Interpreting Historic House Museums Today - AASLH's 2025 Historic House Museum In-Person Summit

Interpreting Historic House Museums Today - AASLH's 2025 Historic House Museum In-Person Summit

Includes Multiple Live Events. The next is on 04/21/2025 at 4:00 PM (EDT)

  • Register
    • Early bird pricing available!
    • Nonmember - $205
    • Academic Program - $175
    • Academic Faculty - $175
    • Academic Student - $175
    • Partner Institution - $175
    • Partner Institution Staff - $175
    • Premier Partner Institution - $175
    • Premier Institution Staff - $175
    • Platinum Partner Institution - $175
    • Platinum Institution Staff - $175
    • Complimentary - $175
    • Individual Membership - $175
    • Subscription Services - $175
    • Institutional Budget - $175
    • Institutional Staff - $175
    • Individual Student - $175
    • Institutional Member - $175
    • Individual Student Renew - $175
    • Regular Price after 01/18/2025 12:00 AM
    • Nonmember - $255
    • Academic Program - $215
    • Academic Faculty - $215
    • Academic Student - $215
    • Partner Institution - $215
    • Partner Institution Staff - $215
    • Premier Partner Institution - $215
    • Premier Institution Staff - $215
    • Platinum Partner Institution - $215
    • Platinum Institution Staff - $215
    • Complimentary - $215
    • Individual Membership - $215
    • Subscription Services - $215
    • Institutional Budget - $215
    • Institutional Staff - $215
    • Individual Student - $215
    • Institutional Member - $215
    • Individual Student Renew - $215

SPONSORS

This summit is sponsored by the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation and the Ford House.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Attendees at the summit will . . .

  • Learn about the scope of historic house interpretation.
  • Examine where the field currently is regarding interpretation and that it is important to define trends for the next 10-15 years.
  • Identify big issues related to interpretation at historic sites and create a vision for what it will look like in the next 10-15 years.

REGISTRATION COST

$175 for AASLH Members/$205 for non-members through 17 January 2025. Beginning on 18 January, the prices are: $215 for AASLH Members/$255 for non-members.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Monday, April 21

4-6 pm - Opening Reception at the Ford House

Tuesday, April 22

8-8:30 am Registration Pick Up and Continental Breakfast

8:30 am-8:45 am Welcome and Introductions, Orientation, Review of Agenda and Outcomes

Speakers:

 Michelle Moon, Saltworks Interpretive Consulting, Atlantic Highlands, NJ

8:45-10 am – Opening Keynote: Historic House Interpretation in the Future 

Speakers:

Andrea Jones, Peak Experience Lab, Brentwood, MD

10-10:30 am Coffee Break

10:30 am-12:30 pm – Break Outs The Big Picture of Interpretation 

12:30 – 1:45 pm – Lunch and Plenary Session Interpreting Climate Change and Sustainability 

Speakers:

Alison Bruesehoff, Rancho Los Cerritos, Long Beach, CA

Debra Reid, The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI

Kimberly Robinson, National Park Service, Harper's Ferry Center, Harper’s Ferry, WV

1:45-3:30 Tour of the Ford House and Grounds 

3:30-4:15 pm Reception

4:30-6 pm – Plenary Session Reclaiming the History of the People Who Worked at Our Houses 

Dinner On Your Own Attendees can sign up to eat in groups or choose to stay on their own.

Wednesday, April 23

8-8:30 am Continental Breakfast

8:30-9 am Welcome, Review Day 1

9-11 am - Workshop Sessions   The Future of Interpretation

* Costumed interpretation

Speakers:

Tonya Staggs, Historic Castalian Springs, Castalian Springs, TN - Moderator

Rena Lawrence, Log Cabin Village, Fort Worth, TX

Dakota Russell, House of Seven Gables, Salem, MA

* Interpreting Sexuality 

Speakers:

Speakers TBA

* Technology 

Speakers:

Matt Davis, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA - Moderator

11-11:15 am Break

11:15 am-12:30 pm Small Groups 

1-2 pm - Closing Lunch Interpreting Women’s History in the 21st Century

Speakers:

Heather Huyck, National Collaborative for Women's History Site, Mitchellville, MD

Andrea Malcomb, Molly Brown House, Denver, CO

2-3 pm Review of Outcomes and Next Steps

 

Cancellation/Refunds for onsite workshops must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the early-bird registration deadline date will receive a full refund. Cancellations made between the early-bird deadline date and eight days prior to the workshop will be subject to a $55 processing/materials charge. No refunds will be given within seven days of the workshop date. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.

Cancellations/Refunds for online professional development (webinars and online courses) must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the start date for the online course or the day of the webinar will be given a full refund. No refund will be given after the start date for the online course or on/after the day of the webinar. Registrants may transfer their registration to another person. Registrations cannot be transferred between courses or course sessions. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.

If you have any questions, please contact AASLH Professional Development staff at learn@aaslh.org or 615-320-3203.

Michelle Moon (Moderator)

Saltworks Interpretive Consulting, Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Michelle Moon is a leader in museum education and an independent consultant recognized for her work on programming, audience engagement, and the intersection of museums and civic issues. She has led education teams at historic sites and interdisciplinary museums including the Tenement Museum (NYC), where she served as Chief Program Officer; the Peabody Essex Museum (Salem, MA), Strawbery Banke, (Portsmouth, NH) and Mystic Seaport (Mystic, CT), and developed interpretation for more than 20 major exhibitions on art, culture, and history. In 2016, Moon completed a Master's degree with honors in Museum Studies at the Harvard Extension School, focusing on interpretive communication and the civic role of museums; she also holds a bachelor’s degree in Education and American Studies from Connecticut College and was selected by Mellon as an Animating Museums Fellow, 2016-19. She is the author of Interpreting Food at Museums and Historic Sites (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015) and (with Cathy Stanton) Public History and the Food Movement: Adding the Missing Ingredient (Routledge, 2017).

Andrea Jones

Peak Experience Lab

Andrea Jones is an independent consultant and master educator with 20 years experience as a change agent and education strategist. She is a cheerleader for immersive experiences, messy history, and big questions over trivial facts. She works with museums across the country to reinvent storytelling and interpretive methods. In 2016, her team won the award for “Innovation in Museum Education” from the American Alliance of Museums.  In 2018, she was part of a cohort of museum professionals who traveled to India to meet the Dalai Lama and discuss the growing importance of fostering empathy through museums. Operating under the name Peak Experience Lab, her clients include the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of Natural History, Huntington Library and Gardens, and Eastern State Penitentiary, among others. She holds a BA in Communications from Purdue University and an M.Ed from Georgia State University.

Alison Bruesehoff

Executive Director

Rancho Los Cerritos, Long Beach, California

Debra Reid

Curator of Agriculture and the Environment

The Henry Ford

Debra Reid is curator of agriculture and the environment at The Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan, and a member of the Climate & Sustainability Affinity Group of AASLH. She is also professor emerita at Eastern Illinois University. She is author of numerous articles and books focused on agricultural history and African American history and has written or edited three books in the AASLH Interpreting History series: Reid, Interpreting Agriculture at Museums and Historic Sites (2017); Reid and Vail, Interpreting the Environment at Museums and Historic Sites (2019); and Reid co-edited with Scholthof and Vail, Interpreting Science at Museums and Historic Sites (forthcoming 2023).

Kimberly Robinson

Staff Curator and Planner

Harpers Ferry Center for Interpretive Media

Kimberly Robinson works at the Harpers Ferry Center for Interpretive Media as a Staff Curator and Planner. She prior to joining HFC she served as a Museum Curator at the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), a National Park Service (NPS) unit in the Washington Metropolitan Area that includes Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial and Clara Barton National Historic Site. She graduated from the George Washington University’s Museum Studies Graduate Program with a Master of Arts degree with a concentration in Collections Management in 2006. She currently serves as a co-chair of the American Association of State and Local History’s Women’s History Affinity Community and as a member of their Climate and Sustainability Affinity Community. Her research interests are focused on 19th Century Fine and Decorative Arts as well as architecture, in particular the art, architecture and design of the Victorian Era. Ms. Robinson has given numerous talks on historic homes and museum collections management and recently taught collections management at the George Washington University.  

Rena Lawrence

Historic Site Supervisor

Log Cabin Village, Fort Worth, TX

Anneliese Meck (Tentative)

Museum and DEI Professional

Seneca Falls, NY

Dakota Russell

Executive Director, The House of the Seven Gables, Salem, MA

Tonya Staggs (Moderator)

Executive Director

Historic Castilian Springs, Castilian Springs, TN

Tonya Staggs is the executive director of Historic Castalian Springs, a new organization in a rural outside of Nashville. Historic Castalian Springs includes three Tennessee state historic sites and historic homes. Prior to becoming director of HCS, Tonya spent nearly 18 years at Historic Travellers Rest, an eighteenth-century home in Nashville.

Matt Davis (Moderator)

Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA

Heather Huyck

National Collaborative for Women's History Site, Mitchellville, MD

Andrea Malcomb

Museum Director

Molly Brown House Museum, Denver, CO

Key:

Complete
Failed
Available
Locked
April 21 Schedule
04/21/2025 at 4:00 PM (EDT)   |  120 minutes
04/21/2025 at 4:00 PM (EDT)   |  120 minutes Opening Reception at the Ford House -
April 22 Schedule
04/22/2025 at 8:00 AM (EDT)   |  10 hours
04/22/2025 at 8:00 AM (EDT)   |  10 hours 8-8:30 am Registration Pick Up and Continental Breakfast 8:30-8:45 am Welcome and Introductions, Orientation, Review of Agenda and Outcomes Speakers: Michelle Moon, Saltworks Interpretive Consulting, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 8:45-10 am Opening Keynote: Historic House Interpretation in the Future - What if your home became a house museum? What would that look like? What would you want guests to know about your time and your life? Andrea Jones will use this exercise to help attendees think differently about how we interpret the past entrusted to us. Speakers: Andrea Jones, Peak Experience Lab, Brentwood, MD 10-10:30 am Coffee Break 10:30 am-12:30 pm Break Outs The Big Picture of Interpretation - What are the big issues about interpretation in the field of Historic House Museums for 2024 and beyond? Attendees will break into facilitated small groups to develop a list of issues facing the field now and in the future. 12:30 – 1:45 pm Lunch and Plenary Session: Interpreting Climate Change and Sustainability - Historic house museums and historic sites have a unique opportunity to tell the story of climate change in their region. The preservation of these sites shows the tangible ways the climate has impacted their community. We can also encourage sustainability by including information about the ways we are helping the environment on the property we protect. Speakers: Alison Bruesehoff, Rancho Los Cerritos, Long Beach, CA Debra Reid, The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI Kimberly Robinson, National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center, Harpers Ferry, WV 1:45-3:30 Tour of the Ford House and Grounds - The tour will include information about The Shoreline Restoration Project, a collaborative endeavor between Ford House and NOAA who is funding the project through a $7 million grant. The principal objective of the grant is to support transformational projects that restore marine, estuarine, coastal, or Great Lakes ecosystems, using approaches that enhance community and ecosystem resilience to climate hazards. 3:30-4:15 pm Reception 4:30-6 pm Plenary Session: Reclaiming the History of the People Who Worked at Our Houses - There has been a lot of work over the last three decades to expand the way historic house museums are interpreted to include the enslaved workers and other domestics who inhabited these spaces. As we are in Michigan, we wanted to focus on domestic labor during the post-slavery period. How can these important stories help visitors connect to the past through the lives of the workers that made life in many of these houses possible? 6pm - ? Dinner on your own or in groups
April 23 Schedule
04/23/2025 at 8:00 AM (EDT)   |  7 hours
04/23/2025 at 8:00 AM (EDT)   |  7 hours 8-8:30 am Continental Breakfast 8:30-9 am Welcome, Review Day 1 9-11 am Concurrent workshop sessions on The Future of Interpretation Costumed interpretation - Should historic house museums still be doing costumed interpretation? How do we determine what is appropriate and where? How do we deal with assumptions, different races, differing genders with staff/volunteers which costuming? Who is pushing the envelope with costuming? How does the growing trend of museum theater in historic houses fit into this discussion? Speakers: Tonya Staggs, Historic Castalian Springs, Castalian Springs, TN - Moderator Rena Lawrence, Log Cabin Village, Fort Worth, TX Dakota Russell, House of Seven Gables, Salem, MA Interpreting Sexuality - Historic house museums invite visitors into the most intimate of places – the bedroom, but often do nothing more than describe the quilts and furniture. How are we missing the opportunity to connect with visitors over shared experiences by ignoring the sexuality expressed there? How does that expand to telling LGBTQ+ stories? How do interpreters deal with ambiguity in personal histories? What about labeling people of the past with present-day lexicon? Speakers: Speakers TBA Technology - Does technology help interpretation or is it a hindrance? Do visitors even want it? What does good use of technology in historic house interpretation look like? Speakers: Matt Davis, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA - Moderator 11-11:15 am Break 11:15 am-12:30 pm Small Group Discussions - Topics will be determined by facilitators based on discussion during Day 1 and 2 (morning). This time will be used to unpack the themes and plan for next steps. 1-2 pm Closing Lunch: Interpreting Women’s History in the 21st Century - In March 2024, President Biden signed an executive order to “direct actions that will strengthen the Federal Government’s recognition of women’s history and the achievements of women and girls from all backgrounds.” What does this mean for historic house museums? What does the future of interpreting women’s history in historic places look like? Speakers: Heather Huyck, National Collaborative for Women's History Site, Mitchellville, MD Andrea Malcomb, Molly Brown House, Denver, CO 2-3 pm Review of Outcomes and Next Steps