Historic Tours

Decisive Battleground Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): Claudia Taller One of the most important historical events in American history took place in Adams County, Pennsylvania , just north of the Maryland border. The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, when Union forces defeated the Confederate General Robert E. Lee on July 1–3, 1863. And today, the story can be heard on an air-conditioned bus, during a self-guided auto audio tour, on a guided car tour, on foot, or by bicycle. As for the most authentic way to explore the 40 miles of battlefield roads...

Family Feud Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): J. Eric Eckard It should come as no surprise that the bloodiest war on U.S. soil also sparked one of the nation’s most famous family feuds. Many historians trace the roots of the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys to 1865. Returning home from the Civil War, Union soldier Asa Harmon McCoy was killed by a band of Southern sympathizers, whose ranks were filled with Hatfields. But after years of fighting that led to 13 deaths, a pall cast over the Tug Valley between West Virginia and Kentucky, and the “mountain folk” j...

A Well-Preserved Past Issue: Fall/Winter 2011 Author(s): Christina Ipavec It’s no longer 1861 — far from it, actually — but that doesn’t mean visitors to Fort Duffield in West Point, Kentucky, can’t still be drafted into the Civil War. Situated among Fort Duffield Park’s 172 acres, the abandoned fort still stands tall, welcoming visitors to experience the past through walking tours and living-history programs that are offered twice a year on Memorial Day and Labor Day. Fort Duffield stood untouched on private property for 80 years when it belonged to Fort Knox — the army-trai...

Island Arts Issue: Spring/Summer 2011 Author(s): Amy S. Eckert The Mackinac State Historic Parks have always been known for their celebrated forts and lighthouses, for colonial interpreters in military garb and for pristine beaches. And now the parks department has broadened its reach into fine art. In July 2010, Michigan’s Mackinac Island unveiled the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum . Located in the 1836 building known as the Indian Dormitory, the art museum beautifully displays a wide variety of art. Some works, like the intricate island map penned ...

Objects of Affection Issue: Spring/Summer 2011 Author(s): Gerald Bartell With its slim walls and aluminum-trimmed windows, the exterior of the Maridon Museum in Butler, Pennsylvania , takes you back to the 1950s when the building housed a car dealership. Behind the modern, glass facade, you’ll discover artifacts that take you back more than 4,000 years. The Maridon Museum houses a vast and diverse collection of art works that once belonged to Butler native Mary Hulton Phillips. She began collecting in the late 1960s with a philosophy that bespoke her easygoing attitude — buy ...

Daily Grind Issue: Spring/Summer 2011 Author(s): Amy Bizzarri Bocchetta Since 1852, the Graue Mill and Museum in Oakbrook, Illinois , has been grinding cornmeal, its waterwheel turning at the edge of the picturesque Salt Creek. Today, the Graue Mill Museum is dedicated to bridging past and present through living-history programs that illustrate daily life of the past, including milling, spinning and weaving demonstrations. Watch a woman clad in a pioneer dress and bonnet weave a rug and prepare preserves in her kitchen, help separate the wheat from the chaff, and learn how t...

Presidential Past Issue: Spring/Summer 2011 Author(s): Matthew Biddle At the turn of the 20th century, Buffalo, New York , was in its heyday as host to the majestic 1901 Pan-American Exposition. The fanfare was cut short when President William McKinley was assassinated, making Teddy Roosevelt the new head of state. Roosevelt was sworn in at the beautiful home of his friend Ansley Wilcox, a Victorian mansion located in Buffalo’s Allentown district. Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site has been returned to its former glory. Before your tour begins, ...

Home Run Issue: Spring/Summer 2011 Author(s): Christine A. Smyczynski A visit to the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum in Williamsport, Pennsylvania , is sure to be a home run hit with your kids. The 23,000-square-foot museum, which opened in 1982, is named after the first president of Little League Baseball. It features two levels of exhibits, artifacts and interactive activities that educate visitors about Little League Baseball, which was founded in Williamsport in 1939 by Carl Stolz. The first thing you’ll notice when entering the museum are the colorful flags han...