November 2010

Cape Fear Museum of History and Science is the oldest history museum in North Carolina. Since its founding in 1898, the Museum has grown and changed. It began collecting confederate relics, and now collects images and artifacts that help us understand the history, science and cultures of the region.

The Museum began in one room, staffed only by volunteers. It has grown into a professionally run, American Association of Museums accredited institution, housing more than 50,000 objects.

The Museum was founded by a group of local women who wanted to preserve the objects and memories of the Civil War. Wilmington's newly formed chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy was responsible for the Museum, which was originally housed in the Wilmington Light Infantry's building.

The waters off North Carolina's Outer Banks entomb thousands of vessels and countless mariners who lost a desperate struggle against the forces of war, piracy and nature. The Graveyard of the Atlantic, with one of the highest densities of shipwrecks in the world, holds some of America's most important maritime history. More than just a collection of artifacts, the Graveyard of the AtlanticMuseum is a premier cultural attraction for the Atlantic Seaboard and one of the finest, most innovative maritime facilities in the nation. All along the Outer Banks lie shipwrecks associated with this rich heritage.

Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center promotes the understanding of regional history and culture and their relationship to the world at large, for the benefit of visitors and residents. The museum offers museum tours, on-site picnicking, tourist information, a regional history video, and monthly public programs between April and October.

One of three regional branches of the North Carolina Museum of History, the Museum of the Cape Fear opened in 1988. It serves twenty counties in southern North Carolina and features exhibits that reflect the history of the region. The twofold purpose of the museum is to collect, preserve and interpret the history and culture of southern North Carolina and, second, to provide technical assistance and consultative services to non-state historical museums in its region of responsibility.

The museum’s chronological exhibit is a work in progress. Visitors can enter the exhibit and watch Russell Steele, a noted historic house restoration specialist and master craftsman, work on two reconstruction projects that will become part of the exhibit. Steele is restoring a 1755 Pasquotank County home built by Daniel Jackson Jr. and his wife, Elizabeth. He is also reconstructing a smokehouse that early settlers in North Carolina made from native cypress.

Transportation items, agricultural artifacts and other large objects from different eras in the state’s history will be on view in the exhibit as well.

Three RiversMuseum is dedicated to preserving the multi-ethnic history and heritage of the American frontier in the Three Rivers area in Eastern Oklahoma where the Arkansas, Grand and VerdigrisRivers meet.

The Three Rivers region has a unique and colorful history. According to historian Grant Foreman, the Three Rivers region has known “the full galaxy of the frontier — traders, scouts, Indian agents, Texas cattlemen, politicians, immigrants, army officers and Indian chiefs. It reflects all that is colorful and romantic in the unique story of Oklahoma’s formative years."

Located in a historic building that was built in 1875 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this museum traces the history of the Trail of Tears Indian tribes and features a variety of artifacts, a permanent art collection, and a research library.

The museum contains an artifact collection including over 570,000 primary documents and 80,000 images.

This local museum explores the history of the regional post of North Carolina.

People have lived in North Carolina for over 10,000 years, and today eight state-recognized American Indian tribes reside here. From its roots as the site of the first English settlement in the New World to its role in the American Revolution and Civil War, the “Old North State” has a history filled with stories of heroes, visionaries, entrepreneurs, inventors, artists, and everyday people.

Legendary figures such as the notorious pirate Blackbeard, First Lady Dolley Madison, adventurer Daniel Boone, Scottish heroine Flora MacDonald, Lumbee folk hero Henry Berry Lowry, educator Charlotte Hawkins Brown, North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice Henry Frye, and athlete Jim Thorpe have all called North Carolina home over the years.

At the North Carolina Museum of History, they are committed to creating a place where visitors can explore, learn, and enjoy programs, events, and exhibitions that celebrate North Carolina’s past, present, and future.

The 45th Infantry Division Museum is the nation's largest museum depicting the military history of Oklahoma, and features personal items collected from Hitler's apartment.

The museum includes a fascinating display of memorabilia collected from Hitler's apartment when it was captured by the 45th. A collection of over 200 original "Willie and Joe" cartoons, displays from 1541 through WWII, the Korean War and Desert Storm, original uniforms, firearms, dioramas, and an outdoor military park with over 60 military vehicles, aircraft and artillery.