A Visit to Greenfield Village

We've been to Greenfield Village at least 5 or 6 different times since we moved to Michigan a little over seven years ago but it's been some time since we last visited. In fact, when I told the kids we were going, they said they had never heard of "Greenfield Village". Spencer and Jessica don't remember any of our previous visits. I believe the last time we went was when I was pregnant with Logan. So, when my friend Laurel said she had a membership to Greenfield Village and could get us in for free, we thought it would be a fun adventure and decided to take her up on the offer. We went last Friday---It was a beautiful day and we had tons of fun. It was like a new experience for the kids.

Greenfield Village is directly next to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan and both are some of the most popular tourist attractions in Michigan. Actually, it is said to be the largest indoor/outdoor history museum complex in the United States. Henry Ford founded these museums because of his desire to preserve items of historical significance. There are a vast array of famous homes, machinery, exhibits, and different types of Americana. The collection contains many rare exhibits including John F. Kennedy's limousine, Abraham Lincoln's chair from Ford's Theater where he was assassinated, Thomas Edison's laboratory, the Wright Brother's bicycle shop, and the Rosa Parks bus.

At Greenfield Village there are nearly one hundred historical buildings that were moved from their original locations and placed in a "village" setting. The museum's intent is to show how Americans lived and worked since the founding of our country. The Village includes buildings from the 17th century to the present, many of which have costumed staff members inside who conduct period tasks like farming, sewing and cooking.

Greenfield Village also provides it's visitors with different historic rides and transporation to experience. We rode in a horse-drawn omnibus, a steam-engine locomotive, an authentic Ford Model T car, and a 1913 carousel. I think the kids really enjoyed these!

Before leaving for the day, we had some slushies and frozen custard. Spencer stayed longer with John and James to see "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in 3-D at the IMAX Theather there in the complex. Going to an IMAX Theater is another thing he hadn't ever remembered doing. I've taken him and Jessica (and maybe even Alex once) to several IMAX movies when they were younger. It's sad that they don't remember the fun things I've done with them while they are young. When we first moved here, we toured all over the state seeing and doing lots of fun things they'll never remember. I guess we'll just have to do all these things again! We started with Greenfield Village--Next stop, Mackinac Island ...

Here are some pictures of our visit ---

Alex and Spencer sitting on the front porch of the Harvey Firestone Family Farm. It is a working farm -- We watched as ladies cooked in the kitchen and men worked on the farm and in the fields.

Inside the Firestone Family Farmhouse

Logan in an outhouse. Glad we don't have to use these anymore!

An old wagon in the Firestone barn

Spencer, Jessica, James and Emma learning about weaving

Our group at Greenfield Village, in front of a Mill.

Alex on the Carousel

The kids picked a hat to wear in the Hat Shop.
I love Logan's face in this picture!

We fit as many people we could on this old-fashioned car ride. Alex, Logan and I took the next one---It was an actual Model T car.

Listening to street performers

Petting the horse that drove the Omnibus we rode in

Jessica was teaching us in the one-room schoolhouse

The girls on the steam-engine train

The boys on the train -- and another crazy Logan face!! Do you think he's getting tired of smiling for pictures?
(And a crazy James as well! He's doing the "Nixon" pose.)