My son Andrew and I visited this attraction of the Old Dominion for the first time and we were very impressed. April 16, 2013.
Official site for the Frontier Culture Museum
This is a great place for kids of all ages(young and old) to learn about the 'old days', life on the frontier. The location of this outside museum is conveniently located at I-64 and I-81 in Staunton. It's at the first stoplight off the route 250 West (Staunton) exit.
The first attraction was the old 1700's Irish farmstead. I thought this was appropriate for a young kid of Irish descent.
To allow for more fun for your kids while they learn about life in the frontier, let them use the old point-and-shoot camera you have in your closet that no one uses anymore. Andrew enjoyed looking at the different types of houses and seeing how things changed throughout the years, and snapping his own pictures.
This building is the Blacksmith shop. Go in and see a blacksmith actually working on his trade---some things made here are sold at the gift shop. It was fun to watch.
Andrew taking a pictue of a duck in the pond.
The 1600's English farm. These buildings are actually authentic homes of the period, shipped here and put back together for all to enjoy and learn from. Note the big chimney--a fireplace was used for much more than to keep a house warm...
A view looking out at the gardens of the English farm, as seen through the upstairs bedroom window.
A big fireplace and lots of cast iron dutch ovens are important to cook healthy meals for the family.
Now we visit the 1600's West African village, where people were yanked from their homes and families and sent to a different world as slaves.
Where in this time machine do we want to go next?
The American Indian area.
Andrew loved looking at the old bow and arrows. We camped for several days after this visit and he was constantly looking on the ground for old arrow heads--and was even making some himself.
As the sign states, the "1740's American Farm"
How about visiting an 1820's American Farm? Livestock living in the front yard and plenty of gardens to grow what is needed.
I love these fireplaces and all the cast iron cookware. When camping, not a day goes by that I don't have a cast iron dutch oven or frying pan in the campfire cooking up something.
There's something so tranquil about a log cabin
A winter's supply of firewood within easy reach, out on the porch
A glimpse through a window of the house shows the next stop, an 1840 single-room school house
Now we move on to the 1850's American Farm--using clapboard siding and a nice horse barn.
Updated April 28, 2013
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