Finding Home

We connect to places as we learn about the different people who lived there and their culture. Hands-on learning centers teach visitors how communities lived in the past in comparison to how people live today. This comparison allows us to interact with artifacts and buildings from previous eras, and in turn we pass this knowledge from our experience to others. Similarly, we learn about how the community life was formed and how different ideas of community were conveyed between the past and present residents. These interactions and experiences are found in a diverse array of communities.

Cultural Products

Part of the experience of visiting these places is having the opportunity to purchase products that reflect the culture and heritage of the people who lived there.

Amana Colonies, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, 2015, Alanna Lemay

Bodie Island Light Station, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 2015, Linda Kleinhesselink

St. Louis Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, 2013, Linda Kleinhesselink

Amana Colonies, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, 2015, Alanna Lemay

Mesa Verde National Park, 2008, Don Graham

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, 2009, Tracy Donner

Valley Forge National Historic Park, 1976, Linda Kleinhesselink

Independence National Historic Park, 1976, Linda Kleinhesselink

Amana Colonies, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, 2015, Alanna Lemay

Living History Farms, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, 2003, Alanna Lemay

Cultural Immersion

Through watching Revolutionary battles or panning for gold, we can engage with our surroundings to understand the past.

Home Life

By handling everyday objects of the past or exploring the places people in the past called home, we are able to connect with cultural homes through history.