Living History Museums: Their Origins, Their Progress, and the Road Ahead

Abstract

This paper discusses the origins, characteristics, and developments of living history museums. In order to develop these ideas, it has been divided into four main sections which examine living history museums in a chronological order. The first section attempts to identify how these sites evolved, and where they received their "grass roots" beginnings. The second acknowledges their position, and makes an assessment of their progress thus far. The third follows this with a critical examination as well as a prediction for their outlook in the future. The fourth and final section accounts the "hands-on" experience acquired while serving in an internship position. It provides depth to the theory discussed earlier in the paper and serves as a window into the practical workings of living history.