While on a recent trip through Virginia's Civil War Parks I stumbled upon The Museum of American Frontier Culture. While not a military museum, it was of great interest to me as a first hand source of information on European houses. The museum addresses the evolution of European farms into the nineteenth century American farm.

The museum consists of a small indoor display of period tools and furnishings, a movie addressing the museums purpose, and four reconstructed farms, three from Europe and one native to Virginia. The outdoor display is presented as a living history museum with employees in period garb and working the farms.

The farms consist of a seventeenth century English, an eighteenth century German, and a nineteenth century Irish farm all brought from Europe and reassembled here. In addition there is an early nineteenth century Virginia farm displayed.

The admission fee is small, and for those of us to poor to go to Europe, the museum is a great source of information on construction method, colors, and textures for wargame scenery.

The museum is open daily 9 AM to 5 PM and located near Staunton, Virginia off of Rt. 250 near U.S. 81. For more information contact:

Museum of American Frontier Culture P.O. box 810 Staunton, Virginia 24401 Phone: 703-332-7850