This summer we planned a visit to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.
This has been on my list of places to visit for awhile now and we were able to go with our cousins which made the trip even more special!
We went to The Henry Ford Museum on Saturday. We packed a lunch and left our house early in the morning. We ate our lunch just before going in hoping that would hold us over until we went through the special Titanic exhibit that was there. The Titanic exhibit was well done and the girls enjoyed it. Since then Aiden has developed an interest in the Titanic as well. I have heard him tell several people about the Titanic, the ship that "got sunked." He has also repeatedly asked us questions such as:
"Now why did the Titanic sink?"
"Why didn't they move away from the iceberg?"
The Museum is HUGE and has some amazing pieces like Abraham Lincoln's rocking chair from Ford's Theatre, The Dymaxion House, Rosa Park's bus, steam locomotives, some presidential limousines and an Oscar Mayer wienermobile!
The one thing in the Museum we did not see was Thomas Edison's last breath. We thought it was in Greenfield Village, in Edison's laboratory. Emma has been fascinated by the fact of the great inventor's last breath being preserved since she read it in a book. Our trip meant she would finally see this last breath! However, the next day, when we visited the Village we found out it was, in fact, in the Museum. We'll have to find it on our next visit!
This picture cracks me up!
I tried several times to get a good one of all the kids, and this is the best one!
One permanent exhibit that we went through was "Driving America," which is a history of vehicles and there are several cars on display from the earliest automobiles to a modern version of the Ford Explorer.
While there, Moriah took a quiz to find out what kind of car she would be and the car that fit her was the 1955 Roadster.
I only saw her answer one question on the quiz which was:
You are in a minor fender bender with another person. What do you do?
The answer she chose was, "Ooops! Maybe no one will notice!"
This isn't the exact Roadster that was on display, but this one looks similar!
Looks like Moriah, doesn't it?
We spent Sunday at Greenfield Village and the first thing we as we came in was the steam engine train....Aiden's favorite part of the day!
The Village is home to The Wright Brothers Cycle Shop and Home.
We heard the Wright Brothers, and their sister, tell about their first flight.
We stopped for a music show and a snack.
We were able to see some Old Tyme Baseball!
Thomas Edison's laboratory....this is where his last breath is NOT kept. But his chair his here! It is in the far right of this picture. The guide told us this is where Mr. Edison's chair usually was. Mr. Ford wanted it to be kept in that place so he had it nailed down to the floor.
There was a special War of 1812 muster this weekend. The army was looking for recruits and the kids decided to leave their jobs and enlist.
Of course once they enlisted they had to pass a medical examination to be sure they were fit for the army.
The doctor was sure to ask them if they have had small pox. Moriah realized that it would mean a vaccination for her if she had not so she decided to go with "Yes, I have."
The doctor was excellent and he spent quite a bit of time explaining how he would handle specific medical situations in his time. He even had some leeches with him to show the kids!
The sweetest soldiers there!!
If you have been thinking about visiting The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village our kids say DO IT!
It makes American history come alive, and
it is an inspiring showcase of American ingenuity and innovations.
And, unlike us, you could see Thomas Edison's last breath!
