North America Museums and Culture

    Aviation Museum, United States

  500 Forrestal Rd. - Cape May Airport, NJ           
Naval Air Station Wildwood Foundation is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to restore Hangar #1 at the Cape May Airport, Cape May County, New Jersey, into an aircraft museum honoring the Navy airmen who died while training during World War II.
NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum now boasts over 26 aircraft displays as well as exhibits of military memorabilia, engines, photographs and more. Additionally, the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia has provided NAS Wildwood with a wealth of interactive exhibits that allow visitors to discover the science of flight. The museum also features a library, food vending area as well as a recently expanded gift shop.
    Manitoba Museum, Canada
  190 Rupert Avenue - Winnipeg, MB            
The Manitoba Museum is the province’s largest heritage centre renowned for its combined human and natural heritage themes. The institution shares knowledge about Manitoba, the world and the universe through its collections, exhibitions, publications, on-site and outreach programs, Planetarium shows and Science Gallery exhibits.
The Museum’s collections reflect the heritage of Manitoba and other regions of the world. Eight interpretive galleries explore the history and environment of the province from its northern Arctic coast to its southern prairie grasslands. The Museum is noted for its Urban Gallery, which recreates Winnipeg in the 1920s, and the full-size replica ship Nonsuch, whose voyage in 1668 led to the founding of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
    National Academy Museum, United States
  1083 Fifth Avenue - New York, NY            
Something about the beauty of the spiral staircase pulls you into a world of visual wonder when you visit the National Academy Museum. Engulfed in awe and inspiration, surrounded by a vast collection of paintings, drawings, sketches and sculptures, one could easily spend hours exploring the great abundance of artistry on display here. The aesthetic of the 19th century paintings draws you close. As you browse, you are bound to find many pieces that captivate your mind and body. This NYC art museum also offers many classes and workshops for artists of all skill levels, from the amateur to the savant. They offer a great variety of several art mediums, impacting various emotions, all ready for your viewing pleasure. It is as if you are taking a step into a diverse world somewhere between reality and fiction. The vividness and color add to the appeal and around every corner lies something new for one to discover. The museum is also home to many wonderful guest speakers. Their ARTalks program features some of the most respected artists and architects of today. These talks are open to the public and ongoing. Overall the general beauty found at The National Academy Museum is one to be shared with friends and family.
    American Museum of Natural History, United States
  Central Park West at 79th Street - New York, NY             
<object width="212" height="175"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/axsbjMOC_0E"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/axsbjMOC_0E" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="212" height="175" align="right"></embed></object>
The Museum boasts habitat groups of African, Asian and North American mammals, the full-size model of a Blue Whale suspended in the Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life (reopened in 2003), the 62-foot Haida carved and painted war canoe from the Pacific Northwest, and the "Star of India", the largest blue sapphire in the world. The circuit of an entire floor is devoted to vertebrate evolution, including the world-famous dinosaurs.
The Museum's anthropological collections are also outstanding: Halls of Asian Peoples and of Pacific Peoples, of Man in Africa, Native Americans in the United States collections, general Native American collections, and collections from Mexico and Central America.
The Hayden Planetarium, connected to the museum, is now part of the Rose Center for Earth and Space, housed in a glass cube containing the spherical Space Theater, designed by James Stewart Polshek. The Center was opened February 19, 2000. Source
    American Military Museum, United States
  360 Concord Street, Suite 9 - Charleston, SC           
The American Military Museum in Charleston, S.C., offers a one-of-a-kind experience in military history for travelers and residents.
Located in Aquarium Wharf adjacent to the debarkation point for tours to historic Fort Sumter, the Museum is filled with authentic artifacts from 14 American conflicts from the Revolutionary War through the recent war in Iraq.
    The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, United States
  1800 N. Congress Ave - Austin, TX           
The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in downtown Austin, Texas, tells the “Story of Texas” with three floors of interactive exhibits, the special effects show, The Star of Destiny, in the Texas Spirit Theater, and Austin's only IMAX Theatre, featuring the signature large-format film, Texas: The Big Picture. A 35-foot-tall bronze Lone Star sculpture greets visitors in front of the Museum, and a colorful terrazzo floor in the Museum’s rotunda features a campfire scene with enduring themes from Texas’ past. The Museum also has a Cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and a Museum Store with something for the Texan in everyone.
    The Cloisters Museum, United States
  Ft. Tryon Park - New York, NY           
Medieval Europe in New York? This implausible statement is very much a reality as you approach the Cloisters Museum branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This section of the museum has been built to resemble the architectural elements of the middle ages and takes you back in time. The museum itself is devoted to the art of the time period and offers a traditional museum experience by shares the faith of all the artists and artisans with work on display. The Cloisters is highly dedicated to maintaining its religious roots with the restoration of the Fuentiduena Chapel, featuring the most magnificent stain glass and hand crafted religious artifacts. The Cloisters has also been known to have a feel of a mini-city with their own restaurant and botanical garden designed to enhance the visiting pleasure. Summer 2012 continues with the traditions of bringing Europe to the masses, as more exhibits are on tap to make their way through the hallowed greatness that is the museum. If you are looking for a nice escape from city life and desire to feel transported into the world of yesteryear, then a trip to the Cloisters is highly recommended.
    Staten Island Museum, United States
  75 Stuyvesant Place - Staten Island, NY              
<iframe id='palyer8' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/?listType=user_uploads&list=SIMuseum'></iframe id='palyer8'>
Are you interested in a quirky change to the standard museum experience? The Staten Island Museum is a small but very fun museum located just two blocks west of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. The Staten Island Museum has a fun selection of exhibits that document the art, natural science and history that surrounds Staten Island. One great experience includes taking a look at the geological display that allows visitors to gaze through special microscopes that show the intricate designs within the local soil. Another fun fact is that the museum offers a wall of mounted butterflies and wildlife which is larger than any other display on Staten Island. The Ferry system is also extensively chronicled, showing the history of the ferry and how it has benefitted the people of New York. Always conscious of their family atmosphere, this modest New York museum even offers special free days for its visitors, which gives more people an added opportunity to experience the wealth of natural history. Featuring a variety of experiences and exhibits that are both informative and fun, the Staten Island Museum is really a crown jewel in the museum scene.
    Historical Society of Pennsylvania, United States
  1300 Locust Street - Philadelphia, PA            
Founded in 1824 in Philadelphia, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest historical societies in the United States and holds many national treasures. The Society's building, listed on the City of Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items. The Society is one of the largest family history libraries in the nation, has preeminent printed collections on Pennsylvania and regional history, and offers superb manuscript collections renowned for their strength in 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century history. With the addition of the holdings of The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in 2002, the Society has become a chief center for the documentation and study of the ethnic communities and immigrant experiences shared by people whose American history began more recently-between the late nineteenth century and our own times. Together these holdings, old and new, make the Society one of the nation's most important special collections libraries-a center of historical documentation and study, education, and engagement.
    Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, United States
  12th Ave. & 46th Street - Pier 86 - New York, NY              
<iframe id='palyer10' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/?listType=user_uploads&list=IntrepidMuseum'></iframe id='palyer10'>
Support your country and support our military heritage with a visit to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum! Located in the heart of Manhattan this museum dedicates itself to the exciting heroism that revolved around the Intrepid and all of the military installations associated with it. Visitors have an opportunity to experience the action first hand as the museum has been designed with interactivity as its base. Ever envision flying over the Atlantic in a jet fighter? The museum’s A-6 Cockpit simulator gives you that opportunity. Want to look at the inside of a submarine? The Growler Submarine exhibit has been specifically designed to allow that to happen. One of the other primary attractions of the museum is the accurate recreation of some of the most famous battles and events in Intrepid history. Visitors will get to hear, see and feel what these historic men and women experienced while serving their country. An exciting addition to the museum occurs in Spring 2012 when the Space Shuttle Enterprise becomes a permanent fixture as well. The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is a one of a kind experience that has something for everyone and deserves to be fully explored.
    Greenville Museum of Art, United States
  802 South Evans Street - Greenville, NC           
The original impetus for the formation of the present Greenville Museum of Art was the first Women's Club Arts Festival in 1935. The enthusiastic community support of this venture inspired the festival leaders to develop an initial momentum that resulted in the formation of a permanent art facility in 1939. Rachel Maxwell Moore contacted the Federal Art Project in Raleigh, which authorized the establishment of a Federal Art Project's Gallery in Greenville.
Presently the Museum exists as a local attraction to the citizens of Greenville and Pitt County, although visitors from across the state visit the Museum regularly. Gallery talks and openings, tours, art classes and its numerous outreach programs generate a continued interest in the Museum. Participants and visitors range in age from young to old. Annually over 3,000 children participate in programs offered by the Museum and over 12,000 people visit the Museum.
    Columbia Museum of Art, United States
  P.O. Box 2068 - Columbia, SC           
The Columbia Museum of Art seeks to inspire, educate and enrich the lives of the community, South Carolinians, tourists and visitors by collecting and preserving fine and decorative art from around the world, exhibiting highly regarded work from a broad range of cultures and providing dynamic educational and cultural programs.
    Canada Aviation Museum, Canada
  11 Aviation Parkway - Ottawa  - Ontario, CA           
The Canada Aviation Museum has avoided the tendency to concentrate exclusively on the aviation accomplishments of a single nation, or on developments within one sector of the aviation industry. Instead, the Museum’s collection policy is to illustrate the development of the flying machine in both peace and war from the pioneer period to the present time. The collection gives particular, but not exclusive, reference to Canadian achievements. Consequently, aircraft from many nations are represented in the collection—a fact that has earned it a strong international following.
The Canada Aviation Museum is recognized as having the most extensive aviation collection in Canada and one which ranks among the best in the world. In 1988, the importance of the collection was acknowledged in the opening at Rockcliffe of the first phase of a multi-phase development program to serve as the new home of the collection.
    Glenbow Museum, Canada
  130 - 9th Avenue S.E. - Calgary - Alberta, CA           
At the Glenbow Museum, intriguing stories from Western Canada connect with extraordinary art and artifacts from around the world. Combining a museum, art gallery, library and archives all under one roof, Glenbow boasts over a million artifacts and some 28,000 works of art in its vast collections and is one of the largest museums in Canada. Through a variety of dynamic programs and changing exhibitions and programs, and a broad collection of art, artifacts and historical documents, Glenbow Museum builds on a commitment to preserve our cultural and western heritage while simultaneously providing visitors with a glimpse of the world beyond.
    Currency Museum, Canada
  245 Sparks Street - Ottawa, ON           
The Bank of Canada's Currency Museum was opened in 1980. It is home to the National Currency Collection, the largest collection of Canadian bank notes, coins, and tokens in the world. The Museum is located within the first Bank of Canada building (built in 1934), just minutes from Parliament Hill.
    Musée Bombardier, Canada
  1001 avenue J.-A.-Bombardier - Valcourt, QC           
Located in Valcourt, in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, the Musée Bombardier presents the life and work of the great inventor and entrepreneur Joseph-Armand Bombardier. This privately funded museum also describes the evolution of the snowmobile industry, in large part launched by this Quebec visionary.
    Costume Museum of Canada, Canada
  109 Pacific Ave. - Winnipeg, MB
          
Celebrating fashion, culture & history.
    Victoria Children's Museum, Canada
  Box 8220 - Victoria, BC             
<iframe id='palyer18' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/?listType=user_uploads&list=childrensmuse'></iframe id='palyer18'>
The Victoria Children's Museum, a registered charity with a board of committed community members, has begun developing plans and started fund-raising for the first children's museum in BC. The Victoria Children's Museum's mission is to inspire children to explore and discover their world in a creative, safe, hands-on environment, where fun and play magically transform into learning.
    Textile Museum of Canada, Canada
  55 Centre Avenue - Toronto, ON            
The Textile Museum of Canada is one of Toronto's most engaging visual arts organizations. With more than 12,000 objects from more than 200 countries and regions, the TMC's permanent collection celebrates cultural diversity and includes traditional fabrics, garments, carpets and related artifacts such as beadwork and basketry. The Museum offers a broad variety of exhibitions including themed shows based on our permanent collection and contemporary exhibitions of the work of Canadian and international artists.
    Vancouver Maritime Museum, Canada
  1905 Ogden Avenue - Vancouver, BC            
Every day the Vancouver Maritime Museum charts a different course of adventure for all. Come aboard for fun and knowledge. Discover the rich maritime history and traditions of the Pacific Coast. Step back in time to 1944 on board Canada’s famous RCMP St Roch and explore the many permanent and changing exhibits, Children’s Maritime Discovery Centre, family activities, and the boats in Heritage Harbour.
    Just For Laughs Museum, Canada
  2111 Saint-Laurent Boulevard - Montréal, QC           
In 1993, with the success of the Just For Laughs Festival, Gilbert Rozon created a place to recognize laughter and humour as cultural phenomena - the Just For Laughs Museum (JFLM). The Museum's history is marked by many challenging happenings - some sidesplitting, some discouraging, but none boring! Nonetheless, the Museum lives on!
The Just For Laughs Museum is a venue for thematic exhibitions, a multi-functional space for the presentation of public, private or professional events, and a media documentation centre for the promotion, research and distribution of information about laugher, humour and fantasy. It celebrates these aspects of the human condition using a fun approach that appeals to a diverse audience, including children and young people.
    McCord Museum of Canadian History, Canada
  690 Sherbrooke Street West - Montréal, QC            
<iframe id='palyer22' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/?listType=user_uploads&list=MuseeMcCordMuseum'></iframe id='palyer22'>
The McCord Museum is a public research and teaching museum dedicated to the preservation, study, diffusion and appreciation of Canadian history.
    Sisimiut Museum, Greenland
  Jukkorsuup aqq. 9 - Sisimiut, GL           
The old town quarter is characterized by its colonial age buildings. As most of the towns in Greenland, Sisimiut has been spared of large fires. Consequently, a great deal of the colony administration buildings has been preserved. The greater part of these buildings belongs to Sisimiut Museum...
    Durham Mining Museum
   - Greenland, GL           
"Two different accounts of the history of coal mining in County Durham are presented.
The first comes from The Victoria History of the Counties of England - Durham, published in three volumes in 1907. It contains a large section on the history of coal mining in the county. This work focuses on the detailed history and does not cover the social or practical side of the industry. We have reproduced the text up to the start of the nineteenth century.
The second comes from The History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan, second edition, published in 1894. Once again there is a large section of the history of coal mining in the county, however, it concentrates on the nineteenth century, but the major part covers the practical and the social side of mining during the nineteenth century.
The two works complement each other, and together present an overall history of the coal industry in County Durham. The history is nor complete without coverage of the twentieth century and the eventual demise of the industry - this topic is too large and complex to cover here and is best left to the many books on the subject. We do however, provide some information for the twentieth century in the individual pages on each colliery."
    Greenland National Museum, Greenland
  Hans Egedevej 8 - 3900 Nuuk, GL           
Museet blev startet i midten af 1960`erne som det første museum i Grønland. Samlingerne er siden udvidet gennem indsamling, fra udgravninger og med tilbageført materiale fra Danmarks Nationalmuseum. Museet har landsdækkende arbejdsopgaver indenfor arkæologi, nyere tids historie, kunst og kunsthåndværk. Museet rummer de centrale registre om fredede bygninger og fortidsminder og varetager fredningslovens bestemmelser om fredning af fortidsminder og bygninger samt deltager i naturfredning og byplanlægning.