North America Travel

Shakerville, Kentucky: exploring a simple way of life

by Wynne Crombie

A rousing beat was coming from the 1820 Meeting House. The door was open and a demonstration of Shaker religious singing was in progress. It was a boisterous rendition of Loch Lomond. My husband Kent and I stepped in to get a closer peek. It reminded us of an American Indian pow-wow.

The guide told us that the music was particularly boisterous to shake sin out of the transgressors. A display of a cradle stood next to a sign that read: “1805 cradle used by Shakers to rock adults to shake out their sins.”

We were at Shakerville, Kentucky outside Lexington and we had come to experience Shaker Life.

The Meeting House interior was free of any central obstructions to provide the Believers plenty of room to conduct their services. It was built to withstand a considerable amount of vibration due to the expressive nature of Shaker worship. Music was a central element of their worship. For much of their history, the Shakers worshipped without instruments.

The village was bustling. Visitors were strolling along the dirt paths; a guided tour was visible in the distance and a horse and wagon ride had just crept up behind us.

We were ready to begin our discovery of a way of life that was simplicity itself.

Shakers started arriving at Pleasant Hill somewhere around 1805. As early as 1816 they were producing enough surpluses of brooms, preserves, packaged seeds and other products to begin regular trading trips to New Orleans.

By the Mid-1850s Shakerville (as it was called) was home to approximately 600 Shakers occupying 250 buildings and almost 2800 acres of land. The Civil War and Industrial Revolution took a heavy toll and the community dissolved in 1910. In 1961, it was reestablished as a non-profit educational entity.

Kent and I had some thirty-four surviving buildings to explore. These are structures without fanfare, simple lines without curves. The Shakers were self-sufficient. They took what they had and made do. Crops were grown, and the seeds saved for the next year’s harvest. They made their own furniture and wove their own cloth. Houses were painted either pale yellow or white. Stone chimneys graced both sides of the houses.

One of the original bath houses still exists. They were constructed for each gender. Near-by was the Post Office where both Shakers and local residents received mail.

We took time out to dine at the restaurant, The Trustees’ Table. Their motto is: Dine with straight from the garden ingredients. Bowls of seasoned relish, a selection of hot vegetables and homemade bread come with each entrée. Kent and I chose, Fried Green Tomatoes, as an appetizer. Smothered Pork Loins over cornbread dressing were our entrees. ($20). Another enticing entrée was Mrs. Kremer’s Fried Chicken. ($21.95).

In addition to dining, you can spend the night at The Inn. Visitors can choose from guest rooms, suites and private cottages. Rooms are furnished with Shaker reproduction furniture, original hardwood floors and magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.

Beds¸ single, double, and low trundle, were manufactured on site. The Shakers used raw local materials. A necessary function was the production of cloth and garments from wool and vegetable fibers produced on the farm. Examples… Linen, worsted, and linsey-woolsey were on display. The latter was in popular demand for the making of slave clothing. An interesting sight was an array of five Shaker brooms hanging on pegs. When the light is just right, they cast interesting shadows on the wall.

Water was pumped by horse power from a spring to the 19,000-gallon reservoir in the Water House. The water was then fed, via gravity, to the kitchens and wash houses in the Village.

Society was divided into families from 50 to 100 members. Each family had its own dwelling house.

There is one remaining privy or, as the Shakers called it, a Necessary. Instead of a trench, the privy had a clean-out vent on the back wall.

As we moved from building to building we discovered more looms, spinning wheels. homemade furniture and kitchen utensils. The finished products were all made by hand. A display of clothes showed shapeless gowns in grayish-blues and maroon. Clothes in muted blues and maroons were hanging on pegs. The white bonnets were shapeless; the long skirts formless and drab. There was little difference between the shoes and stockings worn by men and women.

Also intriguing were the ubiquitous stone fences. Our guide, Bertha explained that about four layers of stones are piled one upon another. The top layer is composed of stones laid on their sides. This is called, “coping.” The purpose was twofold: to weigh down the fence and to keep the cattle in. In addition to the stone fences, property was also marked with white wooden fences with horizontal slats.

Today, Shaker Village is very much a village at work. Farmers, historians, naturalists and many others work from growing the organic garden, to managing prairie habitat, caring for important artifacts, restoring historic buildings and building an apiary, real work happens here!

After exploring the village you can head over to The Farm to meet the animals and out into The Preserve to explore 3,000 acres of farmland.

Admission grants you access to a full day of discovery filled with self-guided and staff-led tours, talks, music, demonstrations, exhibitions, hands-on activities and more.

Jump on board the horse-drawn wagon or take a hay ride around The Historic Centre every weekend, from April through October.

The site is home to the country’s largest private collection of original 19th century buildings.

It is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Admission $10. (Ages 13 and up).

Photo credits:
All photos by Wynne Crombie

About the author:
Wynne Crombie has a master’s degree in Adult Education. Her work has appeared in: Alaskan Airline Magazine, Travel and Leisure, Travel Thru History, Dallas Morning News, Senior Living, Stars and Stripes, Birds and Blooms, Italy Magazine (UK) Get Lost (Au) Catholic Digest, Country Woman, Quilt Magazine, and Chicago Parent. She has taught in the United States and with the DOD at Aviano AFB, Italy and Berlin. (It was in Berlin that she met her husband of 55 years) They have retired to Lexington, Kentucky and love it.

Great Maya Tombstone Part 2

by Georges Fery

Still not understood, however, is the significance of a three-and-half-inch jade cube placed in Pakal’s right hand and a jade sphere of the same size in his left. Shele and Mathews observe that “indeed they are the most provocative contents of the tomb” (1998). The cube and the sphere are symbolically related to oppositions, and allegorically perceived as the beginning and end of time periods such as the seasons, the 260-days Tzol’kin Sacred Calendar, K’atun endings or the B’ak’tun four-hundred-years cycle among other timelines. The Maya, however, left us no clues about the significance of the jade ball and cube, so we are left to wrestle with their meaning.

Once the last prayers and pleas were concluded in the crypt, the finely carved tombstone was slid back from its northern abutment to cover the sarcophagus, which was then sealed with mortar. Before leaving the sanctuary, however, Ah’kinob’ or high priests, placed one of Pakal ceremonial jade belt and small personal adornments on the north side of the tombstone. Below the sarcophagus were found fine ceramics and two finely carved stucco heads, one most likely portraying young Pakal and the other the mature Lord of Palenque.

Rituals accompanying Pakal’s burial may have spanned several weeks. Once prayers and ceremonies were concluded and dignitaries, from close and far had paid their last respects, the massive triangular limestone door to the crypt was closed. Over the years, however, the door was opened for ceremonies at dedicated times. Ominously, years of armed conflicts between polities brought destruction in the region. Pakal second son K’inich K’an Joy Chitam (644-721) attempted to subdue Palenque’s arch enemy, Toniná, eighty-two miles away in the Ocosingo valley, but failed and was captured on August 26, 711. He was held hostage but, surprisingly, was not sacrificed as was customary and a few years later, was released from captivity under unknown terms. Recurrent wars, however, became unavoidable between the two kingdoms and their respective proxies.

In 721 Pakal’s third son, K’inich Ahkal Mo’Nab’ (671-736), inherited the kingdom. In the following years, in fear of another invasion, he resolved to fill the intramural stairways in the Temple of the Inscriptions with rocks and rubble to protect the crypt. It remained undisturbed until 1952, when Ruz and his team found the limestone door to the stairs on the temple floor, and removed the tons of rubble and debris, and reached the door of the crypt.

To understand the tombstone complex iconography, it must be read according to the cardinal orientation of its imagery, that is from bottom (south) to top (north), for Pakal is shown emerging from the Underworld (below), struggling to reach the Otherworld (above). As did Ruz, later archaeologists and scholars, we will focus on the central part of the tombstone’s iconography and examine its imagery, which details what happened to Pakal at the time of his death. As Shele points out, “his awkward position shows the moment of greatest transformation in his life.” His net skirt shows him dressed as the youthful Maize God, Hun’Nal Ye. Pakal is shown escaping on his Sak’Be or white road up the world tree, the wakah chan. The verb describing the event read och beh, meaning “he entered the road” that is, the Milky Way, the wakah chan celestial metaphor. The tree’s roots reach deep into the Underworld while Pakal is “moving away from the Sak B’aak Naah Chapat, the mythic “White Bone Snake” that connects the world of the living to the world of ancestors” (1993). It is shown as the portal through which Pakal passed in death. The snake’s upper mandible reaches to the back of Pakal’s neck while the lower one extends below his left knee as he escapes the snake’s maws. The mandibles were forced open by the gods, freeing him from the cycles of mortal life. Pakal is reaching toward eternal life to be reborn as Hun’Nal Ye the maize god, to secure bountiful maize harvests for Palenque’s future generations.

The rebirth scene on the tombstone is a powerful reminder of a major recurring event in the lives of the ancient Maya, the eclipse of K’inich Ahau, the Lord Sun. Eclipses were understood as the undeniable proof of the eternal return. During his reign, Pakal and his wife, Ix Tz’ak-b’u Ahau, led the ceremonies as spiritual lords of the sun and moon deities. Together with high priests and priestesses they monitored the eclipses, pleading for the release of the sun from the shadow of the moon. On the tombstone, the “White Bone Snake” (the Underworld, the past), and the “White Snake” (the Otherworld, the future) mythologically held the same functions as those of the sun and moon battling the shadows of the eclipse. Each snake sanctioned eternal life in their respective realm for they both answered to complementary opposites.

The double-headed “White Snake” facing Pakal is draped over the horizontal arms of the tree adorned with jade flowers. Since the words “sky” and “snake” are both kan in Maya, snakes were figuratively associated with the Milky Way that connected their lords to that realm. Kan is shown as a rope ending as sak-nik the “white flower” sign, while the double-headed serpent evokes the twisted form of an umbilical cord. Pakal shows that he controls this conduit, the source of power and ancestral wisdom.

From the wide-open mouths of the double-headed “White Snake” small deities emerge. Such as the Jester god embodiment of the sacred headband of kings, comes forth from the left mouth (east), while from the right (west) comes out K’awiil, the manikin scepter with one of its legs shaped as a serpent, symbol of supreme lordship. Grasping the serpent footed K’awiil is an emblematic figure depicted on lintels and other mediums in Classic Maya portraiture. We can surmise, as Schele point out “that a king holding K’awiil is grasping the path to the Otherworld and the means by which it is opened” (1993). The serpent, however, does not depict the zoological animal; it is a metaphor attached to the snake’s shedding of its skin (molting), perceived as its perpetual rebirth, and evidencing life’s eternal return. Pakal is shown ending his journey on the Sak’Be, the “white road” or “milky way” which started when his body left the palace. His posture, however, indicates that he is looking up at Itzam Yeh, the Great Celestial Bird, associated with the Milky Way, the celestial Cosmic River. He is facing his destiny in the “Otherworld” heading north, away from the accursed east-west cycles of the eternal return.

Arguably as important as the tombstone imagery are Pakal’s eight ancestors, who are carved on the four sides of the sarcophagus and are, figuratively, holding the tombstone of their descendant. As Schele and Matthews note “…each figure is shown emerging from a crack in the earth along with a tree.” We know “who these eight ancestors are for they are named in the glyphs placed below each figure as well as in their headdresses, as is the name of a tree.” Furthermore, scholars showed the remarkable pattern of these ancestral portraits since Ahkal Mo’Nahb.I (465-524) appears at the northern end of the west side. Schele’s analysis stresses that “to view the subsequent generations one must, from inside the coffin, look alternatively back and forth from one side of the massive stone to the other to understand the succession in time of the ancestors.” These are the Tza’qol B’itol, the “grandmothers-grandfathers” inheritors of ancestral knowledge, a concept likened to a forest of kings growing around Pakal’s coffin.

However, “the trees do not represent an untamed forest, for the ancestors are shown with known fruit trees the Maya cultivated and tended in orchards around their houses, bearing fruits season after season, witnesses to life’s eternal return” (1998). As Scherer underline, “Late Classic-period Maya sarcophagus facilitated the ritual practice of ancestor veneration and were imbued with metaphors of rebirth and renewal” (2012).

Nine life-size warrior figures in full regalia are modeled in stucco on the walls of the crypt, also known as the B’olon Eht Naah or “House of the Nine Companions.” They are described as “the guardians of the sacred bones of their lord, the perceived custodians of the seeds of peace and abundance for Palenque’s future generations” (Freidel, Schele,1993). The “companions” wear ornate headdresses with quetzal-like bird feathers and capes, high-backed sandals, cross-leg ornate and pectorals. Each one holds a K’awil scepter; all wear a Bearded Jaguar God round shield on their wrists, as well as the rectangular mouthpiece of the maize god, perhaps to show that they are in the same state as their lord in the coffin they guard for eternity. The most telling information comes from the distribution of their skirts: eight wear short jaguar kilts and one wears a long knee-length net skirt. The figure with the long skirt has Ahaw No Ol inscribed in its headdress, which is probably part of the name of Ix Yohl Ik’nal, the only woman Ahau to rule Palenque in her own right from 583 to 604.

Furthermore, Schele and Parker suggest that “these rulers are the portraits of the full dynastic succession, in contrast to the sarcophagus’ figures which depict direct descent from father to son over seven generations” (1993). The cramped quarters of the crypt did not allow space for visitors, for there is only about a foot or so between the sarcophagus’ lid lengthwise and the sanctuary’s walls; the crypt was not made to receive visitors. No one could ever see the sarcophagus and read its full imagery, once the massive triangular door was sealed. The message was there for its own sake to exist in the afterlife, never to be read by the living.

The complex symbolism displayed on the tombstone illustrates a remarkable story about life, death, and rebirth. It took untold generations for the ancient societies to recognize ancestors as predecessors and descendants as successors in life’s eternal return. As noted by scholars “the world of humans is connected to the wakah chan the Maya axis mundi, the world tree, which ran through the center of existence.

The wakah chan was not located in any earthly or cosmic place but could be materialized through rituals at any point in the natural and human-made landscape” (Schele, Freidel, 1990). In his sarcophagus Pakal was close to his wife Ix Tzaa’ak’bu Ahaw, entombed in Temple.XIII which is contiguous to the Temple of the Inscriptions. Known in modern time as the Red Queen, she died eleven years before Pakal, on November 13, 672. Her life and those of women of Lakamha’ will be the theme of a forthcoming article.

Among the western Classic Maya, the deceased were frequently found buried following a two steps process, primary and secondary, a custom not exclusive to high segments of the societies. In Palenque, non-elite remains were found in several household. Burials took place below the grounds or floors of family compounds for males in the courtyard or patio, and for females underneath house floors within the complex. In several cases remains of koyem, a corn gruel was found, that was introduced into the mouth of the departed to sustain his/her chu’lel on its ultimate voyage. For high to mid segments of society, the grave and its venerated ancestors was preeminent in the collective memory of the close and extended family. For the wider community, a sarcophagus held individuals that were socially important and with whom society was not ready to part.

Beliefs and rituals followed the principle of a perceived binary world, inseparable of ancient daily lives, where gods and deities foreordained the pace of time and the alternance of seasons. Furthermore, the omnipresence of ancestors in people’s lives perpetuated, as McAnany notes “a triangulation that links the past and the future through the living, as an acknowledgement to the fleeting existence of life” (2010). At the heart of the eternal return are actual and allegorical ancestors. The first is attached to individuals while the second answers to the spiritual needs and identity of a community. The very existence of each one of us is evidence of our link in the chain of life, a perception that may be predicated on secular or spiritual grounds. There are, however, as many individual and collective perceptions of this reality as there are cultures and languages. This relentless spiritual search beyond ourselves, however, may perhaps reveal, as underlined by Teilhard de Chardin that “…we are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience” (1964).

A pertinent reflection about life portrayed on Pakal’s tombstone whose legacy lives in the consciousness of present-day Maya communities.

Photo credits:

Pakal Death Mask @georgefery.com
The Tombstone @georgefery.com
Tombstone Drawing @Merle Green Robertson
The Ancestors @georgefery.com
The Nine Companions @georgefery.com
He Still Lives @georgefery.com

This is the second of a two-part series. Read part one here.

References – Further Reading:
Alberto Ruz Lhuillier, 2013 – El Templo de las Inscripciones: Palenque
Vera Tiesler, Andrea Cucina, 2006 – Janaab’ Pakal of Palenque
Freidel, L. Schele, J. Parker, 1993 – Maya Cosmo, Three Thousand Years on the Shaman’s Path
Barbara Tedlock, 1982 – Time and the Highland Maya
Méndez Martinez, E. Valey Sis – Asociación Maya Uk’Ux B’e, 2008 – Cosmocimientos y Practicas Mayas Antiguas
Teilhard de Chardin, 1964 – La Grande Illusion
Patricia A. McAnany, 1995 – Living with the Ancestors
Jacques Cauvin, 1994 – Naissance des Divinités, Naissance de l’Agriculture
de la Garza, G. Bernal Romero, M. Cuevas Garcia, 2012 – Palenque-Lakamha’: Una Presencia Inmortal del Pasado Indígena
Fernando Nuñez, 2012 – Las Sepulturas de Palenque
Denis Fustel de Coulanges, 1864 – La Cité Antique
Linda Schele, Peter Mathews, 1998 – The Code of Kings

About the author:
Creative non-fiction writer, researcher and photographer, Georges Fery (georgefery.com) addresses topics, from history, culture, and beliefs to daily living of ancient and today’s communities of Mesoamerica and South America. His articles are published online at travelthruhistory.com, ancient-origins.net and popular-archaeology.com, in the quarterly magazine Ancient American (ancientamerican.com), as well as in the U.K. at mexicolore.co.uk. The author is a fellow of the Institute of Maya Studies instituteofmayastudies.org Miami, FL and The Royal Geographical Society, London, U.K. rgs.org. As well as member in good standing of the Maya Exploration Center, Austin, TX mayaexploration.org, the Archaeological Institute of America, Boston, MA archaeological.org, the National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC. americanindian.si.edu, and the NFAA – Non-Fiction Authors Association nonfictionauthrosassociation.com.

Contact: Georges Fery – 5200 Keller Springs Road, Apt. 1511, Dallas, Texas 75248
(786) 501 9692 –gfery.43@gmail.com and www.georgefery.com

The German History of Milwaukee

An unfairly underrated locale, Milwaukee is overlooked by big city dwellers and rural folk alike but proves to be full of cherished Germanic history. From the first German settlers to the PBR we all know and love, Milwaukee’s prevailing Cream City charm will have you scrambling to make it the next stop on your travel itinerary.

Great Gemütlichkeit!

During the 1830s and 1840s, German immigrants began migrating in droves beyond the Atlantic Ocean to the unsettled midwest of New America. The economic turmoil of their homeland and a desire to escape retaliation for the failed Revolution of 1848, caused Southeastern Wisconsin to flood with young Germans on the hunt for fresh beginnings. German Americans believed that being a “good German” was synonymous with being a patriotic American.

As such, they lived by the concept of “Gemütlichkeit.” Jovialness, eating, drinking, and having fun with family and friends. You can still experience gemütlichkeit today at Mader’s Restaurant in Milwaukee’s Riverwalk District. Built in 1902, Mader’s is the oldest authentic German restaurant in the area and left its mark on local history. At midnight on April 7, 1933, Mader’s served the first legal beer in Milwaukee following the end of Prohibition! While dining at Mader’s, note the stained-glass folk art, the world’s largest collection of beer steins, and multiple medieval suits of armor. Don’t forget to pose with your boot of German brew in Mader’s “big famous chair” and peruse the autographed photos of over 70 celebrity patrons.

During the 19th century, settlers fervently clung to the German language in an effort to preserve their heritage and establish everlasting bonds with other German-speaking Americans. In 1846, St. Mary’s became the first of many German-speaking parishes in Milwaukee, and in 1852, Mathilde Anneke published the United States’ first feminist newspaper — of course, written in German. By 1864, George Brumder founded the Germania Publishing Company, which became the most prolific publisher of German language materials in the Northwest. German American citizens even rallied against — and eventually overturned — Bennett’s Law, which required public and private schools in Wisconsin to be taught exclusively in English from 1889 to 1891.

Unfortunately, this was not the end of the drive to “Americanize” the Germans. The iconic Pabst Theater was compelled by American patriot rioters to suspend German-language performances from 1918 through the end of the First World War and completely discontinue them in 1931. By 1919, the German language had been eliminated from Wisconsin’s public elementary schools, and in the 1990s, 48% of Milwaukeeans claimed German heritage, but only a fraction could speak German or belonged to German cultural groups.

Captain Pabst and the Legacy of PBR

German settlement undoubtedly influenced the pervasive brewing industry that Milwaukee has come to be known for. By 1860, approximately 35 breweries were established along the Milwaukee River — which provided easy access to water and ice necessary for the brewing process. Many of the historic buildings throughout Milwaukee today were malt storage facilities, cooperage houses, bars, and public entertainment venues built and maintained by big-name brewing companies.

Perhaps the most well-known brewery — with its heritage seeped in Germanic tradition — is Pabst Blue Ribbon. The Pabst legacy began in Mettenheim, Rheinhessen with a man named Jacob Best. Originally dubbed The Best Brewing Company, operations relocated to Milwaukee in 1844, where its headquarters would remain until 1996. When Jacob retired in 1853, he delegated the company to his sons, Jacob Jr. and Phillip (Jacob’s other sons, Charles and Lorenz, had already opened Plank Road Brewery, a precursor to Miller). By 1859 Phillip had gained sole ownership of the Best Brewing Company and brought on his sons-in-law to help him run the business. A scientist and a steamship captain were certainly an unlikely pair in the brewing business, but Emil Schandein and Frederick Pabst used their unique backgrounds to their advantage and Best Brewing Company was entirely in their control by 1866.

Following an 1879 brewery fire, Pabst and Schandein began building what is now The Brewery District of Milwaukee, encompassing 27 buildings and seven city blocks! The Pabst Malt House, built in 1882, was once the largest brewery-owned malt house in the world. Much of this area, including the Malt House, was redesigned into offices, shops, and living spaces in 2006. The old Malt House even displays original rusted artifacts like spiral staircases and preserved brewing kilns.

The brew itself was performing extremely well, too. The Best Brewing Company won gold medals at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and the 1878 Paris World’s Fair for its stellar concoctions. When Schandein died in 1888, the company was renamed Pabst Brewing Company and — following another gold medal win at the 1893 Columbian Exchange in Chicago — Pabst rebranded one last time to Pabst Blue Ribbon (although no such ribbon was ever actually awarded).

At the height of their success, Frederick and Maria Pabst decided to vacate their home in the shroud of brewhouses and construct the Pabst Mansion on West Wisconsin Avenue. Although Captain Pabst was already 57 years old at the time and his children mostly grown, the mansion boasted 37 rooms, 14 fireplaces, and at least 12 bathrooms. The house cost the family a mere $254,000 for land, construction, and complete custom furnishings. The only child raised in the mansion was Elsbeth Pabst, who was adopted by the Captian and Maria following the early death of their eldest daughter, Elizabeth. Emma, the Pabst’s youngest daughter, also had her own room, although she was already twenty-two at the time of completion and would soon retire from the grand mansion upon marriage.

Certainly, Captain Pabst footed the bill for the lavish mansion, but Maria’s design sensibilities command a leading role in the home’s decor. French influences dominate the dining room, Mrs. Pabst’s parlor, and Elsbeth’s bedroom. The parlor features the original custom-built furniture and mirrors Elsbeth’s room with ivory paint, shell motifs, and gold leaf accents. The dining room highlights the original table, chairs, and chandelier designed in a grand French manner and accented by roses — thought to be Maria’s favorite flower. Emma’s bedroom displays the English Regency style, outfitted with deep green flourishes with ivory and gold accents. The second-floor foyer presents American Renaissance Revival stained-glass doors, allowing a glimmering influx of natural light from the front of the house. Take note of the glass knobs on the bathroom doors. At this time, it was believed that glass doorknobs were more sanitary than brass or other metals. Not to be outdone, the music room was outfitted in the Italian Renaissance style with mahogany entablatures, spiral and Corinthian columns, anaglypta ceilings, and lincrusta-covered walls.

Captain Pabst’s influence can only be felt in three main areas of the house — the Reception Hall, the Grand Staircase, and his personal study. All three feature ornate woodwork and coffered ceilings indicative of the German Renaissance style. The Reception hall features an elk antler chandelier and the Grand staircase displays finials representative of hops buds atop the newel posts. Before ascending, take careful notice of the painting at the foot of the stairs. It was common at this time to reuse previously painted canvases and the face of a man can still be seen lurking in the smoky sky. Then, turn your attention to the actual sky and marvel at the glass skylight which could be opened during the sweltering Midwest summers to increase ventilation.

Arguably the most intriguing room in the house is Captian Pabst’s study. Intricate 17th-century German-influenced oak and walnut wall panels conceal 14 hidden compartments for stashing cigars and exhibit four German proverbs that inspired the Captain throughout his life.

Furthering the German influence, the hand-blown glass windows depict German Nationalism insignias — a roaring lion and a coat of arms. The original wrought iron chandelier and iron fireplace grate bearing the initials of its owner leave the lasting impression of a classical man.

Captain Pabst passed just after noon on New Year’s Day, 1904, after suffering two strokes while visiting California. He was 67 years old. The funeral was held in the music room of the mansion and Pabst was laid to rest at the Forest Home Cemetery where Maria would accompany him in 1906. The mansion was sold in 1908 to an Archbishop and became the center of Milwaukee’s Roman Catholic Archdiocese for over 67 years. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and opened to the public in 1978.

Baseball’s Haunted Hotel

Yet another monument commemorating Milwaukee’s turn of the 20th century is the grand Pfister Hotel. Guido Pfister migrated — like many others — from Germany in the 1840s. He quickly established an industrial tannery with business partner, Frederick Vogel. Within the first year, it became the largest tannery in Milwaukee, and by the 1910s, it was among the largest in the world.

Guido, in collaboration with his son, Charles, set out to open the most luxurious hotel in the Midwest. A fantastic feat of its time, the hotel cost nearly one million dollars to build in 1893 and flaunted electricity and individual thermostats in every guest room. Advertisements at the time even claimed the building was fireproof!

Constructed in the Romanesque Revival style, every detail exudes wealth and affluence. Pink marble floors, golden embossed elevators, ceilings adorned with painted cherubs, and the grand ballrooms’ shimmering chandeliers make one feel as though they have suddenly been transported into a glamorous era long forgotten. As if it could not radiate any more exorbitant opulence, it is also home to the largest Victorian art collection in the world owned by a hotel.

Today the hotel is a member of Historic Hotels Worldwide and still lauds its reputation of unmatched luxurious hospitality; however, it is most well-known for its alleged hauntings. The apparition of Charles Pfister himself is frequently described on the hotel’s grand staircase and reports of unexplained footsteps and electronic glitches inundate the second floor.

One can assume the ghouls of the Pfister Hotel hold a certain vendetta against baseball in particular. The luxuriousness of the hotel has been sustained throughout its 130 years, making it the accommodation of choice for many celebrities and Major League Baseball teams who detail their fair share of eerie experiences.

Hall of Famer, Bryce Harper claimed that in 2012 he laid his clothes on a table before going to bed and awoke the following day to his clothing on the floor and the table moved to the opposite side of the room. He then requested a new room. Carlos Gómez was so frightened by disembodied voices and a malfunctioning iPod that he ran from his room without putting his pants on. As recently as 2018, Carlos Martinez and Marcell Ozuna both claimed to have seen a ghost. The two men slept in Francisco Peña’s room that night and said they would fight the spirit together if it reappeared. C.J. Wilson was so spooked by a visiting ghoul one night that he missed a radio appearance the next day to pay his own visit to the team chaplain. Despite its beauty and luxury, MLB managers might consider skipping the Pfister in the future if they desire a well-rested team.

Cream City Crime

If you cannot afford — or are unwilling — to spend a night at the Pfister, consider another famously spooky Milwaukee attraction. Many flock to this modern representation of a 1920s speakeasy to stroll the same sidewalks soiled by the Milwaukee Cannibal; however, this establishment has a much darker history than some may realize.

Shaker’s Cigar Bar was originally constructed as a cooperage for the Schlitz Brewing Company in 1894 on what is rumored to be a Native American cemetery. Perhaps this was the initial faux pas that resulted in decades of misfortune within its walls. The bar’s current owner, Bob Weiss, claims to have discovered two sets of human remains below the building’s foundation and the 70-year-old bones of a young woman in the walls.

Allegedly, the Capone brothers purchased the property in the 1920s and operated a speakeasy on the main level with a brothel on the floors above. The brothers’ ownership cannot be corroborated due to the secret dealings of Mr. Al Capone, but Milwaukee is a mere ninety miles from his primary stomping ground of Chicago, so it’s not totally outside the realm of possibility.

Fast-forward to the 1990s when Jeffery Dahmer begins his nighttime hunts in the infamous Walkers Point neighborhood. Rumored to be a favorite haunt of Dahmer’s during his reign of terror, Shaker’s is the kickoff point for the Cream City Cannibal tour, featured on the Netflix series Dark Tourist. The tour recounts the perversions of Dahmer’s life and how he came to live in West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee, with his grandmother — affording him the opportunity to terrorize the city. Dahmer stalked and lured victims from bars such as the 219 Club, La Cage Aux Folles, and The Phoenix Bar, which are all pointed out on the walking tour. Although there are no recorded victims poached from Shakers’, there is a barstool, approximately three inches shorter than the rest, that was alleged to be Jeffery’s favorite.

Ghost stories and rumors aside, Shaker’s is an experience like no other. Stepping across the threshold might as well be stepping into a soiree with all the flair and charisma of Jay Gatsby himself. Intricate murals and human-sized butterfly wings adorn the walls, sweet cigar smoke clouds the air, and patrons converse on antique couches while they sip vintage cocktails. Grab a Wisco Old Fashioned, a 19th-century cognac, or a “Death in the Afternoon,” and head up the wooden staircase to be transported into a 1920s brothel — and rentable AirBnB space — silhouetted by red lights and neon glow. Be sure to venture on up to the rooftop bar for a beautiful night-time view of Milwaukee through the malty tobacco haze.

Whatever your reason for visiting Milwaukee — make like a German — get some buds, brats, and brews, and let the gemütlichkeit begin!

Photo Credits:
First photo by Wei Zeng via Unsplash.
All others by Samantha Kreps:

MADER’S: Antique suits of armor posed at the entryway of Knight’s Bar/Mader’s Restaurant.
PABST: Painting at the foot of the grand staircase in the Pabst Mansion on the Illuminating the Dark nighttime tour. The tour guide’s flashlight illuminated the face of a man in the sky.
PFISTER: Pfister Hotel main lobby ceiling.
SHAKERS: Shaker’s mural on the side of the bar.

About the author:
SamanthaKreps is a young writer with an old soul. Born and raised in Maryland, United States, she discovered a passion for exploration while working as a traveling nurse in Wisconsin and Florida. She currently lives in Maryland with her four-legged best friend, Remi. You can find more about Samantha on her website samanthanicoleagency.com.

Resources:

https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/articles/unique-unites/celebrate-german-heritage/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/mathilde-franziska-anneke/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/bennett-law/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/performance-venues/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/gemutlichkeit/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/temperance/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/brewing/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/pfister-vogel-leather-company/

https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/pabst-brewing-company/

https://thebrewery.org/the-district/#malthouse

https://www.pabstmansion.com/virtual-tour/

https://www.shakerscigarbar.com/

https://www.thepfisterhotel.com/boutique-hotel/pfister-history

https://madersrestaurant.com/about-us/

https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/partners/mader-s-restaurant-399/

https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2021/10/14/milwaukee-s-haunted-bar

https://www.mlb.com/news/haunted-baseball-stories-from-pfister-hotel-c298043052

Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico Travel

The Great Maya Tombstone

by Georges Fery

by The iconography of the Maya tombstone in the Temple of the Inscriptions has raised more questions than well-founded answers. A close look at the tombstone, its setting and history, may help understand the Maya timeless message about life and death. The Temple is the final resting place of K’inich Janahb’ Pakal Ahaw, Lord of the B’aakal kingdom at Lakamha’, near today’s Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico, where he was born on March 13, 603. From the end of the fifth to the late ninth century, Lakamha’ was an important metropolis and a major regional player in politics, trade, and architecture. Pakal ruled the kingdom from 615 to 682, making him one of the longest-reigning Maya monarch in history.

As holy lord of the B’aakal kingdom, Pakal was supreme in secular and religious matters, superseding the high priest and priestess, for the prefix K’inich means Lord, while Ahaw connotes Holy. The Maya called their kings ch’ul ahaw or “lords of the life force,” for the universal power vested in them by the gods. He, and he alone, was anointed by the gods of the unifying forces of light of the Otherworld and those of darkness of the Underworld. In the Maya cosmology, these “worlds” were understood as “complementary opposites” for, paradoxically, both were in turn friendly and hostile over humans and nature. For these reasons, they needed to be pacified through rituals at dedicated times such as, among others, planting and harvesting and important communal milestones.

In the last decade of his life, Pakal and his architects worked on his funerary monument, the Temple of the Inscriptions facing the ancient city’s central plaza.

The temple is the most remarkable sanctuary ever built in Mesoamerica. The eight-level funerary pyramid, and the temple at its summit making up its ninth level, was designed by Pakal and his architects who started its construction around 675, when Pakal was seventy-two years old. The structure was completed about five years before his death on August 8, 683. The temple at its top was dedicated on December 23, 688, by his son and heir, K’inich K’an B’ahlam (635-702), in time for his father’s funeral. The stepped pyramid’s foundations reach over ten feet below the central plaza’s grounds. The structure was originally covered with plaster that may have been painted red, for remains of pigment were found; of note is the absence of carvings on its stones. The name Temple of the Inscriptions comes from three large limestone panels found on the walls of the temple’s front corridor. In the past, the stepped pyramid was known as “Temple of the Laws” because on those panels are 617-glyphs that narrate Pakal’s achievements and proclaim his place in eternity.

The six piers atop the pyramid are adorned with stucco scenes. As noted by scholars, “we may never know what Pakal intended to display on the piers, for K’an B’ahlam, who completed the temple after his father’s death, took this public location to show the rituals in which he became heir to the throne and proved his divine nature.” In ancient Maya cosmology “the pyramid replicates the “First-True-Mountain of the World Rising out of the Primordial Waters of Creation” (Schele, Matthews, 1993, 1998). The crypt, located in the deepest recess of the pyramid, is associated with caves perceived as portals to the water world for water is integral to the belief in the beginning of life in Maya cosmology where the “Otherworld” points to a mythic world “above” the human plane, abode of the sun, beneficent gods, and life. Its opposite, the “Underworld” or world “below” is associated with sunset, the moon, malevolent gods, and death. The world of the living, between these two man-made worlds, is the “Middle World.” As Bassie-Sweet point out, “One of the most important structuring principles in Maya worldview was complementary or contrasting opposites, such as male/female, right/left, east/west, day/night, up/down or north/south” (2008).

To build the pyramid, not only did architects, master stonemasons and carvers answered Pakal’s architectural requirements, they also followed a sacred allegorical pattern that was beyond their professional expertise, helped in their tasks by calendar priests, knowledge keepers and wizards. For the burial ceremony, Pakal and his chu’lel – his “divine life force” or “blessed substance of the living universe” – were first brought from the palace up the pyramid’s front stairs. The stairs of the pyramid follow, as does the pyramid’s architecture, the four sacred directions of the Maya equilateral cross, the wacah chan or “world tree.” Each arm of the cross is associated with colors, deities, and functions. The pyramid faces northward onto Palenque’s main plaza. Climbing the stairway up to the temple, Pakal and his retinue faced South>yellow-K’an Xib’Chac, germ of life, origin of the winds). After prayers, rituals, and invocations in the temple, Pakal’s body and his chu’lel’ were carried down the three sets of the intramural stairways leading down to the crypt. The first flight of stairs followed the path of the Sun, so Pakal and his retinue walked down heading East>redChac Xib’Chac, sunrise, dawn. At mid-level, the second set of stairs sharply turns West>black-Ek Xib’Chac, sunset, dusk. Pakal’s last short five steps stairway into the crypt led him North>white–Zac Xib’Chac, resting place of the winds.

When Pakal was placed in his coffin his head pointing north, he transitioned from a divine king to a celestial ancestor. As the last rituals and invocations were completed, the crypt’s massive triangular stone door was closed. In his coffin, however, Pakal was never far from the living and, for this purpose, had a narrow conduit called the Tz’at Nakan, or “Serpent of the Wise Ones,” built to fit the stairwells. It was called a psychoduct by the renowned Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier (1906-1979), who discovered the stairwells in 1950 and the crypt in 1952. The serpent’s head is made of a mix of limestone plaster and was attached to the bottom of the sarcophagus which connected with the “psychoduct,” a rectangular limestone molding outside the door, matching each stair with a hollow round tube-like center that ended below the floor of the temple. It was the Tzat Nakan, through which Pakal and the priests established soul-to-soul contact, not soul-to-mind, at dedicated times. This feature is found in other structures at Palenque such as in Temples XIII and XVIII, albeit not so elaborate.

They each have a tube-like conduit that runs vertically from the crypt to below the temple floor, and a small hole on the sarcophagus lid was drilled at the level of the face to let the ch’ulel’ pass. These funnels bolstered the belief that the individual in the grave was still socially alive after death, with prerogatives attached to his spiritual powers, for ch’ulel’ never dies. It was then accepted, as it is today in most beliefs and religions, that a person has a body, and a soul. It was, however, the deified chu’lel’ that was the object of veneration. Upon death, while the body’s soft tissues decayed, its chu’lel remained within the skeletal bones for the duration of the person’s past life and was then reunited with the ancestors to be assigned to another life.

Upon discovering the stairwell and after removing the stones and debris from the intramural stairways, Alberto Ruz’s team reached the level of the sanctuary.

A massive triangular limestone door – seven and a half feet high, five feet wide at the base and eight inches thick – sealed the entrance to the crypt. There is no similar triangular door in Palenque or elsewhere in Mesoamerica. Facing the triangular limestone door, on the right side of the landing of the second flight of stairs, Ruz found the remains of five persons who had been sacrificed. They were dismembered to fit in a narrow stone box and were covered with cinnabar, a red mercury sulfide powder. Pakal’s so-called “companions” were sacrificed to serve their lord’s chu’lel’ in the afterlife with their own. Three of them were identified as “two males and one female in their late teens or early twenties; the other two could not be sexed due to the deterioration of the remains” (Tiesler, Cucina, 2006).

Opening the door became a laborious task to avoid damaging it. Ruz and his team eventually entered the twenty-by-thirteen-foot sanctuary and were stunned by the magnificence of the shrine. The massive monolithic twelve-to-fifteen-ton sarcophagus is ten feet long, seven feet wide and three-and-a-half-feet high. It was carved from a nearby limestone hill and took most of the crypt’s space. Because of its size and that of the monolithic tombstone, they were set in place together before the pyramid was built over the sanctuary. The sarcophagus rest on six carved square limestone blocks that raises it over a foot above the crypt’s floor made of large, quadrangular, finely leveled stones.

The rectangular finely carved tombstone was smeared with cinnabar, a red mercury sulfide powder, associated with blood, the ultimate stream of life, also used to ward off malevolent forces. What struck all present was the exquisitely carved tombstone, unique in the Americas for its breathtaking iconography. The tombstone is twelve-and-a half-feet long, seven-and-a half-feet wide and ten inches thick and overlaps the sarcophagus by fifteen-and-half inches on the north and south sides; the overlap is only two inches on both its long sides” (Alberto Ruz, 1973).

The archaeologists’ challenging task was to carefully slide the tombstone on an abutment originally built on the north side of the sarcophagus. The tombstone two northern corners were damaged probably during the transfer from the quarry to the sanctuary, before the pyramid was built; one of the corners was recovered below the sarcophagus. The coffin was carved into the sarcophagus in the shape of a fish, a reminder of the primordial sea from where all life forms came and was finely polished inside. It is six-and-a-half-feet long, one-and-three quarter-feet wide, and fourteen-and-a-half inches deep. A limestone cover, four inches thick, in the same shape as the opening fitted with stone plugs in its four corners, sealed the coffin. Upon lifting the cover, Ruz and his team came face-to-face with K’inich Janahb’ Pakal. The Lord of Lakamha’ was found lying on his back with arms extended on his sides and was fully dressed at the time of burial. The remains and the inside walls of the coffin were covered with cinnabar.

In Classic Maya imagery, the Maize God wore a net skirt and a profusion of jade ornaments like those found in the coffin. Pakal adornments were of fine green jade which were carefully recorded by the archaeologists. They included bracelets with semi-round beads akin to corn kernels, necklaces, rings on each of Pakal fingers, belts, ear flares, cylinder hair ornaments, a diadem made of forty-one jade disks, headbands and belts worn by Palenque’s ruling elite” (Stuart and Stuart, 2008).

Small jade figurines of deities such as Sak’Hunal the “jester god” oldest symbol of kingship, and other objects made of semi-precious stones and nacre from spondylus shells (Spondylus americanus) were placed on Pakal’s sides. A small jade figurine was found over Pakal’s groin, which may represent the maize god Hun’Nal Ye from the myth of creation. Among Pakal’s outstanding ornaments is his death mask, made of a mosaic of thin jade plaques. Its unique characteristic, according to Ruz’s report, is that “the mask was modeled directly over Pakal’s face, for a layer of stucco was found adhering to the bones of the skull.” Does that suggest a secondary and not a primary burial? The mask was believed to overcome the body’s natural degradation and as noted by Ruz, “may have been to personify…and ensure the departed an eternal face in its grave” (1972). The eyes of the mask are made of nacre, the iris is of obsidian, while black paint was applied for the pupils. Around Pakal’s neck was a huge collar made of hundreds of jade cylinders and beads. The beads were cut to resemble squash, a plant grown together with maize and, according to legend, brought into the world by Hun’Nal Ye, the maize god.

Of note is a jade ornament consisting of the Maya logogram Ik, in the shape of the capital letter I, which signifies “spirit,” “life,” or “breath.” The ornament was placed in the slightly open mouth of the jade mask. The Ik symbol, in the shape of either a capital T or I, is found on walls, stelas, and painted on ceramics. The architectural design of ballcourts, where games of life and death took place, also answer to the shape of this logogram. Before the Ik symbol and the death mask were placed over Pakal’s face, it is probable that koyem, a cooked maize paste traditionally used and found in common graves, was put into his mouth to feed his ch’ulel’s long voyage to Xibalba, the “place of awe” the Underworld. Xibalba answers to the complementary fields and is associated to the beginning and end of life and the power of nature.

For in darkness seeds bid their time underground to sprout and meet the light of the sun. Human life is not foreign to this cycle, for life that begins in the darkness of the womb, past its time, returns to the grave. The tombstone above all, is “an essential statement of dynastic vitality and continuity that was necessary following the death of an exceptionally long-lived king” (Scherer, 2012).

The above is part one of a two-part series. Read part two here.

All photos by Georges Fery:

Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque
The first flight of stairs
The triangular door
The crypt
Pakal’s jade death mask

Contact: Georges Fery – 5200 Keller Springs Road, Apt. 1511, Dallas, Texas 75248
(786) 501 9692 –gfery.43@gmail.com and www.georgefery.com

The Best Museums for Kids in the United States

As a lover of travel and education, I am always on the lookout for destinations that offer not only enjoyment but also learning opportunities for kids. Over the years, I’ve found that museums are a brilliant way to fuse fun with education. They stimulate young minds, spark curiosity, encourage questioning, and instill a love for learning. If you’re planning your next family vacation and are wondering where to take your little explorers, I’ve got you covered. This list features the best museums for kids in the United States, curated based on my personal experiences.

1. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis –Indianapolis, Indiana

First on the list is the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the world’s largest children’s museum. With five floors of interactive exhibits covering topics from dinosaurs to space travel, it caters to a wide age range, making it an ideal spot for families. The “Dinosphere” is a massive hit, housing one of the largest displays of real fossils in the country. Here, kids can unearth their own fossils and learn from the onsite paleontologists.

2. Please Touch Museum—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Next up, we head over to the city of brotherly love. The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia lives up to its name by inviting children to touch, feel, and interact with everything. The museum’s philosophy of learning through play shines through in exhibits like “Wonderland,” where kids can host their own Mad Hatter tea party, and “City Capers,” where they can pretend to be firefighters, grocers, and more. This hands-on approach makes the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia a standout among museums for kids in the United States.

3. Museum of Science—Boston, Massachusetts

The Museum of Science in Boston is a captivating place where kids can discover the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The museum is home to over 700 interactive exhibits, a planetarium, and a butterfly garden. With hands-on exhibits like “Take Apart,” where children can disassemble everyday objects to see how they work, this museum is sure to ignite the inner scientist in every child.

4. Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus—Denver, Colorado

Nestled in the heart of Denver, the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus is an adventure playground that stimulates creativity, curiosity, and learning. If you’re moving to Denver from far away and hiring long distance movers, be sure to keep this gem on your must-visit list. While searching for the right Denver moving team, don’t forget to plan exciting activities for the family. The “Joy Park” is a favorite, where children can engage with the elements, navigate through gorges, and even go on a thrilling zip line ride. But the fun doesn’t stop outdoors. Inside, kids can engage in role-play at the teaching kitchen, veterinary clinic, or fire station. This museum is a testament to Denver’s commitment to nurturing young minds.

5. Exploratorium—San Francisco, California

On the west coast, we find the Exploratorium in San Francisco, a hub of exploration and discovery. Here, kids can explore over 600 exhibits that encompass everything from physical phenomena to biological oddities. They can create giant bubbles, manipulate magnetic fields, or walk through a pitch-black dome to challenge their senses. It’s a place where science meets fun, and curiosity is king.

6. American Museum of Natural History—New York, New York

Lastly, but certainly not least, is the American Museum of Natural History in New York. It’s one of the most famous museums in the world, boasting vast collections of artifacts, fossils, and specimens. The museum’s dinosaur hall and Hayden Planetarium are crowd favorites. Here, children can uncover the mysteries of the universe and the creatures that once roamed our planet.

Visit the American Museum of Natural History, one of the best museums for kids in the United States

7. The Strong National Museum of Play—Rochester, New York

Located in Rochester, The Strong National Museum of Play is a highly interactive museum dedicated to the history and exploration of play. Its exhibits cover everything from video and board games to dolls and books, making it a versatile destination for kids of all ages. The “Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden” is a magical experience where kids can observe hundreds of butterflies up close, and the “Super Kids Market” lets them pretend to be shoppers or cashiers in a fully-stocked mini supermarket. It’s a wonderful place where play and learning intersect.

8. California Science Center—Los Angeles, California

Heading back to the West Coast, the California Science Center in Los Angeles is a marvelous place to explore scientific wonders. With so many things to do in California for kids, museum visits offer a perfect mix of fun and learning. The museum is divided into several themed areas, such as the “Ecosystems Zone,” which features a variety of habitats and creatures, and the “Space Shuttle Endeavour Exhibit,” which showcases the real space shuttle Endeavour. There’s even an “Earthquake Shake Table” that simulates the feeling of an earthquake! The California Science Center truly brings the wonders of science to life.

the ceiling of the California Science Center — Visit this great West Coast museum for scientific exploration

Final Thoughts

As I reflect on these incredible journeys across the country, visiting some of the best museums for kids in the United States, I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and amazement. Each museum, with its unique exhibits and interactive experiences, offered fun-filled moments and instilled in me a newfound appreciation for the power of learning.

I remember the wide-eyed wonder in the children’s eyes as they unearthed a dinosaur bone at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the giddy excitement of stepping into a fireman’s shoes at the Children’s Museum of Denver, and the thoughtful silence that fell over them at the American Museum of Natural History as they gazed up at the gigantic dinosaur fossils.

I saw how play and education intertwine beautifully at the Please Touch Museum and The Strong National Museum of Play, creating engaging, hands-on learning experiences. At the Exploratorium and the California Science Center, I witnessed how curiosity was sparked, leading to little discoveries that made big impressions.

Looking back, these adventures remind me that these museums are more than just rainy-day activities or ways to kill time during vacation. They are powerful learning environments that can ignite curiosity, foster a love for discovery, and inspire the future generation. Whether it’s science, history, nature, or play, these museums present knowledge in such an engaging and accessible way that children can’t help but soak it all up.

Children looking at an exhibit in a museum — Museums can fire up children’s imaginations

So, if you’re planning a trip, consider adding these museums to your itinerary. Let your children’s minds be captivated by the wonders of the world; let them learn, explore, and, most importantly – have fun. Because at the end of the day, the smiles on their faces and the knowledge they’ve gained are the real treasures we take home from these adventures.

As for me, my journey continues after the museums for kids in the United States, my map full of pins, and my heart full of memories. I can’t wait to see where the road takes me next in this beautiful country in search of the next exciting learning adventure. Happy travels, everyone!

If You Go

Plan Ahead: Check the operating hours and days of the museum you wish to visit. Some museums may close on specific days or have seasonal hours.
Tickets: Most museums offer the option to purchase tickets online in advance. This can save you time and sometimes money, as many museums offer discounts for online purchases.
Guided Tours: Many museums offer guided tours, which can enhance the educational value of your visit. Check with the museum for tour schedules and availability.
Food and Drink: Some museums have on-site cafes or restaurants, but you can usually bring your own food. Be sure to check the museum’s policy on this.

About the author:
Jane Mendez is a dedicated traveler, avid blogger, and passionate educator. She works with Spyder Moving Colorado, helping families transition smoothly into their new homes while exploring and sharing the best family-friendly destinations across the United States. Jane believes in turning every journey into a memorable learning adventure for kids and adults alike.