If you are like many genealogy enthusiasts, you consider your hobby to be about much more than tracking down and organizing names and dates. You do want to map out your family tree, but you also want to explore the lives of those people who populate its branches. Historical museums are a wonderful way to do just that, and if there are museums near you that are relevant to your family’s history then you may want to visit them to see what kinds of information they can add to your understanding of what life was like for your ancestors.
Many modern families have now moved from the places that their ancestors called home. Whether you now live a few states away from where your ancestors lived or halfway around the world, you can still learn more about the details of the world that they lived in. You can do it from the comfort of your own home, at any time of day or night by visiting the web pages of historical museums and attractions online. Some of the web pages even have online exhibits, which are more interesting than just words on a page.
Unfortunately, some museums have more information online than others. I looked at web sites for the place where my mother was born in Texas, and the city where my father was born in Massachusetts, and there is not much to see on either web site. Even though I do not have ancestors from Vermont, I was able to see what an online museum exhibit was like, thanks to the Vermont Historical Society. The Vermont Historical Society has online exhibits, and I was able to learn things that I might learn in a museum from the comfort of my own home. That is great, because although I live in Vermont, I do not get out to historical museums very often. Okay, I have not been to a historical museum since I have lived here, and since my boys are very young, it may be a while before I have a chance to go.
What will you find out about your ancestors’ lives through museum web sites and online exhibits?
Photo by Taliesin on morguefile.com.