A few weeks ago, I told my niece we could do something together for her birthday, her pick.  She asked if we could go to Greenfield Village.  My answer was of course yes!  Why was I so excited that she wanted to go to Greenfield Village? First, it is one of my favorite places; second, she wanted to go; third, who doesn’t want to visit a huge outdoor museum full of historic houses?

Henry Ford’s Birthday place.

The Sarah Jordan Boarding House. Many of Edison’s workers boarded here.

My family has been going to Greenfield Village for as long as I can remember.  It was there that my love for history really grew.  I will take any opportunity to visit.

What is Greenfield Village?

Greenfield Village is one part of The Henry Ford. The Henry Ford is made up of five attractions; The Village, The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre, Ford Rouge Factory Tour and the Benson Ford Research Center.  There is also a school the The Henry Ford Academy, a charter school for the county.  The Village is over eighty acres filled with different historic buildings, farms and craftsmen.  There are seven historic districts; Working Farms, Liberty Craftworks, Henry Ford’s Model T, Railroad Junction, Main Street, Edison @ Work and Porches and Parlors.

Edison’s Menlo Park

My niece’s Cornhusk doll.

Some of the baby lambs at Firestone Farm.

What did I learn going to Greenfield Village with a twelve year old?

• There are always new things to see. It has been years since my niece’s last visit (so everything was new to her).
• The productions are cool. There are short productions all throughout The Village giving a different way of sharing the stories. We saw two, “Coming Home from Kitty Hawk,” at the Wright Brother’s home and a Salute to Broadway at Town Hall. There are many more we didn’t have time to see.
  

  The Wright’s

  
• You don’t have to do everything in one day. There are so many places in The Village we didn’t get to.  This trip we focused on the places and things my niece wanted to do (it was her birthday present after all).
• Steam trains are always cool! A trip to Greenfield Village isn’t complete without a ride on the train. A ride in a Model T is also a pretty good choice.

Going to Greenfield Village with my niece helped me to have my eyes reopened and experience parts of The Village I hadn’t in a long time.  It was also a reminder I don’t have to see everything every time.

Looking for more information about Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford visit: https://www.thehenryford.org