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Hi Ravage,

There is what are called "Open Air Museums" throughout Europe. They are probably what you are referring to as hands-on. One of their primary goals is to educate as well as to get people involved in archaeology.

Here in the U.S. we have little in comparison--pretty much the Society Primitive Technology (http://www.primitive.org/). Most Universities here have a small component of replicative and experimental archaeology, and fewer still that take it beyond a few offered courses.

My ambition (as well as yours from the looks of it) is to open such opportunities here in the U.S. But I am still an undergraduate with the 'light at the end of the tunnel' still some distance off... However, I am constantly getting people (students, faculty, field archaeologists, and interested GP) actively involved or at least very interested in my prospective workshops and ideas. I also began (still in the process) an Experimental Arcgaeology Club here at my university, and the ranks are growing constantly.

So, in short, there is a 'market' out there in the U.S. for the hands-on museum approach. Start communicating with the established museums and experts in Euro, like VAEE, EXARC (http://www.eurorea.net/), EXAR (http://www.exar.org/html/englisch/association_history.html), and start perusing through the more than 8.5 K journals listed in a Bib provided by Roeland Paardekooper at http://www.publicarchaeology.eu/.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Goban

I'm currently working on starting a hands-on science museum in Austin, TX USA.

I'm curious if there are other hands-on museums with programs involving experimental archeology?

Thanks.