Welcome! Please feel free to browse through each room. On the left you will find a pamphlet, a guided tour of our family's history. At this museum we encourage interaction with the exhibits, but be prepared, anything you touch will be entered into and experienced fully. For example, if you pick up a toaster from Aunt Pat's kitchen, suddenly you'll find yourself a piece of 1950's Freihofer Bread, and will feel quite warm and crisp around the edges. We once lost a boy for a few hours to that washboard in the corner, he was so tickled by the experience, he wouldn't come out until we used extra soap.
My favorite room is the animals, we've saved every stuffed critter and doll loved by family members through the centuries. If you hug one of these, your vision will shift behind button eyes and you'll see our great-great-great grandfather laughing and feel the very emotion this animal felt. Don't worry, there are no dolls on display that sport unfortunate haircuts (their emotions would be uncomfortable to be privy to).
If you take the elevator to the ground floor, there is a movie running on the hour. It shows the life of one handkerchief in the family (this is worth seeing!) from her creation in 1819 and the different pockets she traveled in and dressers she folded into. Generations are shown carrying her through colds, courtships, weddings and funerals. Not a film appropriate for the squeamish or before visiting the cafe.
To get a feel for the origins of our family in a complete way, you may board a replica of the Mayflower in the parking lot. Through a simulated rocky ride, months of crossing the Atlantic can be experienced in less than ten minutes. We land in Virginia, go through some wars, famine and prosperity and take you right back to the parking lot in time for lunch.
A gift shop is near the café where you may purchase souvenirs and postcards of our favorite stuffed animals, toasters and handkerchiefs. Please enjoy your visit, and be sure to return to 2013!
