Open-air museums
Photo: Bodoklecksel, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
An open-air museum is in its broadest sense any exhibition made up of several buildings with a historical theme. These can be historical buildings on site, buildings relocated from other places, or modern replicas.
A living history museum is meant to be a reconstruction of an entire ancient or pre-industrial settlement, or a portion of one.
A pioneer village is a form of living museum in which a village-size group of historic buildings from a New World colony is restored to their use in an earlier time period, usually the time of European settlement (see early United States history and Old West).
UnderstandOpen-air museums were introduced in the late 19th century, as industrialization and modernization displaced rural folk culture and indigenous cultures.
SeeLiving history museums typically have museum guide staff in period costume carrying out the tasks of tradespeople of that era with traditional methods and tools, including or similar to historical re-enactment.
Canada
GermanyIn Germany museums of this kind are often called "Freilandmuseum" (Literally: "open air museum") and may constitute of buildings that were disassembled carefully at their original location and then reassembled at the…
Nordic countriesThe Nordic countries have been forerunners in the creation of open-air museums to preserve Nordic folk culture, including that of indigenous minorities, such as the Sami culture.
United KingdomThe UK has a number of open-air museums, a number of which have 'living history' elements. Not all the museums listed here have re-enactors.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Open-air museums" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Bodoklecksel, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons