military history, with an emphasis on Elgin County and its citizens, and the role they have played in Canadian military history from the founding of the Talbot Settlement to today.
    Campbell House Museum, Canada
  160 Queen Street West - Toronto, ON           
he Sir William Campbell Foundation is a non-profit organization charged with the preservation and interpretation of Campbell House and related histories. Campbell House, built in 1822, is the oldest remaining building from the original town of York. It is a classical example of Georgian architecture, a rare find in Toronto. The Foundation maintains the house and operates a museum within the building for the purposes of educating the local and tourist community, including thousands of school children annually. The museum endeavours to make history come alive through the use of innovative hands-on approaches to history while still preserving important artefacts from Toronto's early heritage.
    Musée Laurier, Canada
  16, Laurier Street West - Victoriaville, QC           
As a patrimonial and historical site, the Musée Laurier welcomes, each year, thousands of visitors from all around the world. The Musée Laurier holds an important collection of works by Canadian artists and presents prestigious exhibitions regularly. Moreover, the institution offers a variety of activities for all the family. Welcome to the land of Sir Wilfrid Laurier!
    Museum Strathroy-Caradoc, Canada
  34 Frank Street - Strathroy, ON           
Museum Strathroy-Caradoc is located in the heart of beautiful Downtown Strathroy, Ontario. The Museum is part of a unique shared facility that includes the Strathroy Public Library and Art Gallery. Restaurants, shops, and parkland are located nearby. The Museum offers free on-site parking and is fully accessible.
    The Winnipeg Art Gallery, Canada
  300 Memorial Boulevard - Winnipeg, MB           
Established in 1912, the Winnipeg Art Gallery is Western Canada’s oldest public art gallery, mandated to develop and maintain Manitoba’s visual arts heritage. As one of Canada’s leading galleries, it collects and exhibits works of art by Manitoba, Canadian, and international artists.
The WAG takes seriously its mandate of Involving People in the Visual Arts, and is committed to helping people enrich their lives through art. Exhibitions are accompanied by informative wall panels, brochures, articles in the Gallery publication Tableau, catalogues—all designed to guide visitors to a new appreciation of the art they are viewing. Tours conducted by trained Gallery guides—and often by the artists or curators themselves—bring a new dimension to visitors’ enjoyment of the exhibitions.
    Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada
  317 Dundas Street West - Toronto, ON             
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Founded in 1900 by a group of private citizens as the Art Museum of Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, with a physical facility of 486,000 square feet. Currently under construction, the AGO’s new facility will boast 583,000 square feet, and will re-open in 2008 with an innovative architectural design by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.
The AGO currently has more than 68,000 works in its collection, spanning from 100 AD to the present.
    Greenland National Museum, Greenland
  Hans Egedevej 8 - 3900 Nuuk, GL           
Museet blev startet i midten af 1960`erne som det første museum i Grønland. Samlingerne er siden udvidet gennem indsamling, fra udgravninger og med tilbageført materiale fra Danmarks Nationalmuseum. Museet har landsdækkende arbejdsopgaver indenfor arkæologi, nyere tids historie, kunst og kunsthåndværk. Museet rummer de centrale registre om fredede bygninger og fortidsminder og varetager fredningslovens bestemmelser om fredning af fortidsminder og bygninger samt deltager i naturfredning og byplanlægning.
    The Royal Alberta Museum, Canada
  12845-102nd Avenue - Edmonton, AB           
The Royal Alberta Museum's mission is to preserve and tell the story of Alberta - the experience of people and places over time - and inspire Albertans to explore and understand the world around them.
    The Canadian Clock Museum, Canada
  60 James Street - Deep River, ON           
The Canadian Clock Museum opened to the public in Deep River, Ontario in late May of 2000 as Canada's only clock museum. This non-profit, private museum operates as a federal corporation dedicated to preserving and promoting the products and history of Canada's many clock manufacturers and sellers from the early 1800s to current times.
A major collection focus is on clocks made by The Arthur Pequegnat Clock Company (Berlin/Kitchener, Ontario, ca. 1904-1941), Westclox Canada (Peterborough, Ontario, ca. 1920-mid 1980s), and Harry Snider's two companies (Toronto, 1950-1876).
    Textile Museum of Canada, Canada
  55 Centre Avenue - Toronto, ON            
The Textile Museum of Canada is one of Toronto's most engaging visual arts organizations. With more than 12,000 objects from more than 200 countries and regions, the TMC's permanent collection celebrates cultural diversity and includes traditional fabrics, garments, carpets and related artifacts such as beadwork and basketry. The Museum offers a broad variety of exhibitions including themed shows based on our permanent collection and contemporary exhibitions of the work of Canadian and international artists.
    Sisimiut Museum, Greenland
  Jukkorsuup aqq. 9 - Sisimiut, GL           
The old town quarter is characterized by its colonial age buildings. As most of the towns in Greenland, Sisimiut has been spared of large fires. Consequently, a great deal of the colony administration buildings has been preserved. The greater part of these buildings belongs to Sisimiut Museum...