Today is National Museum Selfie Day, so we at Country Culture are giving into our vain urges and turning the lens on ourselves. We’re also turning the lens on the small, local museums that may not immediately come to mind when you think about museums.
Many small and rural communities have local history museums or historical societies. These are usually contained within one room of an old schoolhouse or within the local library. Though they are small, they are mighty. You and your family can see, in artifacts and photos, where your town came from. You’d be surprised what they were once known for! (For example, I was visiting the Springfield Museums in Springfield, MA, when I came across a series a photos of the “famous” hill races the earliest cars competed in in Richfield Springs, NY, my dad’s hometown.)
These local spots of history are often run on the goodwill of volunteers and donations from visitors, so give them a shot. If nothing else, make a visit part of a larger day out of the house.
Historic sites, though not technically museums, probably make for better selfies though. Across New England and the rest of the Northeast, there are a ton of old forts dating back to the American Revolution. A lot of them have cannons. A lot of them have gorgeous old stone structures. Country Culture’s own Joan is a board member of Fort Klock Historic Restoration in St. Johnsville, NY.
You can also snap a selfie at a local art gallery, if you have one. You don’t necessarily have to buy anything if you visit a gallery, by the way. You can just appreciate what the creative minds in your region are up to.
Curious about where you can take a selfie? A quick internet search can provide lots of options. Check out this list of little-known sites in Massachusetts from Boston Magazine.
