Thanks to help from the territory’s Tourism Department, Estate Whim Museum on St. Croix will offer a living museum experience in January in a program featuring demonstrations and interactive activities related to St. Croix’s history and unique cultural traditions.
Elders recognized as tradition bearers will help to engage young adults and teens as their instructors in the training program.
"This new attraction speaks volumes about what St. Croix represents to its residents and what ought to be portrayed to our visitors," Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty said.
The partnership with the St. Croix Landmarks Society, which operates Whim, is part of Tourism’s commitment to keep the territory’s heritage and culture alive, according to a statement from the department.
St. Croix Landmarks Director Sonia Jacobs Dow said, "We embrace the challenge of bringing history alive and will continually seek to develop our offerings to reflect the totality of our history."
The former Estate Whim plantation site will serve as a backdrop for the combined experiences of a "village" or town "big yard," where fishermen, cooks, joiners, bakers, blacksmiths, basket weavers, seamstresses and even the occasional goldsmith practiced a trade or craft to earn a livelihood.
Nicholson-Doty said, "Working with local historians, tradition bearers and young preservationists, the attraction will honor our traditions as we remember our past and envision our future."
Part of the project will be a tradition bearer certification program that allows students and out-of-school youths to acquire cultural preservation, historic interpretation, public engagement and customer relations skills.
Several other projects designed for culture travelers, environmentalists and bird watching enthusiasts are also planned.
