Busy, Busy, Busy

The Whaley House is full of activity! Were you to stop in during the week, you’d find the summer kitchen filled with photographs, foam board, utility knives, straight edges, candles, and power tools! Decorations are scattered throughout the house (neither put up nor finished yet) and a full pot of coffee can be found in the kitchen, regardless of the time. We’re preparing for the exhibit.

I am going to great lengths to provide a full sensory experience for those who come to one of the scheduled candlelight tours. My research has involved investigations into nineteenth-century music, superstitions, food, and activities. After exploring a few popular culture artifacts, provided more for Halloween entertainment, visitors should feel as though they are totally immersed in a world from which they are over 100 years removed. They will see what a wake would have looked like, move around the space and engage in activities in which those from the late nineteenth century would have partaken, and taste food that was part of mourning culture. There is definitely something for everyone.

My desire to make this a multi-sensory tour came from much of what I have been reading about museums and the way people react to them. Part of this comes down to learning styles; some people can remember stories word for word, while others need to see examples, and others still need to interact with what they are learning. I want to captivate everyone when they come to the Whaley House for a candlelight tour. Every day I think of a new way to entertain people.

So, whether you’re interested in local history, cultural history, or pieces of history that are a bit…more strange, there should be something there to interest you. Those are the thoughts that I bring with me to event and exhibit planning. I often keep my family in mind and think of ways to entertain my mom, things that would keep my dad interested, and information that my fiance would want to learn. They are sort of my inspiration.