Heritage centre

A heritage centre, center, or museum is a special place where people can learn about the history and culture of a certain area and its people. These centres are usually public facilities like museums, monuments, visitor centres, or parks. They show historical and cultural information, and they often include the natural history of the area too.

Unlike many traditional museums, heritage centres have many "hands-on" exhibits. Visitors can see lifelike specimens and touch real artifacts. Some heritage centres are open-air museums, also called heritage parks. These parks show what daily life was like at a certain time and place. They might have recreations of buildings from that era.

A wooden main building of the Kniivilä Local Heritage Museum in the Hailuoto Island, Finland

Heritage centres are also used for experimental archaeology and as places to film documentaries and historical movies. Some of these centres are rebuilt archaeological sites, using the excavated foundations of old buildings. Others restore historic structures that were almost lost, or they build mock-ups near important historic sites. Many heritage centres have living museum features, like costumed staff who show how people used to work and live, and they might even have short courses or dramatic presentations. Some centres focus on a special topic, like rail transport or old factories and mines.

Sometimes, the line between a heritage centre and a history-based theme park can get blurry. For example, places like Nikko Edomura, which focuses on Feudal Japan, and Wild West City, described as a "heritage theme park" about the American Old West, mix history with theme park fun.

Examples, by theme

General and multi-era

Gower Heritage Centre
Irish National Heritage Park
Ryedale Folk Museum
St Fagans National Museum of History
Telugu Saamskruthika Niketanam (World Telugu Museum)

Examples, by theme

General and multi-era

Former life-ways in particular eras

History of transport, industry, and occupations

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