Canton was surprising. After the fairly simple museums for Taft and Harding, I was blown away by the McKinley Memorial and museum. The memorial is huuuuuuuuuuuuuge. It has 108 steps, and locals seem to use it for exercise. (Can't say I approved of the summer school teachers that were allowing the kids to slide down the railings of it....)
I was also blown away by the McKinley Museum. It is a combination local history and science museum, and very hands on. One of my favorite moments was getting to play a theremin....something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. :)
The McKinley exhibit itself was halfway decent. Although I don't know what it is with presidential museums and animitronics. The LBJ museum has a talking LBJ. The Taft museum has a talking Charlie Taft, William Howard's youngest son. The McKinley museum, not to be out done, has a talking William AND Ida McKinley. All the museums seem to have stereoscopes as well. You know those devices from the 19th century that are kind of like a 19th century viewmaster? For whatever reason, every presidential museum is SO EXCITED about theirs.
Anyway, I'd definitely recommend the McKinley museum in Canton. If your companions aren't into the presidents, they can play with the theremin. Canton also has a First Ladies Museum but sadly, it's not open on Mondays.
Afterwards I went to Niles, the town McKinley was born in. One thing that has surprised me about Ohio is just how urban it is. For both Niles and Mentor I was expecting a rural setting.
My impression of Niles is that it's pretty much part of the whole Youngstown area. Evidence of the steel industry was pretty obvious.
The McKinley memorial in Niles is part of the public library. The exhibit is in an auditorium in a separate wing from where the books are.
I went in alone.....surrounded by all these busts of important community figures in the history of Niles, most of them steel-related.
Turned on the DVD player myself.....and took a quick self-guided tour. I'm not sure what the name of the emotion is....but the fact that there were
these elaborate memorials to a president most Americans think very little about....it was kind of depressing.
Then I raced off to Mentor for the Garfield Library. Poor Garfield....at one point the tour guide made a comment about Garfield being a general in the
Civil War....and I found myself picturing a certain orange cartoon tabby in a blue Union uniform. Mentor, as it turns out, is part of the Cleveland
metropolitan area. The street it is on is one of those seemingly endless ones of gas station and chain restaurants and then suddenly
....historical site!
Garfield was one of the nerdier presidents we've had. We got to see the chair that designed specifically so he could flip his legs over one side
and be cozy with a book. When he was assassinated, as a memorial to him, his wife created a huge library. It is marvelous. There are
signed pictures from various celebrities of the day, like General Sherman. There is comfortable furniture, lots of light, and window seats
that look absolutely perfect for reading a book, and having a cat next to you. Out of presidential homes I visited this week, that's the one where I felt the most AT home.
I'm currently writing this entry from Romulus........Michigan. I made sure to have some ale with my dinner. Just smile and nod non-Trekkies....I bet if James Garfield were around today HE'D get it.
Tomorrow I head for Hell.....Michigan. My GPS does not recognize that it exists. However I am sure my route will be full of good intentions.
I was also blown away by the McKinley Museum. It is a combination local history and science museum, and very hands on. One of my favorite moments was getting to play a theremin....something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. :)
The McKinley exhibit itself was halfway decent. Although I don't know what it is with presidential museums and animitronics. The LBJ museum has a talking LBJ. The Taft museum has a talking Charlie Taft, William Howard's youngest son. The McKinley museum, not to be out done, has a talking William AND Ida McKinley. All the museums seem to have stereoscopes as well. You know those devices from the 19th century that are kind of like a 19th century viewmaster? For whatever reason, every presidential museum is SO EXCITED about theirs.
Anyway, I'd definitely recommend the McKinley museum in Canton. If your companions aren't into the presidents, they can play with the theremin. Canton also has a First Ladies Museum but sadly, it's not open on Mondays.
Afterwards I went to Niles, the town McKinley was born in. One thing that has surprised me about Ohio is just how urban it is. For both Niles and Mentor I was expecting a rural setting.
My impression of Niles is that it's pretty much part of the whole Youngstown area. Evidence of the steel industry was pretty obvious.
The McKinley memorial in Niles is part of the public library. The exhibit is in an auditorium in a separate wing from where the books are.
I went in alone.....surrounded by all these busts of important community figures in the history of Niles, most of them steel-related.
Turned on the DVD player myself.....and took a quick self-guided tour. I'm not sure what the name of the emotion is....but the fact that there were
these elaborate memorials to a president most Americans think very little about....it was kind of depressing.
Then I raced off to Mentor for the Garfield Library. Poor Garfield....at one point the tour guide made a comment about Garfield being a general in the
Civil War....and I found myself picturing a certain orange cartoon tabby in a blue Union uniform. Mentor, as it turns out, is part of the Cleveland
metropolitan area. The street it is on is one of those seemingly endless ones of gas station and chain restaurants and then suddenly
....historical site!
Garfield was one of the nerdier presidents we've had. We got to see the chair that designed specifically so he could flip his legs over one side
and be cozy with a book. When he was assassinated, as a memorial to him, his wife created a huge library. It is marvelous. There are
signed pictures from various celebrities of the day, like General Sherman. There is comfortable furniture, lots of light, and window seats
that look absolutely perfect for reading a book, and having a cat next to you. Out of presidential homes I visited this week, that's the one where I felt the most AT home.
I'm currently writing this entry from Romulus........Michigan. I made sure to have some ale with my dinner. Just smile and nod non-Trekkies....I bet if James Garfield were around today HE'D get it.
Tomorrow I head for Hell.....Michigan. My GPS does not recognize that it exists. However I am sure my route will be full of good intentions.