A Nice Place to Visit ...

There are a gratifying number of places where visitors can get a glimpse of life in the early-19th-century U. S., via re-enactments at living history museums. If you'd like to take a trip to another time frame, you might give these a try:

Delaware

Rockwood Museum (Wilmington): an 1851 mansion, with special events in July and December

Maine

Norlands Living History Center (Livermore): rural life from 1700s to 1870s; offers a "live-in" experience of 1870

Maryland

1840 House (Baltimore): everyday life in 1840

Missouri

Missouri Town 1855 (Blue Springs, Jackson Co.): a small community between 1820 and 1860
the Steamboat Arabia 1856 (Kansas City): not a living history museum, but a time capsule of 1856; a display of the cargo of a steamboat sunk in that year -- everything from children's shoes to canned cherries (though, alas! no children's magazines)
Fort Osage (Sibley): the U.S. military in 1812

Nebraska

Fort Atkinson (Fort Calhoun): a western fort during the War of 1812

North Carolina

Latta Plantation (Huntersville): a cotton plantation of the early 19th century emphasizing everyday life for the slaves, planters, and yeoman farmers; features tours of the furnished mansion and farm; and they grow early varieties of roses, apples, and pears!

Pennsylvania

Hopewell Furnace (Elverson): an iron-casting community of 1820-1840; features tours of the owner's mansion, demonstrations of iron-casting, actors portraying those who actually lived there, and a water-wheel that's a wonder to behold

Several websites devoted to living history and re-enactments link to the websites of numerous museums. Not all focus on the early 19th-century:

"Museums and Historic Sites Featuring First-Person Interpretation" has detailed descriptions of each museum, as well as links to the museum's site. Last updated in 1999. Of special interest to those interested in early 19th-century American culture are the following (the link above will open in a new browser window):

Colorado: Littleton Historical Museum (1860s)

Delaware: Fort Delaware State Park (Civil War)

Illinois: Lincoln Log Cabin Historic Site (1845)

Indiana: Conner Prairie (1836); Freetown Village (1870); Wylie House (1840s)

Kansas: Old Cowtown Museum (1860s)

Massachusetts: Old Sturbridge Village (1830s)

Michigan: Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (1850)

Minnesota: Fort Snelling (1827)

Ohio: Ohio Historical Village (1860s)

Texas: George Ranch Historical Park (1836)

The Association for Living Historical Farms and Agricultural Museums site links to sites devoted to many museums, organized by region; below I list by state those which include the early 19th-century, with the time period focused on in parentheses (the link above will open in a new browser window, so you can flip back and forth):

Arizona: Sharlot Hall Museum (1860s)

California: Workman & Temple Family Homestead Museum (1830-1930)

Colorado: Clear Creek History Park (1843-1900); Rock Ledge Ranch (1860-1910)

Georgia: Westville Village (1850)

Hawaii: Mission House Museum (1820-1863)

Illinois: Naper Village (includes early 1800s)

Indiana: Conner Prairie (early 1800s) includes a Lenape camp (1816)

Iowa: Living History Farms includes the 1850 Farm

Kansas: Old Cowtown Museum (1865-1880)

Louisiana: Hermann-Grima & Gallier Historic Houses (1830-1860)

Maryland: U.S.S. Constellation (Civil War ship)

Massachusetts: Old Sturbridge Village (1830s)

New Jersey: Historic Cold Spring Village (1850s)

New Mexico: El Rancho de las Golondrinas (includes early 1800s)

New York: The Farmer's Museum (1845); Genesee Country Museum (early 1800s); Hanford Mills Museum (early 1800s); Eastfield Village (early 1800s); Museum Village (Civil War Weekends); Historic Richmondtown (1600s-1900); Lower East Side Tenement Museum, includes the 1863 Tenement House; Historic Hudson Valley includes "Sunnyside," Washington Irving's absolutely charming home

North Carolina: Old Salem (1700s-1840s); Latta Plantation (early 1800s)

Ohio: Ohio Village (1860s); Hale Farm & Village (1848); Sauder Farm & Craft Village (1830s-1840s); The Bradford Place (1863)

Tennessee: The Homeplace 1850

Texas: George Ranch Historical Park (early 1800s); Sam Houston Museum (1850s); Dallas Old City Park (1840-1910)

Virginia: Frontier Culture Museum (1700s-early 1800s)

West Virginia: Prickett's Fort, including the Job Prickett House (1859); Harper's Ferry National Historic Park (early to mid-1800s) includes enactment of a Civil War assault on the armory

Wisconsin: Wade House (1850)

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