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Take a Step Back in Time

By Carol Reed

Kids may have their say about history…and their say might be "Boooring!” But, change that this summer with an interactive step back in time. Visit a living history village where the past comes alive and children can participate. Try it. History really can be fun!

Smithville Mansion is located on Smithville Road in Eastampton, New Jersey, off of Route 38, 2 miles east of Mount Holly. It was once an industrial town, with a manor house, workers' homes, factory buildings, a farm complex, church and municipal buildings, built around Smithville Lake. The centerpiece, the 1840 Smithville Mansion, and surroundings were developed as Burlington County's first park. Tour the Victorian House Museum, Casino Annex/Art Gallery, and formal gardens. Festivals and concerts are held during summer. A free, self-guided walking tour of the village is available. For information contact 609-261-3780, or the Cultural and Heritage Department, 609-265-5068. http://www.burlco.lib.nj.us/county/smithville/.

Wheaton Village at 1501 Glasstown Road, Millville, NJ, is a living village of American craft with an emphasis on New Jersey glassmaking. Programs include museum and gallery exhibits; demonstrations of glass blowing; an artist fellowship program; school programs and collector's seminars. The Museum of American Glass is the largest museum in the country dedicated the history of glass made in the United States. The displays are housed in a model Cape May Victorian hotel. Also part of the village is the Down Jersey Folklife Center, opened in 1995. The Center maintains traditions of South Jersey, such as African American oyster-shucking songs, Barnegat Bay sneakboxes, split-oak basketry, wooden chairs, Pinelands fox-chasing, Japanese dollmaking, Puerto Rican jibaro music, and Ukrainian hand embroidery. Call 1-800-998-4552 or visit http://www.wheatonvillage.org/index.html.

Board the Lewes, DE Ferry to Cold Spring Village every Tuesday through Sunday. Cross the bay, shuttle into Cape May, and ride the Cape May Seashore Line to Cold Spring Village on Route 9. There, you will step back to a southern New Jersey community of the 19th Century. A special price includes everything (302-644-6030 for trip information). Cold Spring supplied fresh produce and water to the cottages, boarding houses and hotels of old Cape May. The Spring was famous for its curative and medicinal properties. The quaint buildings, with the exception of the Old Grange Restaurant, have been transported to the village from surrounding Cape May or Cumberland Counties. http://www.hcsv.org/VillageEntrance/Village_Enter.htm.

The Roth Living Farm Museum of Delaware Valley College recreates a farmstead during the period between 1890- 1910. The twenty-acre farm includes woodlands, wetlands, grain fields and livestock. An 1832 farmhouse and barn have been restored to provide visitors with a unique look into the history of agriculture in Pennsylvania. Participate in educational activities and special events. Meet and learn about horses, sheep, goats, chickens and cows. The Museum is open to the public every Saturday from 1 – 5 pm, 502 DeKalb Pike, N. Wales, PA 19454, 215-699-3994.

Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine is an amazing experience that takes you deep inside Mahanoy Mountain in the Anthracite Fields of Eastern Pennsylvania. Pioneer Tunnel is a horizontal drift mine. It runs 1800 feet straight into the side of the Mahanoy Mountain as you ride along in open mine cars. The temperature inside the mine averages 52 degrees, so a sweater or jacket is recommended. Deep inside, follow your miner-guide and learn how coal is mined. Tours run all day from 10 am to 6 pm. There are also playgrounds, a park and mining displays. Lunch and snack bar are on site. 570-875-3850 or 570-875-3301 http://www.pioneertunnel.com/minetour1.html.

At Tuckerton Seaport, see the Jersey Shore as it was in the days of old. In Tucker's Island Lighthouse, hear about pirates, "mooncussers” and New Jersey lighthouses. See Life Cars, Shipwrecks, and learn about Whaling, or learn to speak Lenape. Wander the boardwalks on the 40-acre site and meet decoy carvers, boat builders, clammers, oystermen and baymen doing what they did way back when. The Seaport is directly across from Lake Pohatcong off of Route 9. Phone: 609-296-8868 Fax: 609-296-5810 http://www.tuckertonseaport.org/.

WaterlooVillage is a canal port town located along the banks of the Musconectcong River in the Allamuchy Mountain State Park in Sussex County, New Jersey. The Village covers over 400 acres and is a re-creation of life during the mid 19th Century. When the Morris Canal opened in 1831, Waterloo became an inland port. The Village boomed with a gristmill, sawmill, blacksmith shop, church, school, tavern, inn and residences. Also, the Lenape way of life has been preserved on an island called "Winakung" (meaning "Place of Sassafras"). It is a life-sized Indian Village carefully built from archaeological evidence. http://www.waterloovillage.org/.