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Living History
This season's best bets for celebrating your heritage and reliving history.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Visitors get to test drive Franklin's early "air conditioner"—a chair with a foot-pedaled fan—and climb aboard a 25-foot model ship to re-create his method of charting the Gulf Stream. Among more than 250 artifacts are period copies of the Treaty of Paris, Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and other US founding documents bearing Franklin's signature. More highlights include video animations retelling Franklin legends and interactive computer stations where you can reproduce the inventor's experiments.
While you're in Philly, be sure to stop by Ben and Deborah Franklin's graves at the Christ Church Burial Ground, the Franklin Institute Science Museum and the dozens of public artworks devoted to Franklin.
Admission to Ben Franklin: In Search of a Better World is $14 for adults and $12 for senior citizens and children ages 4 to 12. If you miss the exhibit in Philadelphia, you can follow it to St. Louis, Houston, Denver, Atlanta or Paris until March 2008. For details, call (215) 555-0733 or go to www.benfranklin300.org. To find information on other Ben Franklin sites in Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com/ben.
Naples, Florida You also can see a replica Seminole War fort, as well as re-enactors sporting Revolutionary War- and Civil War-era uniforms. Glimpse pioneer life by visiting the blacksmith, general store, apothecary shop and traveling medicine show. Or stop by the 1870s telegraph station to learn how your name is spelled in Morse code.
Admission costs $5 for adults and $2 for students; it's free for children under 8. Call (239) 774-8476 or go to www.colliermuseum.com for more information.
Salado, Texas If heavy-lifting sporting events aren't your forte, try the Scottish Scramble golf tournament instead.
Admission costs $10 on Saturday and $8 on Sunday; children under 12 get in for $3 per day. Additional costs may apply if you plan to participate in workshops, the Scottish Scramble or other special events—organizers recommend pre-registering. To get a registration form or more information, call (254) 947-5232 or visit www.ctam-salado.org.
Plymouth, Massachusetts Along with the ages-old book, you'll see a famous 20th-century interpretation of the first feast in Jennie Brownscombe's oil painting First Thanksgiving at Plymouth. You also can examine other pilgrim-related artifacts, including a silver cup similar to the one William Bradford, governor of Plymouth Colony, might have used.
Admission costs $6 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and $3 for children ages 5 to 17. The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (508) 746-1620 or go to www.pilgrimhall.org for details.
Canton, Mississippi Tuscumbia, Alabama For more living history destinations, see the October 2005 Family Tree Magazine.
By Dana Schmidt
Big Ben
The City of Brotherly Love debuts the inter-national traveling exhibit Ben Franklin: In Search of a Better World Dec. 15-April 30, 2006. The event, which is hosted at the National Constitution Center, celebrates the 300th birthday of the illustrious scientist, inventor, diplomat, humorist, philanthropist and entrepreneur.
Grand Old Time
Even before Ponce de Leon's fabled 1513 quest for the Fountain of Youth, Florida had a vibrant past. You can join in celebrating more than 6,000 years of Sunshine State history Nov. 5-6 at the annual Old Florida Festival. Dozens of re-enactors and crafters will be on hand to answer your questions and demonstrate life in old southwest Florida. Watch Calusa Indians make and use shell tools and palm-fiber rope, view authentic armor and military equipment used by Spanish explorers and soldiers, and explore a cluster of chickees—the Seminoles' open-sided shelters.
Booming Bagpipes
If you've got Scottish genes, grab your kilt, bagpipe and dancing shoes, and head to the 44th annual Scottish Clan Gathering and Highland Games Nov. 11-13. Cheer on your favorite competitors in piping, drumming and dancing contests, and attend a genealogy workshop. More than 60 clans set up tents you can visit. Witness a tug-of-war and play Highland games such as the sheaf toss, stone throw, farmer's walk and turning of the caber.
Thanksgiving Pilgrimage
Kick off your Thanksgiving Day with a trip to the town where it all began. Nov. 24 only, Pilgrim Hall Museum will display a rare 1622 edition of Mourt's Relation, a collection of eyewitness accounts from the Pilgrims' first harvest celebration in the fall of 1621.
All Lit Up
Between Nov. 25 and Dec. 23, let this small Mississippi town's Victorian Christmas Festival put you in the holiday spirit. You can take a carriage ride around Historic Courthouse Square and bask in the glow of more than 200,000 lights, or visit the Canton Animation Museum's window displays depicting children's stories and the town's olden days. Ride a miniature train or old-fashioned carousel in the square, watch Santa's Procession and see Christmas exhibits at the railroad depot. The festival also features live entertainment, including a local choir singing holiday tunes, Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the month. Dates and admission prices vary depending on the activity. Call (800) 844-3369 or go to www.cantontourism.com for more information.
Southern Charm
Celebrate the holidays in vintage style with music, food and more Dec. 4 at A Plantation Christmas. The 1828 Belle Mont Mansion—designed in the architectural tradition of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello—will be adorned with holiday decorations reminiscent of the Old South. You'll also hear period Christmas melodies and sway along with ballroom dancers.
Admission costs $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 6 to 12. For more information, call (800) 344-0783 or visit www.colbertcountytourism.org.
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