Museum Guide News

  Did you know that the only museum and research center dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War west of the Mississippi River is located in Redlands, California?  The Lincoln Memorial Shrine was made possible by the philanthropy of Robert and Alma Watchorn in 1932. Since its inception, the Shrine has become a leading institution for the study of Lincoln and the Civil War on the west coast.  Thousands of letters and diaries written by those involved in the national crisis have been collected, as well as artwork and artifacts.  In addition to the over five dozen documents written or signed by Abraham Lincoln and a variety of artifacts that help tell the story of the Civil War, a Carrara marble bust of Lincoln by sculptor George Gray Barnard is the centerpiece of the museum. Numerous events are held at the Shrine each year. From presentations by noted historians to Civil War Christmas Carols, the largest event is the annual Open House, which will take place on Saturday, February 3, 2024, 11am-3pm at the Lincoln Shrine. The Open House features exhibitions, live music, artillery and cavalry demonstrations, and an appearance by President Lincoln himself! For more information and additional events, visit www.lincolnshrine.org. The Lincoln Memorial Shrine is open Tuesday-Sunday, 1-5pm and closed major holidays, but is always open on February 12th, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.  For more information, Lincoln Dinner reservations, or to schedule group tours, please contact the Shrine at (909) 798-7632 or email heritage@akspl.org.  

Civil War Connections at the American Swedish Historical Museum Though one might not immediately connect the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia with the Civil War, the museum is actually home to two important Civil War collections. The John Ericsson Gallery at ASHM features a striking mural, A Crisis in our National History, John Ericsson Saves the Northern Fleet, which depicts a fictionalized meeting between Swedish American inventor John Ericsson (1803-1889) and a committee formed by Abraham Lincoln to develop a plan for an armored warship. Though the mural likely dramatizes Ericsson’s warship design submission, the Navy did adopt Ericsson’s design for what became the Monitor. The Monitor famously went on to repel the Confederate Merrimac at the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862, saving the rest of the Union fleet. The John Ericsson Room at ASHM showcases many of Ericsson’s engineering designs and sketches, as well as objects related to the Monitor and Merrimac. Outside, a pair of large cannons flank the American Swedish Historical Museum. Originally on board the wooden, steam-powered USS Osceola and USS Ticonderoga during the Civil War, these cannons were put into storage in the latter half of the nineteenth century before finally arriving in Philadelphia in 1938. This type of cannon, called a Dahlgren gun, was designed by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, the son of a Swedish Consul in Philadelphia, hence why the cannons have found a home at the American Swedish Historical Museum. Dahlgren guns, nicknamed “soda bottles” for their distinctive shape, came as a significant advance in naval cannons that made the weapons both safer and more powerful. Visit the American Swedish Historical Museum to view these collections and many others. The museum is located at 1900 Pattison Avenue Philadelphia, PA and is open from 10am-4pm Tuesday-Friday and 12-4pm Saturday-Sunday. Veterans and military receive discounted admission

Get carried away at the Northwest Carriage Museum in Raymond, WA, home to a world-class collection of horse-drawn vehicles and period artifacts. The museum recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary, and from its impressive original collection of 21 horse-drawn vehicles, donated by a local private collector in 2002, the museum has grown to an astounding 63 vehicles and thousands of related artifacts from the 19th century. While the experience of seeing these stunning vehicles in person is already enough to make this museum worth the trip, the incredible restoration and conservation of the vehicles, along with the dynamic and engaging exhibition of the collection are what really set this hidden gem apart! Strolling through the Northwest Carriage Museum is like taking a step back in time: the welcoming and informative staff, and in-depth interpretive boards, audio, video, interactive, and infographic explanations of everything from the craftsmanship and building of these vehicles, to the social, practical, and historical elements of this period of history really do transport you to the past! Additionally, the museum is hard at work creating new digital enhancements to their exhibits, adding additional information that could previously only be seen and heard on private tours of the collection. Through the scanning of QR codes with a smartphone or tablet, visitors will now be able to see these vehicles from new perspectives and in action as they have never have before! The Northwest Carriage Museum is open 7 days a week, year-round, from 10am to 4pm. Private group tours can also be scheduled by calling (360) 942-4150. Veterans and active military receive $1 off admission. Come see one of the finest collections of 19th-century vehicles in the country, fun for all ages! For more information about the collection, local area, and more, please visit www.nwcarriagemuseum.org.  

On Your Next Stop in Bend, Oregon Visit the Deschutes Historical Museum Located south of historic downtown Bend, between Wall and Bond Streets, the Deschutes Historical Museum is home to the Deschutes County Historical Society.Inside the historic Reid School building exhibits celebrate the stories of life in the high desert country, the traditional homelands of the Molalla, Warm Springs, Wasco, Northern Piute, and Klamath peoples. From the early attraction of outdoor recreation and roadside tourism to a time when irrigation, the railroad, and lumber mills created new communities during the early 20th century, visitors to the museum will discover the rich and unique history of this area, a living legacy that grows with each new generation.  This Veteran’s Day weekend, Friday November 10 & Saturday November 11 celebrate with the Deschutes County Historical Society at their annual Chili Feed and Raffle between 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Deschutes Historical Museum. This fundraising tradition features “Millie’s Chili” cooked with locally raised Barley Beef from local Rastovich Farms, Deschutes County’s only official working Century Farm. Started over 35 years ago by Millie Rastovich Chopp, this fundraiser supports programming year-round at the Museum. And during your visit check out the museum’s latest exhibit, Klunkers and Stumpjumpers: A History on Two Wheels, Mountain Biking History of Central Oregon. In the late 1970s, the logging roads and game trails of Awbrey Butte provided a playground of experimentation for early mountain bike pioneers who helped develop and cultivated the sport throughout Oregon.  For more information on these and other happenings at the Deschutes Historical Museum call 541-389-1813 or visit our website www.deschuteshistory.orgThe Deschutes Historical Museum is open 10am to 4:30 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays. Put some history in your future and join us on your next trip to Bend, Oregon.

A Veterans Museum Dedicated to its History in Western Tennessee   The Veterans’ Museum (Halls, Tenn.) is located on the ramp of a WWII B-17 Training Base in West Tennessee, 65 miles north of Memphis. The Museum is dedicated to sharing the history of the base and its 770 crews. It also includes the effect this facility had on the area. In operation from 1942 through 1945, it churned out crews that were moved to the European Theatre with expediency. A recent outside exhibit has monuments memorializing the 115 crewmen who were killed in air crashes during training. The Museum has 12,080 sq. ft. for exhibits that, in addition to the B-17 Base, includes WWI through present day. Military vehicles inside and aircraft outside make this museum a popular place to visit. An A-7 Corsair II and a CH-46E Sea Knight Helicopter are the aircraft on display. The main feature it offers is private, personal tours by people who have travelled the journey of this museum development. The Museum Director is an 83-year-old, who remembers the war and how her family was influenced by the facility. On the weekend, one may have an 84-year-old docent, who remembers Halls during WWII, or a Vietnam Veteran who served on the Oriskany. A recent docent addition is the granddaughter of a WWII B-17 pilot who trained here. During the week, one will be guided by the granddaughter of a man who was on the Crash Crew on the Base. Mainly, we want to hear about you and your military experiences. When we do, those experiences become a part of what we share with future visitors. So, for a stroll down memory lane where you become a living addition, you should visit The Veterans’ Museum (www.dyaab.us)

Located immediately adjacent to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum is one of the few places in the world where you can learn about and be inspired by the proud past and bright future of the United States Navy’s submarine force.  Make your visit to Pearl Harbor complete by visiting this national award-winning museum. The museum is home to the World War Two fleet submarine, USS Bowfin (SS 287).   Bowfin was named for an aggressive brackish water predator native to north America.  Launched on December 7, 1942, she was nicknamed the “Pearl Harbor Avenger”.  During nine war patrols, Bowfin lived up to her namesake and her nickname.  Bowfin has been open to the public as a museum ship since 1981.  Over ten million visitors have walked her decks and learned what it was like to serve onboard. The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum reopened in February 2021 following a twenty-million-dollar renovation.  The museum features three galleries.  The World War Two gallery highlights the contributions of the submarine force in winning the war in the Pacific.  The Cold War gallery highlights how two technological advancements – the development of nuclear propulsion and the submarine launched ballistic missile made undeniable contributions toward maintaining peace during a challenging period.  The modern gallery highlights the important contributions that the submarine force continues to make in the defense of our nations – today and into the future. The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum is open every day of the year except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park11 Arizona Memorial DriveHonolulu, HI  www.bowfin.org  

  The Grissom Air Museum was created by 7 volunteers who wanted to tell the story about the base and those who served. The base was started during WWII as a Bunker Hill Naval Air station. They trained pilots to fly missions protecting our nation. While there were many service members that came through the base, Ted Williams of Baseball fame, got his start here. About 1954, the U.S. Air Force asked to take over the base and changed the name to Bunker Hill Air Force Base. Fast forward to 1968, the base had changed its name to honor a Hoosier native and hero to Grissom Air Force Base after the death of Lt. Col. Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom. The Grissom Air Museum tells the history of the Bunker Hill Naval Air Station and Bunker Hill-Grissom Air Force and Reserve Base. We talk about their stories and the aircraft that flew and maintained while serving on the forward wall. While there were many aircraft that were stationed on base, one such incredible aircraft that served was the B-58 Hustler. This aircraft set multiple records, some of which remain unbroken today. Two such stories tell us about Capt. Manuel “Rocky” Cervantes who died in a Broken Arrow during an alert training exercise. Another pilot who died in a training exercise was Maj. Dick Blakslee. Both stories, while tragic, told us about the dedication and passion that they held for our nation. To learn more about these and other service members, visit the Grissom Air Museum. The Museum opens for the season March 9, 2023. For hours of operation, call the museum at (765) 689-8011 or www.grissomairmuseum.com

  Castle Air Museum located in Atwater is proud to announce the arrival of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Stealth aircraft to the Museum early this Friday morning, July 29th prior to dawn. The aircraft is scheduled to be offloaded at approximately 8 AM at the Museum's Restoration Hangar at 3040 A Street, on the Castle Airport complex. The Museum to date has the distinction of being the only air museum in Northern California to receive this aircraft, and one of a few museums across the nation with this distinction!   An interesting note is that, technically this aircraft and its 58 sister aircraft did not exist as far as the general public was concerned for over 7 years after its introduction! Many of the advancements made on the F-117 remain cloaked in secrecy to this day! The aircraft coming to Castle was one of the aircraft that were first to fight in the night skies over Baghdad Iraq on the first night of the air offensive during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.   Currently the aircraft is in Tehachapi, California and awaiting Highway Patrol escort over Highway 58 to Bakersfield and up Highway 99 to its final destination, the Castle Air Museum in Atwater California. At over 19 feet in width it is necessary to have Highway Patrol Escorts the entire journey, and allowed to travel over road at specified times only, per law enforcement. The aircraft is slated to begin the last leg of the journey at sunset this evening from Tehachapi to the Museum and due to arrive in the early morning hours for scheduled off load the Museums Restoration Hangar at 8 AM Friday morning July 29.   For more information on this historic event, please contact Joe Pruzzo, Executive Director at the information provided below.   -- Joe Pruzz Executive DirectorCastle Air Museum209.723.2178 Main Ext. 304 209.201.8289 Cell209.723.0323 Faxwww.castleairmuseum.org

The New Mexico Holocaust Museum and Gellert Center for Education uses lessons and personal stories of the Holocaust and other genocides to educate and inspire communities of upstanders. This unique museum experience reinforces the idea that every single one of us can make a positive difference. Located in the heart of downtown Albuquerque, the New Mexico Holocaust Museum provides a unique educational experience for visitors from around the world. The only museum of its type in the state, it opened in January of 2001. The institution was founded by Werner Gellert, a Holocaust survivor, his wife, Frankie, and Juliana K. Lerner, also a Holocaust survivor. Their intent was to show--along with the Holocaust--genocides and other instances of organized hate in the hopes that such atrocities might never happen again. We embody that mission through our exhibits which describe hate groups in America, propaganda, the Armenian genocide, the Chinese exclusion Act, colonization as it affected Native Americans, and the African-American experience. Our collections include a diverse array of unique artifacts, including the Flossenbürg Flag, a replica of the United States flag made by prisoners of the Flossenbürg concentration camp to welcome their liberators.  In keeping with our focus on education and outreach, we revived school visits which had been suspended due to COVID. Recently, nearly 200 middle and high school students were welcomed at the museum. After a guided tour of the exhibits, they had the incredible opportunity to hear the story of a local Holocaust survivor who was a hidden child. By studying the Holocaust, these youngsters learned about historical consequences of prejudice, hate, and intolerance, and how to combat these forces in their own lives. They learned what it means to be an upstander rather than a bystander. The New Mexico Holocaust Museum is a one-of-a-kind highlight to any Albuquerque vacation. Visit us to learn what you can do to prevent hate and intolerance and make our world a better, more equal place for all    

Historic Lecompton was the Territorial Capital of Kansas from 1854 to 1861.  This period was also known as Bleeding Kansas which was characterized by violent guerilla warfare between those who favored slavery in the future state of Kansas and those who wanted Kansas to be a free state.  The wide spread controversy over the famous Lecompton Constitution, written at Lecompton’s Constitution Hall, resulted in Lincoln’s election as President and spurred the events that led to the Civil War. The Constitution Hall is now a National Historic Site.  Lane University, 1868 – 1902, now the Territorial Capital Museum, was the college attended by Ida Stover and David Eisenhower, the parents of Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Their marriage was held in the chapel of Lane University. During the Christmas season, the Lecompton Historical Society hosts a fabulous display of over 200 Christmas trees bedazzled in Victorian, antique, vintage and themed ornaments and related décor. It is one of the largest in the Midwest. Lecompton’s quaint downtown includes a restaurant, winery and old fashioned mercantile that also attracts the museum goers. The Democratic Headquarters for the Kansas Territory, built in 1854, is near the Territorial Capital Museum and the original 1892 original jail next to Constitution Hall are open to visitors.