Have you ever wondered how newspapers were printed in the 19th century or how a steam-engine could power a boat? Then step through the gates of time into The Genius Museum at Nature’s Art Village and enter a village of progress! Take a historic walk discovering a timeless town displaying the rapid transformation of American technology over two centuries. The Genius Museum is a great place for families to share memories, elders to feel nostalgic and the young to learn how everyday life has developed with technology’s advances. Here is a taste of just a few exhibits you’ll encounter:
The Genius Gazette: The smell of ink, the precision of the typesetter and the rhythmic humming of our 19th Century Steam-Powered Printing Press will have your senses tingling with nostalgia and inspiration in The Gateway Gazette. Mind your Ps and Qs as you experience technological wonders from a massive guillotine paper cutter, to a stamping press similar to the one used in Washington for stamping the presidential seal.
Razor Sharp Barbers: This 1920s style barbershop houses shaving mugs, barber’s chairs and straight razors. Learn about a time when a haircut and shave cost two bits! The wonders of this shop also include the progression of household appliances such as hairdryers and curling irons.
Oakdale Country Store: From pie-birds to potions, this one-stop shop provided for both the ailing and every day shopper. Step back to a time when skin boils were treated with gunpowder, and dried goods were a necessity. 10 cent sodas and 5 cent cigars await you in this installment at The Genius Museum.
The Montville Queen: While cruising through The Gateway Museum, be on the lookout for this 1920s style Chris Craft steamboat. The Montville Queen is now powered by compressed air, so a museum visitor can observe the power and clamor of this antique engine in action.
Hayday Farm: Explore the mechanical wonders of America’s agricultural heyday. Innovations such as potato planters, crop dusters and saw rigs are a reminder of the importance of technology in driving our economy. Highlighted by an early 20th century steam buggy, this exhibit is sure to plant dreams of simpler times in your head.
