An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first was Henry Ford's Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, where Ford intended his collection to be "a pocket edition of America". But it was Colonial Williamsburg which had a greater influence on museum development in North America. Open air museums are important to our understanding of history in its natural form or location. Visitors are able to get "the full experience" while they view artifacts, structures or spaces. Many of these areas are wonderful in educating people about specific topics.
When I was younger I visited Old World Wisconsin in Eagle, Wisconsin. I think I was about 8 years old when I went to this open air museum. The experience is something I still carry with me today. I remember vividly seeing all of the actors working and performing tasks a if it really was "the old world". The space seemed super real, but this may just be because at 8 years old you are rather naive. The museum's more than 60 historic structures range from ethnic farmsteads with furnished houses and rural outbuildings, to a crossroads village with its traditional small-town institutions. The efforts of countless historians have preserved an amazing slice of true Americana — one that will be enjoyed for generations to come.
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