Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village is an
open-air museum
An open-air museum is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts outdoors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum.
Definition
Open air is "the unconfined atmosphere ... outside buildings" ...
located in
Amherst, New York
Amherst () is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Erie County, New York, Erie County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of Buffalo, New York, Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. ...
. The Museum's mission is to preserve, interpret, and exhibit the agricultural history and rural heritage of the Buffalo Niagara region. A site, the Museum includes 10 historic buildings moved from their original sites, a main exhibit building, a collections storage facility, the Niederlander Research Library, and a Museum Store.
An educational institution, BNHV was chartered by the
State of New York
New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
. Formed as a department of the Town of Amherst, the museum was privatized in January 2011. The name changed in 2012.
Collections
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village is home to a collection of over 40,000 items reflecting the agricultural, domestic, and industrial past of the Buffalo Niagara region. BNHV's collection is composed of artifacts representing the agricultural and industrial trades, heritage crafts, and material culture of 19th- and 20th-century Western New York. Ten historic buildings from the Town of Amherst have been relocated to the 35-acre campus and are available for self-guided and guided tours, which illustrate rural life in 19th-century Buffalo Niagara.
Living history
The Museum's interpreters,
docent
The term "docent" is derived from the Latin word , which is the third-person plural present active indicative of ('to teach, to lecture'). Becoming a docent is often referred to as habilitation or doctor of science and is an academic qualifi ...
s, and volunteers provide a
living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...
experience for visitors.
Guilds
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village offers membership to many robust and active guilds. Membership within our guilds offers opportunities for camaraderie, heritage skill building, and more.
Events
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village offers community events and workshops throughout the year.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Museum Web siteTown of Amherst official siteVictorian Dance Society
Museums in Erie County, New York
Open-air museums in New York (state)
Historic house museums in New York (state)
Living museums in New York (state)