Flowers in Your Hair: The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco

City by the Bay, Land of Hippies, the place where they riot when their baseball team wins ... San Francisco is known for all those things (and more!) today.  But for those of use who have never lived there, the city's past is probably murky.  So if you've ever wanted to know what events led to the San Francisco that we know today, the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco wants to enlighten you.

The Museum is laid out in 68 exhibitions that cover every subject you can possibly think of and go back as far as the 18th century.  Within each exhibition are a number of articles, some accompanied by a few images, that cover different aspects of San Francisco's history.  These articles are written by scholars or knowledgeable hobbyists or are sources from the past, transcribed online so we can get a first-hand account from the people who lived through each era.

All of this information creates a vast, well-documented history of the city of San Francisco, and I'm guessing that there's not one question you might have that can't be answered by this museum.  I'm especially impressed that historical documents are woven in with the scholarly articles to give a multi-faceted perspective of the city's history.

But this is a format better suited to a book, not a museum.  After all, a museum isn't a lecture, it's an experience.  There is way too much text and not enough images (or other supporting items) to be of interest to the average visitor.  I wish this wasn't the case, because there is so much to be learned here, but the fact is that only the most curious would be able to stay on the museum's website for long.


The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco
Mission:  To bring the fabled history of San Francisco into the light of historical accuracy.
Website:  www.sfmuseum.org

Up in the Air: The National Museum of the Civil Air Patrol

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I only have a vague, fuzzy notion of what national security looks like on a personal level.  I can't name all the branches of the armed forces, and I don't know anything about non-militarized protective groups.  But after I stumbled upon the National Museum of the Civil Air Patrol, I'm a little more informed about at least one volunteer defense organization in the United States.

Created by the CAP Historical Foundation, the National Museum of the Civil Air Patrol consists of seven exhibits that detail the history of this organization, from its founding in the years before World War II to its present-day activities.  There is plenty of information available, but not too much text - I think these exhibits really hit the sweet spot of educating without overwhelming.  There are also plenty of photographs to accompany each exhibit, and they're all available enlarged in a separate photo gallery.

The only thing I'm not so crazy about is that the museum comes off as a little static.  It doesn't seem like there are any plans to add new exhibits or even update the existing ones.  There's also no links to outside content or any kind of supplemental materials for students or for those looking to further engage with this subject.  These would all be helpful additions, because if a museum wants repeat visitors who become loyal followers, it needs change every so often and do different things.

All in all, though, I believe this museum has done the best job I've seen in recreating the physical museum experience online.  It's not boring or too didactic, and it doesn't look like the work of hobbyist with some time on their hands.  It's professional, well-documented, interesting and informative.  It could stand to shake things up every once in a while, and perhaps speak to more and diverse audiences, but these are small critiques for a museum that really helps the uninitiated learn about what our fellow civilians are doing to help our country.


The National Museum of the Civil Air Patrol
Mission:  "To preserve the history and promote the proud heritage of the Civil Air Patrol and the WWII CAP Coastal Patrol."
Website:  www.caphistory.org/museum_lobby.html