York County History Center

The History Center moved into the former Met-Ed steam power plant in August 2024 with all new exhibits including a 12 foot tall Reddy Kilowatt. 

The first exhibits describe the role York, Pennsylvania, founded in 1741, played in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. The city hosted the Continental Congress from September 30, 1777 to June 27, 1778 while the Articles of Confederation were drafted and adopted. During the Civil War the city was occupied by the Confederate Army for three days before they marched to Gettysburg. After the battle  thousands of wounded Union soldiers were treated in the York U.S. Army Hospital. 

Other exhibits cover stories of local residents who were involved in the Underground Railroad helping runaway slaves as they headed north, plus tales of early settlers and farming practices. Artifacts include a large variety of equipment and machinery built in York factories. On display is a very complicated looking machine from D. F. Stauffer Biscuit Co. that made animal crackers using a long cylindrical cutter.  The company made the first animal crackers in the US and has been in business for over 150. 

Another complicated piece of machinery is a huge  A-frame ammonia compressor built by York International in the early 1900s.  It was used until the 1970s at the Cudahy Packing Company in Wichita, Kansas to produce ice and refrigeration for preserving meat products. 

The museum is accessible. The admission price includes three more museums in the complex but their hours are very limited so we didn't visit any of them.

Parking is located directly north of the museum. Go past the museum on Pershing Avenue, round the corner onto Gay Avenue then turn right into the lot. The lot is large enough for RVs. History Center  39.96376, -76.73228

Vermilion County Museum

  The exhibits in this small museum cover natural history, Native Americans, early settlers, coal mining, farming, and local history with donated artifacts. There’s a special exhibit on Abraham Lincoln that includes a replica of the office that he used from 1847 – 1859 while practicing law in the Eighth Judicial District.

  The museum is accessible with an elevator to the second floor however the entrance is a bit awkward due to sloped sidewalk  and a door that opens outward

   The parking lot is large enough for small RVs. Larger RVs can be parked on the side streets. Museum  40.12726, -87.63583

McLean County Museum of History

  Housed in a beautiful old courthouse, this museum has exhibits about Abraham Lincoln’s  work as an attorney in McLean County; galleries covering the arrival of immigrants and how they made the county their home; exhibits on the history of McLean County’s courthouses; and a hands-on area for kids.

  The four immigrant galleries focus on individuals and their families, giving museum visitors an in-depth look at the challenges faced and opportunities found as they and their decedents settled into their new homes. Each gallery covers a different experience - living, working, farming, and creating community from the 1820s to the present time.

 The museum is accessible.

  Parking is on the street, free,  and easy to find. Check the signs. Some spaces are limited to 90 minutes. Museum  40.47995, -88.9943

Michigan Historical Museum

  Excellent exhibits cover Michigan's history including Native Americans, the French and Indian War, farming, mining, logging, and the population explosion of the 1920s when immigrants from all over the world came to work in the auto factories.

  The museum is accessible. A few video screens are at an angle that makes viewing difficult.

  The parking lot is large enough for any RV. The self service fee station accepts credit cards only. Free accessible sites are available at the north end of the Washtenaw Street circle – car and van only. Two hour free parking is available on the street.  Museum  42.73135, -84.56388

Historic Arkansas Museum

   The galleries on the first floor of the museum are dedicated to works of art made in Arkansas. Descriptive labels give a brief history of each item but there isn’t an overall historical perspective of Arkansas itself. The second floor has a large Native American gallery with excellent exhibits on the three tribes that inhabited Arkansas until they were all forced to move west to Oklahoma in the early 1800s.

         

   The museum grounds cover an entire block with half of the block depicting a section of the city during the mid 1800s. It includes Little Rock’s oldest standing building, the Hinderliter Grog Shop, which served as a tavern, restaurant, hotel, and private residence. Three restored houses are in their original location. Other buildings have been reconstructed or moved to the museum grounds. Some of the buildings are opened to tour and feature interpreters in period dress.

   The museum is free but there is a small charge for touring the restored town.

   The museum is accessible. The restored town has brick sidewalks. Ramps are put in place to bridge the steps at the entrances to the buildings. The main room in the grog shop is down three or four steps and is not accessible but it can be seen from the landing.

  The parking lot is small. We fit by backing up over the grass. When it’s not busy larger RVs may fit if parked lengthwise across the spaces. Otherwise park in the pay lot south of the museum lot or in the metered spaces on 3rd Street east of the museum. Metered spaces are free on the weekends.  Museum   34.74553, -92.26859

Route 66 - Joliet Area Historical Museum

  Joliet was named The City of Stone and Steel because of it’s limestone quarry and steel mill. This nicely done, little museum  tells the early history of these industries and the stories of the immigrants from Great Britain and Eastern Europe who came to Joliet to find work and raise their families. The museum building was once a Methodist church and still has beautiful stain glass windows.

          

The building also houses a visitor center with Route 66 information and photo opportunities.

  The museum is accessible. A short film is shown in a mockup of a street car. The street car is accessed by steps only but the film is also shown in another location that is accessible.

The museum parking lot is large enough for small RVs. Larger RVs can park on the street.  Museum   66 Map

Bainbridge Island Historical Museum

   Exhibits and artifacts occupy every corner of this little local museum. Included is a very good exhibit featuring photos by Ansel Adams about the interment camps where Japanese Americans were imprisoned for the duration of WWII. This disturbing chapter in our history came after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Strawberries farmers and their families from Bainbridge Island were the first of over 100,000 people living along the Pacific coast to be taken from their homes.

  The museum is accessible.

   There are a few spaces in the rear of the museum where small RVs will fit. Museum
47.62591, -122.51785

Oregon Historical Society Museum

  The permanent exhibit covers Oregon’s history with displays on Native Americans, the Oregon Trail, and the growth of industries. This museum seems kind of small. One reason may be that, even though it’s the only museum in Oregon that has exhibits about the entire state, it’s a private museum, founded in 1898, and largely funded by donations and grants.

  The museum is accessible.

   We visited on a Saturday and parked on the street. Even on a weekend we had to circle around a few times before we found a space. Some of the curb cuts are very good, others are steep. Museum
45.51579, -122.68251

Western Reserve Historical Society

  When the Colony of Connecticut was granted land in the Americas by King Charles II their holdings extended west to the Mississippi River. After the Revolutionary War the state of Connecticut agreed to give up most of this land but kept a small portion which became known as the Western Reserve. Some of the land was sold and some was reserved for New Englanders who’s homes had been destroyed by British soldiers. The settlers brought traditional New England town planning, building styles and town names to northeast Ohio. Surprisingly little of this story and little of the history of Cleveland is included in the museum.

  The largest exhibit is an extensive car collection. Many of the cars were manufactured in Cleveland. Other are rare models including the first car to circumvent the world and four stainless steel cars. Two mansions have been incorporated in the museum structure. One has some rooms furnished with antiques and some rooms with museum exhibits. The other mansion is only shown by guided tour which we missed.


  The museum is accessible. Some of the exhibits have LCD screens with slideshows or short videos. These are impossible to view from a seated position.

  Do not attempt to park in the museum lot if you have anything larger than a SUV. The lot is small and if it’s full or you can not fit there’s no room to turn around. Metered on-the-street parking is available on Magnolia Drive. Park directly across from the museum lot for an easy path to the museum entrance. Museum
41.51328, -81.61061