Athelhampton Athelhampton is one of the finest 15th Century houses in England, containing many magnificently furnished rooms including The Great Hall of 1485 and the newly opened Library. The glorious Grade I gardens, dating from 1891, contain the world-famous topiary pyramids, fountains, the River Piddle and collections of tulips, magnolias, roses, clematis and lilies in season.

Biltmore Estate In the late 1880s, George W. Vanderbilt, then a young man of 25, came upon the perfect spot in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains for a 250-room French Renaissance chateau to be built by his friend, architect Richard Morris Hunt in Asheville, NC. The great chateau would be called “Biltmore.” Enjoy the estate, gardens, winery and restaurants in a picturesque setting. (800) 543-2961

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Boscobel Restoration is an elegant, neo-classical mansion sited high above the Hudson River in the Hudson Highlands about fifty miles north of New York City. This is where the Hudson cuts through the Appalachian mountain range, creating a rocky gorge of unparalleled beauty at what is the narrowest, deepest and most treacherous stretch of the river. Below is the Constitution Marsh Sanctuary and across the river is the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Brooklyn Museum is the second largest art museum in New York City and one of the largest in the United States. One of the premier art institutions in the world, its permanent collection includes more than one and a half million objects, from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art, and represents almost every culture. (718) 638-5000

Department of State - Diplomatic Function Rooms opened in 1961, are mirrors of America's remarkable cultural accomplishments in fine and decorative artso of the 18th and 19th centuries. The collection has been acquired with generous tax-deductible contributions. Tours are available by reservation only, Monday through Friday. For reservations call (202) 647-3241

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Gunston Hall - home of George Mason (1725-1792) who was instrumental in the framing of the United States government. Tour this historic house constructed circa 1755-1760; it is an outstanding example of Georgian architecture. Elaborate interior carvings, designed by indentured servant William Buckland, serve as an impressive backdrop for guided tours discussing the 18th-century plantation household. (703) 550-9220

Henry Ford Museum - Greenfield Village is a place unlike any other, offering a fascinating chronicle of American ingenuity, innovation and imagination. An astounding collection of Americana that depicts the ever changing worlds of transportation, manufacturing, home life, entertainment and technology. All showcased in exhibits not available anywhere else. (313) 271-1620

Historic Deerfield is a museum of New England history and art within the carefully preserved 330 year old western Massachusetts village of Deerfield.

Each year thousands of visitors come to Deerfield to see a collection of 18th and 19th century houses and the Flynt Center of Early New England Life filled with some of the great decorative arts treasures of early America.

Historic Hudson Valley is an acknowledged leader in the field of historic preservation and education. It owns and opens to the public five properties in the Hudson River Valley. These include: Sunnyside, in Tarrytown; Philipsburg Manor, in Sleepy Hollow; Van Cortlandt Manor, in Croton-On-Hudson; Montgomery Place, in Annandale-On-Hudson, and the Union Church of Pocantico Hills. Historic Hudson Valley manages the visitors program at a sixth property, Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, located in Pocantico Hills. Kykuit is a property of the National Trust and is maintained and administered by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. (914) 631-8200

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Honolulu Academy of Arts, Mahalo was incorporated in 1922 and first opened its doors to the general public in 1927. The founder, Anna Rice Cooke, provided the original vision and guided the institution throughout its formative years. Now celebrating its 71st anniversary, the Academy continues to achieve its mission through exhibitions, education programs, collections, publications, studio art classes and theater activities. (808) 532-8700

Hood Museum - Dartmouth at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, is one of the oldest and largest college museums in the country and is recognized by the American Association of Museums as "a national model not only for college and university, but also for regional museums." (603)646-2808

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Hyde Park Franklin D. Roosevelt Library - Museum ,an on-line resource devoted to fulfilling Franklin Roosevelt's dream of making the records of the past available "for the use of men and women in the future." Through this site, scholars, teachers, students and members of the general public can now gain access to a portion of the rich collection of documents, photographs, sound and video recordings, finding aids, and other primary source materials found at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York. (845) 229-8114

Long Beach Museum of Art is located on a magnificent bluff-top site overlooking Long Beach Harbor and the Pacific Ocean. The campus includes the historic Elizabeth Milbank Anderson house and carriage house (built in 1912), oceanfront gardens, and a new pavilion with two floors of expansive gallery space for changing exhibitions. The historic buildings are home to administrative offices, the Museum Store and oceanfront dining at Claire's at the Museum. In addition to changing exhibitions, the Museum offers extensive educational programs for children and adults, musical programs, festivals, and other special events.

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Maryland Historical Society , founded in 1844, is the state's oldest cultural institution and houses the largest collection of objects and artifacts in the state of Maryland. Including a museum, library, press, Civil War Museum and extensive educational programs, the MHS collects, preserves, and interprets objects and materials reflecting Maryland's diverse heritage. (410) 685-3750

MESDA - Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts brings together under one roof a wealth of decorative arts made in Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The museum showcases its collection through twenty-four period rooms and seven galleries. The focus of the collection is the furniture, paintings, textiles, ceramics, silver, and other metalwares made and used in the South through 1820. (888) 653-7253.

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Metropolitan Museum of Art The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art houses one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of American art in existence - more than 15,000 paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts objects, all of which are accessible to the public on four floors of gallery and study areas. (212) 535-7710

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Mount Vernon When the Mount Vernon Ladies´ Association purchased the estate in 1858, there were but a handful of original Washington artifacts remaining at Mount Vernon. Since that time, the Association has sought to bring back those objects that the Washingtons sat upon, ate with, wore, read, and wrote. (703)780-2000

Read our article on this Historic Collection

Munson-Williams-Proctor House The Museum of Art offers 20 galleries featuring selections from the permanent collection and exhibitions of works from major collections worldwide. Find out about the more than 25,000 American and European 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century paintings and 19th-century decorative arts shown in the Philip Johnson-designed museum and Fountain Elms, a refurbished 1850s mansion and original home of MWPAI's founders. (315) 797-0000

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Since its opening in 1876, the Museum of Fine Arts has had an unwavering commitment to education. Along with the Museum School, they offer a continuum of learning that promotes the visual arts to people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests. Visit their acclaimed Family Place program and take advantage of their outstanding continuing education offerings.

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

National Watch & Clock Museum (NAWCC), founded in 1943, is a nonprofit scientific organization that serves as a unique educational, cultural and social resource for its membership and the public at large.

Members include hobbyists, students, educators, casual collectors, and professionals in related retail and manufacturing trades. The one common bond is a fascination with the art and science of timekeeping. (717) 684-8261

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight

Old Sturbridge Village Step out of your world and into ours. Explore early New England in the company of farmers, craftsmen, and fascinating characters. Celebrate yesterday's proud traditions on your remarkable journey into America's past. OSV is the largest outdoor living history museum in the northeast. The historical landscape of more than 200 acres includes more than 40 structures including restored buildings brought from across New England as well as some authentic reconstructions. (508) 347-3362

Museum in the Spotlight

St. Louis Art Museum Sporting African, American, Ancient, Modern and many other collections, the Saint Louis Art Museum features special exhibitions and presents many one-gallery shows in special locations throughout the building. (314) 721-0072

Willard House Benjamin Willard began making clocks in his small, rural Massachusetts workshop in 1776. His three younger brothers, Simon, Ephraim and Aaron, quickly learned the trade and began a three generation clockmaking legacy in the Grafton workshop. Today, over 80 Willard clocks are exhibited in the birthplace and original workshop of the Willard clockmakers, along with family portraits, furnishings and other Willard family heirlooms. Works of brothers Franklin and Zabdiel are also documented. (508) 839-3500

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library Explore and enjoy Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library a great American country estate. The museum has a magnificent collection of American antiques celebrating the best in style and craftsmanship. Delight your senses with a stroll through the glorious 60-acre garden and surrounding landscape of hills, waterways, and rolling meadows.(800) 448-3883

Previously featured Museum in the Spotlight