The earliest history museums had little actual history to draw on and instead padded exhibits with wildly speculative displays about how dinosaurs would be elected to Congress by the year 2000. Go back in time and set the record straight with this Groupon.
$20 for a Weekend Pass for Two to The Watch City Festival 2012 (Up to $40 Value)
On Saturday, May 12, and Sunday, May 13, Victorian–flavored whimsy and innovation reigns at The Watch City Festival 2012, which brings together steampunk artisans, inventors, performers, and general enthusiasts for the festival's third incarnation, presented by the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation. The dulcet tunes of calliopes mingle with the sounds of bands, speakers, and entertainers throughout the weekend as families relish children's magic shows,and patrons aged 21 and older knock back steampunk beer and attend late-night burlesque events.
An admission button gains attendees entrance to special events, such as a pub crawl and steampunk trivia, as well as ongoing experiences such as a tethered hot-air-balloon ride, a blacksmithing demonstration, and lessons in how to ride a penny-farthing. The steelyfoot-high mascot, Sparkticus, makes regular appearances throughout the fest as he attempts to casually hand his novel manuscript to acclaimed steampunk authors such as MT Anderson and Jean Christophe Valtat.
Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation
Housed inside Boston's monumental textile mill, the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation invites guests on a trek through American history with a collection of artifacts dating as far back as 1812. Throughout the building's hallowed halls, interactive displays cleverly disguise education as amusement, coaxing visitors both young and old to steer a 19th-century fire engine, play a foot-powered piano, and teach an antique telephone switchboard how to send text messages. Enduring exhibits also showcase Waltham's industrious past with displays dedicated solely to textiles, watches and clocks, and transportation, including bicycles and penny-farthings powered by shredded pieces of yellow journalism. Members can take advantage of such perks as complimentary museum admission, invitations to special events, and unlimited use of the museum library.