Living History at Dallas Heritage Village
During certain months of the year, characters dressed in period clothing bring to life the history of Dallas and North Texas.
Visitors to the Village may be greeted in select structures by various characters. You may encounter gunfighters on Main Street
or even one of the Schmidt brothers conducting business. The wagon master, Mr. Clementine, may even be putting "The Boys,"
our Mammoth Jack donkeys, to work pulling a carriage.
 Living history changes the presentation of materials and information from a typical
“static” exhibit that a visitor would view from a distance (think roped-off paintings at an art museum, or artifacts displayed
in a glass exhibit case) to a live experience, where the visitor talks with a costumed character of the past who is speaking
in the vernacular of the day. Often the visitor interacts not only with the historic characters but also his/her surroundings. For
example, a visitor to the Farmstead at Dallas Heritage Village might be greeted by “Mrs. Kennedy.” You can sit in her parlor,
play checkers, help her with chores and talk with her about her gardens, animals, etc.
Living history tends to be multi-sensory, providing sights, sounds, smells and textures.
 The costumed interpreters you might encounter portray fictional characters based
on the social demographics of North Texas during a specific year falling within the mid-nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries.
These composite characters are developed to represent the complex social, political, ethnic and religious backgrounds of
many of the area’s residents.
During your visit, you could meet Mrs. de Leon at the Section House and discover life for a Tejano family in Dallas. Or stop by
the Shotgun House and chat with Mrs. Freeman about the African-American experience in the early 1900s.
Remember that for the historic characters, it is always today’s day and month, but always their year in the past.
They have no knowledge of anything more recent than their year. Careful questioning can help you learn about our history and
daily life in the past!
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