Heritage Farm Museum and Village facts for kids
Heritage Village
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 4 May 1996 |
|---|---|
| Location | Huntington, WV |
| Type | Appalachian History and Culture |
| Founder | A. Michael and Henriella Perry |
The Heritage Farm Museum and Village is a cool outdoor museum in Huntington, West Virginia. It's like stepping back in time! This special place shows you what life was like in the Appalachian Mountains. You can explore old buildings and see how people lived long ago.
The museum started with a private collection of old items. A. Michael "Mike" and Henriella Perry loved collecting historical things. Their collection grew so much that it became this amazing village. In 2022, Heritage Farm became the first museum in West Virginia to be connected with the Smithsonian Institution.
Contents
History of Heritage Farm
The story of Heritage Farm began in 1973. Mike and Henriella Perry moved to a farmhouse outside of Huntington. They found old wooden logs hidden in their house walls. This made them curious about how cabins were built.
They also loved collecting old treasures. Soon, their hobby turned into a big idea. They wanted to show how people lived in Appalachia from the 1800s until today. They started gathering old buildings and tools.
Heritage Farm first opened to the public on May 4, 1996. This was for a special "May Festival." For many years, this festival was the only time the village was open. Since 2006, Heritage Farm has been open more often.
Today, you can visit Heritage Farm from May through October. It's open on Fridays and Saturdays. In December, they have "Christmas Village" for four evenings. The buildings are decorated with lights, and there are fun holiday activities.
Explore the Museums
Heritage Farm has seven main museum buildings. Each one shows a different part of Appalachian life.
| Name | What You'll See | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Progress Museum | This museum shows how technology and society changed in Appalachia. You can see how things developed from the first settlers to the mid-1900s. |  |
| Transportation Museum | Check out old vehicles and models here. You'll see a conestoga wagon, bicycles, steam engines, and early American cars. It's a journey through how people traveled! |  |
| Country Store Museum | Step into a 19th-century country store. It looks just like it did back then! There's a pharmacy, a post office, and even a butcher shop. |  |
| The Bowes Doll and Carriage Exhibit | Don and Connie Bowes created this amazing exhibit. It's like walking through a huge doll house. You'll see a big collection of handmade doll furniture. |  |
| Heritage Museum | This museum holds some of the very first displays at Heritage Farm. You can see a barbershop, a woodworking office, and old washing machines and butter churns. |  |
| Industry Museum | Learn about how important industry was to the Appalachian region. You can walk through a pretend coal mine and see a glassblowing furnace. |  |
| Children's Hands-On Activity Center | This museum is made for kids! You can learn about different chores and tasks needed to run a farm. It gives you a peek into what farm life was really like. |  |
Adventure Park Fun
In 2021, Heritage Farm added an exciting Adventure Park! It has high-ropes courses and a zip line. You can "Appalachian Up" and enjoy the spirit of adventure. There are six parts to the Adventure Park. It's a good idea to book your activities ahead of time. This is the only way to make sure you get a spot.
| Name | What It Is | What You Need | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| RedTail Racers Dual Zipline | These are two long ziplines, each 1100 feet! You'll zoom over the valley at 40 miles per hour. You'll be 130 feet high above the ground! | -You must weigh between 75-250 pounds.
-Wear closed-toe shoes and shorts or pants. |
|
| TalithaKoum | This is a challenging aerial adventure course. It has three levels, from 15 to 40 feet high. You'll cross rope and cable bridges, wobbly platforms, and swinging beams. There are also cargo nets and more! | -You must weigh between 75-250 pounds.
-Wear closed-toe shoes and shorts or pants. |
|
| Mountain Top Drop | This is a 40-foot free fall experience from the TalithaKoum course tower. It's like a controlled drop! You can do it if you buy a TalithaKoum ticket, or you can book it separately. | -You must weigh between 75-250 pounds.
-Wear closed-toe shoes and shorts or pants. |
|
| TreeRock Challenge | This is a fun aerial challenge course for families. It has two levels, from 5 to 15 feet high. You'll find different rope and cable bridges, plus two mini-ziplines. | -You must weigh between 50-250 pounds.
-Wear closed-toe shoes and shorts or pants. |
|
| Rock Climbing Wall | Test your skills on this 25-foot tall rock wall. When you buy a ticket, you can climb for the whole day. | -You must be at least 42 inches tall.
-You must weigh between 45-250 pounds. -Wear closed-toe shoes and shorts or pants. |
|
| Holler Hauler | This is a fun ride in a UTV or side-by-side. A driver takes you through the hills of Heritage Farm. It's included if you're going to the RedTail Racers, TalithaKoum, or Mountain Top Drop. You can also book it on its own. | No special requirements. |
.jpg)
.jpg)
Places to Stay
Heritage Farm also has unique places where visitors can stay overnight. Most of the log cabins are made from logs from the 1800s. These logs were found all over West Virginia.
You can also stay in a 19th-century dairy barn. It has been made into a big meeting and retreat center. Another cool option is a 1940s N&W Caboose! It has beds that fold out, so you can sleep in a real train car.
| Name | What It Is | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Applebutter Inn | This cozy inn is located right inside Heritage Village. |  |
| Blackberry Inn | This cabin was first from Lavalette, WV. Two more parts were added using logs from Mason County, WV. | |
| Hollyberry Inn | This building was a farmhouse and has been in its spot since before Heritage Farm started. |  |
| Strawberry Inn | This was the very first cabin put back together at the farm. Its logs came from different cabins in Cabell and Wayne counties, West Virginia. |  |
| Woodbury Inn | This is the most private and newest cabin addition. |  |
| Barn Conference and Retreat Center | This is a 19th-century dairy barn with lots of space. It's used for camps and meetings. |  |
| Caboose | Sleep in a real N&W Virginian railroad caboose! It can sleep four people. |
Historic Buildings and Tools
Besides museums and lodging, Heritage Farm has many old buildings and tools. These were used for everyday tasks in Appalachian life. Some tools are only used during special festival days.
| Name | What It Is | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Blacksmith Shop | This is a full blacksmith shop. It even has a working forge where metal is heated. |  |
| Bread Oven | This is a special masonry oven that uses wood for heat. It's used to bake bread. | |
| Church | This log church is from the 1800s. It was moved here from Lincoln County, West Virginia. |  |
| Conway Frontier Cabin | This log cabin belonged to the Conway family. It was moved a short distance to Heritage Farm. |  |
| Potter's Kiln and Shed | This is a working potter's Kiln with a shed. Local potters work here and teach classes. | |
| Sawmill | This is a Sawmill that still works! It's used to cut logs into lumber. | |
| Schoolhouse | This is an early 1900s One-room schoolhouse. It used to be the Lick Creek School. It was moved to Heritage Farm's main gate. |  |
| Tobacco Barn | This old log barn looks like a 19th-century tobacco barn. It was used to dry tobacco. | |
| Windmill | This is a copy of an early American windmill. Windmills used wind power for tasks like grinding grain. |
Fun Attractions
Artisans at Work
Heritage Farm has local artisans who show off old ways of making things. They use real, antique tools for their crafts. You can see broom makers, weavers, printers, tinsmiths, woodworkers, and blacksmiths. Sometimes, these artisans even teach classes! You can learn the basics of their cool professions.
Exciting Festivals
Heritage Farm hosts many fun events throughout the year. They have old-time music festivals and cast-iron cooking contests. You can also experience Hatfield and McCoy weekends. There are Spring and Fall Festivals too.
The "Christmas Village" is super popular! It happens on four evenings in December. It's a beautiful Appalachian village lit up with lights. You can visit Santa, see a live nativity scene, and take a wagon ride to see all the lights. There's Christmas music, Frosty the Snowman, and unique gifts from the Heritage Farm Artisans.
Petting Zoo Fun
On festival days and throughout the summer, you can visit the petting zoo. It has friendly farm animals like miniature horses, goats, pigs, sheep, and rabbits. You might even see some unusual animals like llamas, peacocks, and a camel!
