November 2010

The sugar mill was built in the early years of the 19th century during Indian uprisings and saw its demise during the Seminole Wars when Native American warriors raged against intrusive white settlements.

This museum depicts the technological history of the coal, oil and natural gas industries in West Virginia and surrounding areas

First opened as the COMER Museum in 1986, it holds large collections of mining artifacts, historical photographs and mining documents. In 2005 the museum received a significant endowment from the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute with the request that it be renamed after Royce J. Watts, a longtime member of the West Virginia University faculty and his wife, Caroline.  

Clarksburg was the birthplace of Stonewall Jackson.

The 16-block area includes the Neo Classical Goff Building, the Gothic style Municipal Building and Federal and Greek Revival structures such as Waldomore.

Because of the Confederate soldiers' courageous stand at Natural Bridge Battlefield in 1865, Tallahassee remained the only Southern capital east of the Mississippi that was never captured. Reenactors refight the battle on the first weekend in March.

Some of the most technologically advanced airplanes to ever fly off an aircraft carrier reside in this naval aviation museum.

In the National Naval Aviation Museum's 300,000 square feet sit 150 aircraft of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard origin. Its collection includes a number of A-4F Skyhawk jets that served in Vietnam and flew with the Blue Angels. A flight simulator and IMAX theatre bring the history of naval aviation to vivid life.

Experience hands-on history at the National Naval Aviation Museum located on board Pensacola Naval Air Station. See over 150 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviation. Experience the thrill of flight in the Flight Simulators, catch all the drama and power of the IMAX Theatre, and refresh with a tasty lunch in the Cubi Bar & Café.

Today, the site includes the Georgian house, the original smoke house and eight other stone and log supporting farm buildings, formal quadrant gardens, herb, perennial and annual beds, woods, and surrounding meadows. The house is furnished with some of the finest examples of Kentucky-crafted furniture, portraits, prints, textiles, domestic objects and select artifacts originally belonging to the Clark and Croghan families. The extensive new museum gallery displays artifacts and information about the American Revolution in this region, the life of George Rogers Clark, daily life for the Clark and Croghan families, and photos of restoration work.

The museum consists of two floors of exhibit space, including a 360-degree theater that shows the video The Greatest Race. Through the film and exhibits, visitors can learn what goes into the breeding and training of a young foal, and the path it takes to the Kentucky Derby's winner circle. Every Kentucky Derby winner is honored in the Warner L. Jones Time Machine, where visitors can watch any Kentucky Derby from 1918 to the present day. Exhibits highlight the stories of owners, trainers and jockeys as well as the importance of African American jockeys and trainers to the race and the Thoroughbred industry.

Nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park offers excursions that transport you back in time to relive an era when steam-driven locomotives were an essential part of everyday life. Trips to Cass are filled with rich histories of the past, unparalleled views of a vast wilderness area, and close-up encounters with the sights and sounds of original steam-driven locomotives.

The town of Cass remains relatively unchanged. The restored company houses now rented as vacation cottages, add to the charm and atmosphere of the town.  The museum features logging artifacts and tools, sawmill equipment, Civil War artifacts, photographs and other historical items related to the history of the area.The locomotives are the same Shay locomotives used in Cass, and in the rainforests of British Columbia for more than a half-century. Many of the passenger cars are old logging flat-cars that have been refurbished.

Then board one of the Cold War's hottest weapons, the Russian submarine, code name: Scorpion. It's rugged, spartan, cramped and shrouded in secrecy. Feel the chill of 300 feet of Cold War menace. Journey through the first-class swimming pool, a popular spot for ghost sightings and part of the Ghosts & Legends show, a daily, special effects, walk-through show created aboard the ship that dramatizes actual paranormal and historic events that have been reported over the years. (from website)

This authentic collection spans the centuries and is presented in a manner that is enjoyable and educational to people of all ages. Swords, antique guns, muskets, Spanish, English, Colonial and shipwreck artifacts are among the thousands of fascinating items included in this collection. The museum also houses one of the most extensive Civil War collections offered for public viewing. President John Tyler's piano is on display surrounded by historic photos, tintypes, lithographs and documents. A nice assortment of Indian artifacts rounds out this unique collection.