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List of open-air and living history museums in the United States facts for kids

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An open-air museum is a special kind of museum where buildings and objects are displayed outdoors. Think of it like a village or town from the past that you can walk through! Many of these are also living history museums. This means they have people dressed in old clothes who act like people from that time. They might be doing chores, crafts, or showing you how things worked long ago. It's a fun way to learn about history by seeing it come to life! This list shares some of these amazing places across the United States.

Farm Life Museums

These museums show you what farm life was like in different periods of history. You can often see old tools, farm animals, and even watch people doing tasks like churning butter or blacksmithing.

Alabama

Alaska

California

Colorado

  • Littleton Museum – The Farms, Littleton
  • Old Town Museum, Burlington

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Nebraska

  • Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, Grand Island
  • Wessels Living History Farm, York

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Washington

  • Pomeroy Living History Farm, Yacolt

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Travel Through Time: Transportation Museums

These museums let you explore how people traveled in the past. You might see old trains, trolleys, or even early airplanes!

Military Forts and Posts

Some old military forts and posts are now open to the public. They often have living history guides who can show you what life was like for soldiers long ago.

Battery Gunnison, located at Fort Hancock, New Jersey, is being brought back to how it looked in 1943. A group called the Army Ground Forces Association helps restore it. You can visit for tours throughout the year.

Other Amazing Open-Air Museums

This section includes many other types of open-air and living history museums. They might show you old towns, specific historical periods, or unique cultural experiences.

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Montana

  • Daniels County Museum & Pioneer Town, Scobey
  • Nevada City Living History Museum, Virginia City

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Texas

  • George Ranch Historical Park, Fort Bend County
  • Gonzales Pioneer Village Living History Center
  • Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park, Dallas
  • Farmers Branch Historical Park, Farmers Branch
  • Frontier Village & Museum, Denison
  • Log Cabin Village, Fort Worth
  • Buffalo Gap Historic Village, Buffalo Gap
  • Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms, Austin
  • Sauer Beckmann Farm, Stonewall

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

  • Museum of the American West, Lander

More About Specific Museums

Here's a table with more details about some of the amazing open-air and living history museums you can visit:

Museum Name Town State Type What You'll See
Alabama Constitution Village Huntsville, Alabama Alabama Living Shows life in 1819, with a law office, print shop, post office, and more.
Landmark Park Dothan Alabama Living An 1890s living history farm and village.
Pioneer Living History Village Phoenix Arizona Living A town from the late 1800s.
Sharlot Hall Museum Prescott Arizona Open-air Offers special living history programs about the mid-1860s.
Ozark Folk Center Mountain View Arkansas Living A state park featuring traditional crafts and music.
Columbia State Historic Park Columbia California Living A Gold Rush town from the mid-to-late 1800s.
Empire Mine State Historic Park Grass Valley California Living Late 1800s living history tours and a gold mine complex.
Heritage Square Museum Montecito Heights, Los Angeles California Living Shows different time periods with eight historic buildings, a train car, and a trolley.
Leonis Adobe Calabasas California Living An 1880s California ranch.
San Dieguito Heritage Museum Encinitas California Local history Has family living history programs on special days.
Stein Family Farm National City California Farm Focuses on rural life from 1900 to 1920.
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site Otero County Colorado Living A rebuilt 1840s fur trading post on the Santa Fe Trail.
Fort Uncompahgre Living History Museum Delta Colorado Living An 1820s fur trading post.
Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, Garden of the Gods Colorado Springs Colorado Living Shows life in four periods: American Indian (1775), 1860s homestead, 1880s ranch, and 1907 country estate.
South Park City Fairplay Colorado Open-air A recreated mining town from the mid-1800s.
Mystic Seaport Mystic Connecticut Living A 19th-century maritime village with old ships and buildings.
Barberville Pioneer Settlement Barberville Florida Open-air/living Shows rural life from the late 1800s to early 1900s, with 18 buildings from 1879-1926.
Bellevue Plantation Tallahassee Florida Farm Part of the Tallahassee Museum.
Castillo de San Marcos St. Augustine Florida Living A colonial fort.
Cracker Country Tampa Florida Open-air Shows rural life from the late 1800s to early 1900s, with thirteen original buildings from 1870-1912.
Fort Clinch State Park Fernandina Beach Florida Living A 19th-century fort with people acting out the time period.
Lake Kissimmee State Park Lake Wales Florida Living Includes Cow Camp, an 1876 cattle camp.
Mission San Luis de Apalachee Tallahassee Florida Living A rebuilt 17th-century Spanish mission and Apalachee village.
Morningside Nature Center Gainesville Florida Farm Includes an 1870s farm.
Silver River Museum Silver Springs Florida Open-air Has restored 19th-century farm buildings and special living history events.
Agrirama Tifton Georgia Farm Includes five areas: an 1870s farm, an 1890s farm, industrial sites, a rural town, and a Peanut Museum.
Westville Lumpkin Georgia Living Recreates an 1850 working town with over 30 buildings.
Kona Coffee Living History Farm Captain Cook Hawaii Farm Shows the daily lives of early Japanese immigrants from 1920-1945.
Polynesian Cultural Center Lā'ie Hawaii Living
Kline Creek Farm Winfield Illinois Farm A late 19th-century farm.
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site Lerna Illinois Living An 1840s farmstead with three historic houses.
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site New Salem Illinois Living A village from the 1830s.
Macktown Living History Education Center Rockton Illinois Living A village from 1830-1846.
Naper Settlement Naperville Illinois Living A 19th-century museum village.

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