Antique Farms: A Great Family Heritage to Discover - Part I

Antique Farms provide a fascinating time tunnel of what once was. There's nothing like actually experiencing Living History to make it come alive.

If you are into collecting Antique farm bells, wagons or tractors, it's a lot of fun to go to farm Museums and country tractor shows.

They are really fun and are a great way to spend a family day that will be remembered and appreciated.

I remember playing on old tractors as a kid, in my home town over 40 years ago! Playing farmer with my two wild brothers, on old ramshackled tractors is a memory I still delight in.

Who knows? Maybe that is what hooked me into the Antique Farm passion?

What is really amazing though is that you can find ancient relics at these shows often in Top running shape. Did you know you can still order parts for some of these living history machines? To share in the fun, here is a list of some of the best Farm Museums out there. Here is a list of Farm Museums by Area: (Please note: There are a lot of them so I will present the huge list via several articles).

Alaska
Museum: MUSEUM OF ALASKA TRANSPORTION & INDUSTRY
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Contact: (907) 376-1211
Info: Open seven days a week from May 1st to September 30th, and Tuesday through Saturday the rest of the year. Hours are 10AM until 6PM during the summer season and 9

Arizona
Museum: STUTTGART AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM
Location: Stuttgart, Arizona
Contact: (501)-673-7001
Info: Large farm equipment specializing in tractors and steam engines. Open Tuesday- Saturday, 10-12 & 1-4

Museum: THE GOLDEN ERA MUSEUM
Location: 297 W. Central, Coolidge, Arizona
Contact: (602)-948-9570 weekdays or (520)-723-5044 weekends
Info: Open 11 am to 5 pm weekends October through May. Admission price

California
Museum: ANTIQUE GAS & STEAM ENGINE MUSEUM
Location: Vista, California
Contact: (619)-941-1791
Info: Open daily 10-4. Guided tours & tours organized demonstrations available.

Colorado
Museum: CONEJOS CO. FARM/RANCH MUSEUM
Location: LaJara, Colorado
Contact: Gene Williams, (719)-274-5765
Info: Open June 1 - September 30.

Delaware
Museum: DELAWARE AGRICULTURAL MUSEUMS & VILLAGE
Location: 866 N. Dupont hwy., Dover, Delaware 19901
Contact: (302)-734-1618
Info: Featuring antique tractors dating back to the early settlement.

Illinois
Museum: WAUCANDA TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Location: Waucanda, Illinois
Contact: (708)-526-9303
Info: Many collections of farm equipment and old engines. Open May to September, Sundays only, 1-4.

Museum: KLINE CREEK FARM
Location: Winfield, Illinios
Contact: (708)-876-5900
Info: Featuring many collections of farm equipment and tractors from the 1890's. Open Thursday- Monday 9-5. Closed on holidays.

Iowa
Museum: FLOYD CO. MUSEUM
Location: 500 Gilbert St., Charles City, Iowa
Contact: (641) - 228-1099; Fax (641)-228-1157
Info: Museum is open all year.Large selection of tractor manuals & Oliver Promotional Films on video tape available.

Museum: HEARTLAND MUSEUM
Location: 119 - 9th Street SW, Clarion, Iowa 50525
Contact: (515) - 602-6000
Info: The museum has over 16,000 square feet of antique tractors, trucks and machinery. Visit the museum website at www.heartlandmuseum.org

Museum: MIDWEST OLD SETTLERS & THRESHERS ASSN. INC.
Location: Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Contact: (319)-385-8937
Info: Collections of steam tractors & engines. Open mid April to mid October, Monday - Friday, 9-4.

Museum: VAN HORN TRUCK MUSEUM
Location: Mason City, Iowa
Contact: (515)-423-9066
Info: Open daily May 25 to September 22

Indiana
Museum: SKINNER FARM MUSEUM & VILLAGE STEAM & GAS SHOW
Location: Perrysville, Indiana
Contact: Norman Skinner, (765)-793-4079
Info: August 15 & 16, 1998. Call for more information.

Kansas
Museum: CENTRAL KANSAS FLYWHEELS MUSEUM
Location: 1100W. Diamond Dr., Salina, Kansas 67401
Contact: (785)-825-8473
Info: Hours are 1-5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. May 1st through October 31st. Call for special tours. Our museum has a rare policy of accepting items on loan. We feel this policy makes items available to us that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.

Museum: NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL CENTER & HALL OF FAME
Location: 630 Hall of Fame Dr., Bonner Springs, Kansas
Contact: (913)-721-1035; Fax (913)-721-1202
Info: Open mid March through November

Museum: NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL CENTER & HALL OF FAME
Location: Bonner Springs, Kansas
Contact: (913)-721-1075
Info: Open mid March to November, Monday- Saturday 9-5, Sunday 1-5.

That is enough for now. More Museums to come next time!

Aliza Levine is an Antique Farm Nut and Historical Researcher Check out http://www.Antique-Farm.com - Feel Free to copy, print and frame the stunning Historical Farm Photograph Collection!