Monday, April 25, 2016

Dust Bowl Memorial and Museum

Welcome to the American Dust Bowl Museum & Memorial. Here, guests will encounter and understand the causes and effects of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. The facility is separated into three buildings, the main building, composed of 6 small exhibits; the “green”ery , which is an indoor farm facility, and lastly “the shack”.
Descriptions of each exhibit may be found on this guide. Note the numbering on the map corresponds with the numbering on this guide.
1.     The Timeline Room- This room was designed to give the guest a very brief preview and background on the decade in which the Dust Bowl took place. Major events are listed such as “Black Sunday” and the massive migrations from the affected areas of the dust storms.
2.     The Culture Room- This is the space dedicated to the popular culture of and about the time. This is the only room in the museum which music is constantly played. The music that can be heard is Woody Guthrie’s songs about living in and surviving the Dust Bowl.  
3.     The Photo Gallery- This space is filled with the photographs from the Dust Bowl, these photos are meant to give the viewer a brief glimpse of the devastation brought about by the storms.
4.     The Film Room- this room is set up like a modern movie theatre and plays documentaries for guests wishing to deepen their knowledge on the time period.
5.     The news room- this is the room that covers the political side of the Dust Bowl; what the president and his cabinet to aid the relief of the drought and the dust storms that were affecting over 75% of the country.
6.     The conference room- This is a space in which groups may divide and interact and act as if they were in the time period and try to solve the problems that the citizens of the United States in the 30s.
7.     The “Green”ery- This space is an “outdoor” classroom so to speak. The greenhouse is divided into 2 sections. A majority dedicated to the proper techniques of farming that could have prevented the Dust Bowl. Where as the other is a small patch that demonstrates the improper farming techniques given the drought conditions that caused the Dust Bowl.  Farming was a large contributing factor to the Dust Bowl, and this building is to give it the importance it is due for the cause of the tragic events of the decade.
8.     “The Shack”- This last building is meant for visitors to see in person the conditions of the homes of people living during the Dust Bowl. Guests will enter the “shack” and experience a dust filled house similar to the conditions of the “Dirty Thirties”.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/dust-bowl-ballads-mw0000652784

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