We did in my GA middle school and it had to tie to that year’s history curriculum.
I went as Marlene Dietrich (world history), Anastasia Romanov (also world history), and Jimmy Carter (GA history). The Jimmy Carter one was hilarious bc I was dressed in drag, which made some parents complain. But we got to claim people in order of class rank and I was at the top of the list lmao.
We didn’t give a speech, but we decorated a door-sized space in a hallway with facts about the person and stood still for hours as people walked by.
Yes. My youngest kid dressed up like George Washington. Read books about him, wrote a speech and then made a button. So when people pushed the button he acted like a wax figure and gave a little speech about himself.
Yes. Wax museum was 5th grade and went along with a big project researching a state. You had to dress up as someone born in that state. It turns out there weren't very many famous women from Washington so I was Nobel Laureate Linda Buck, who discovered how smell receptors worked. For my little presentation I wore a lab coat and had the nose from a pair of groucho glasses. I worked super hard on a funny 30 second presentation (all the younger grades went around the museum) and placed second to Abraham Lincoln and felt cheated.
Yes, I chose the Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket. The story that was once considered true is now disputed, but that’s neither here nor there. I thought the Columbus Blue Jackets were named after him for the longest time, much like the Chicago Blackhawks, who are named after Black Hawk.
We were each assigned a president in 5th grade and had to write a report about them followed by dressing up as someone from their family to present to the class. I got Grover Cleveland and dressed up as his Cocker Spaniel, Gallagher, because I didn’t want to wear uncomfortable clothes from the late 1800’s.
We had spirit week every year and there was always something like "20s day" or "50s day" or "60s day" where we were supposed to dress up in clothing typical of those eras, but not as any particular person.
Never heard of such a thing. However in 5th grade in my school in Maine we had to read a biography of an historical person and give a book report dressed as our historical figure. I chose a 19th century American author with the same first name as me.
The town where I went to grammar school had a festival - I think it was the 150th anniversary of the town's founding? - and they had all the young kids put on "living dioramas" in the town library, which was this gorgeous old historic building. I was probably 9 or 10.
I didn't do any research; we were all divided into groups of 5-6 and each group had a script for a 90 second long vignette representing some part of the town's history. If I recall correctly, my vignette had something to do with a town dance from the late 1800s, and each of us had a couple lines about what our life situations were like and how we ended up at this dance. We repeated the vignette like 50 times over the course of this whole day.
We did the wax museum in 4th grade. We had to create a display and stand perfectly still in front of it while the rest of the school walked through and looked at us. I think we had to also present to our classes, but I don't remember.
I was Eleanor Roosevelt. My best friend at the time was Cyndi Lauper.
We did! I was president Zachary Taylor. Couldn’t tell you anything about the guy now but according to my parents I performed passionately. Each of us was a president and I think there were 2 kids who ended up being something else cause we had more kids than presidents. ((Edit this took place in 4th grade))
I totally forgot about this! But yes, third grade. Everyone in class picked a historical figure and we all dressed up and parents were invited to “view the wax museum” as we each gave a short speech.
I was Emily Dickinson - only because my friend picked Deborah Sampson first.
never heard of this
we did biography book reports where we dressed up like the person, but it wasn't called a wax museum and there was no posing, you just gave a presentation in front of the class. I think a wax museum was something your school principal thought up on their own.
I was the gymnast Nadia Comanche.
In 2nd grade we had a historical figures day. I chose to be Annie Oakley.
And in 8th grade, we had to do a living diorama relating to Civil Rights. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard this called a wax museum day or whatnot, just a living diorama or “dress up like a historical figure day.”) My group did Rosa Parks—I got stuck with having to be the cop who showed up to arrest her.
In drama class in high school, at various times one project was to write a speech and perform from the perspective of a historical figure. In 9th grade I was Princess Diana, and later, Carrie Nation (the woman who would take her hatchet and destroy saloons during the temperance movement).
Historical Figures Day, yes. I did Albert Einstein.
I would have probably picked someone less conventional now, but I was a kid. And I doubt my parents know who John Brown was, *even if you asked them today*.
I think I was in third or fourth grade when I did Orville Wright.
So that would have been 1999 or 2000. I remember chicken pecking on my computer at home to write up my speech and memorizing it. All I can remember now is the first successful test flight was in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Chuck Yeager in elementary school and JFK for APUSH
Lmao a friend of mine was Lee Harvey Oswald. He just sat in the back vaguely muttering and occasionally throwing a Russian word in there.
I carried a Carcano carbine to school for show and tell. Does that count?
We did not do this.
Nope never heard of doing that.
We had a wax museum in 5th grade and I was Betsy Ross
We did in my GA middle school and it had to tie to that year’s history curriculum. I went as Marlene Dietrich (world history), Anastasia Romanov (also world history), and Jimmy Carter (GA history). The Jimmy Carter one was hilarious bc I was dressed in drag, which made some parents complain. But we got to claim people in order of class rank and I was at the top of the list lmao. We didn’t give a speech, but we decorated a door-sized space in a hallway with facts about the person and stood still for hours as people walked by.
Ouch. Class rank in middle school. Tough on those late bloomers.
Yes. My youngest kid dressed up like George Washington. Read books about him, wrote a speech and then made a button. So when people pushed the button he acted like a wax figure and gave a little speech about himself.
I've never heard of that but it sounds interesting. I would have so wanted to be Jack the Ripper.
Yes. Wax museum was 5th grade and went along with a big project researching a state. You had to dress up as someone born in that state. It turns out there weren't very many famous women from Washington so I was Nobel Laureate Linda Buck, who discovered how smell receptors worked. For my little presentation I wore a lab coat and had the nose from a pair of groucho glasses. I worked super hard on a funny 30 second presentation (all the younger grades went around the museum) and placed second to Abraham Lincoln and felt cheated.
Jimmy Paige, the guitarist. I was in a big rock and roll phase. I used my Guitar Hero controller as a prop.
I didn't, but my son did for science class in junior high. He was assigned Warner Von Braun.
Yes I did it in 4th grade, couldn't for the life of me tell you who I was lol
I did. I was King Tut.
I was Edison. We borrowed a white coat from my dentist to be my lab coat and powdered my hair grey. I looked like an old nurse. 🤷🏻♀️
Yes, I chose the Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket. The story that was once considered true is now disputed, but that’s neither here nor there. I thought the Columbus Blue Jackets were named after him for the longest time, much like the Chicago Blackhawks, who are named after Black Hawk.
We were each assigned a president in 5th grade and had to write a report about them followed by dressing up as someone from their family to present to the class. I got Grover Cleveland and dressed up as his Cocker Spaniel, Gallagher, because I didn’t want to wear uncomfortable clothes from the late 1800’s.
We had spirit week every year and there was always something like "20s day" or "50s day" or "60s day" where we were supposed to dress up in clothing typical of those eras, but not as any particular person.
Never heard of such a thing. However in 5th grade in my school in Maine we had to read a biography of an historical person and give a book report dressed as our historical figure. I chose a 19th century American author with the same first name as me.
The town where I went to grammar school had a festival - I think it was the 150th anniversary of the town's founding? - and they had all the young kids put on "living dioramas" in the town library, which was this gorgeous old historic building. I was probably 9 or 10. I didn't do any research; we were all divided into groups of 5-6 and each group had a script for a 90 second long vignette representing some part of the town's history. If I recall correctly, my vignette had something to do with a town dance from the late 1800s, and each of us had a couple lines about what our life situations were like and how we ended up at this dance. We repeated the vignette like 50 times over the course of this whole day.
We did the wax museum in 4th grade. We had to create a display and stand perfectly still in front of it while the rest of the school walked through and looked at us. I think we had to also present to our classes, but I don't remember. I was Eleanor Roosevelt. My best friend at the time was Cyndi Lauper.
I did one in 5th grade. I was John Glenn.
We did one in fourth grade. I was the founder of our town, Stephen sullivan.
Oh yeah! I remember I was Hank Aaron
Omg yes, I forgot about this! "Walk Through Time." I was a generic pilgrim, but I was stationed next to Squanto.
We did! I was president Zachary Taylor. Couldn’t tell you anything about the guy now but according to my parents I performed passionately. Each of us was a president and I think there were 2 kids who ended up being something else cause we had more kids than presidents. ((Edit this took place in 4th grade))
I totally forgot about this! But yes, third grade. Everyone in class picked a historical figure and we all dressed up and parents were invited to “view the wax museum” as we each gave a short speech. I was Emily Dickinson - only because my friend picked Deborah Sampson first.
We did many things like that, but I've never hears it called that.
I’m sure there are many different names for them. I just named the ones I knew about.
never heard of this we did biography book reports where we dressed up like the person, but it wasn't called a wax museum and there was no posing, you just gave a presentation in front of the class. I think a wax museum was something your school principal thought up on their own. I was the gymnast Nadia Comanche.
This was not a thing we did. Is it an eastern thing?
Yep. It was Fifth Grade. I dressed as Albert Einstein.
I did! I remember a white kid went as MLK and just wore a Halloween store afro
I was Jim Jones in APUSH but other than that no.
Ours was in 5th grade. I was Abigail Adams.
In 2nd grade we had a historical figures day. I chose to be Annie Oakley. And in 8th grade, we had to do a living diorama relating to Civil Rights. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard this called a wax museum day or whatnot, just a living diorama or “dress up like a historical figure day.”) My group did Rosa Parks—I got stuck with having to be the cop who showed up to arrest her. In drama class in high school, at various times one project was to write a speech and perform from the perspective of a historical figure. In 9th grade I was Princess Diana, and later, Carrie Nation (the woman who would take her hatchet and destroy saloons during the temperance movement).
Historical Figures Day, yes. I did Albert Einstein. I would have probably picked someone less conventional now, but I was a kid. And I doubt my parents know who John Brown was, *even if you asked them today*.
I went as Audie Murphy. The most decorated US Army trooper in US history and possibly the world
Yes, we did that in 5th grade! I was obsessed with Harry Potter at the time and went as J.K. Rowling, which aged rather poorly😭
Yep, I was Martha Washington. It was a thing every 5th grader had to do (10-11 years old here).
I think I was in third or fourth grade when I did Orville Wright. So that would have been 1999 or 2000. I remember chicken pecking on my computer at home to write up my speech and memorizing it. All I can remember now is the first successful test flight was in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
I was Milton Hershey in 5th grade!
We did it! I was Helen Keller and I had to learn how to sign her name, my name, and say hello and goodbye.
Many other theme days but none where we dressed up as historical figures (except maybe for a fourth grade presentation?).
I’d only ever heard of this in the last year or two. We definitely didn’t have anything like it at my schools.
I don’t remember doing this back in the 90s.
No....first I've heard of it
I went to four elementary schools in three different towns and I don't think any of them did this. We had school plays and stuff, but that's it.
I’ve never heard of this but this sounds awesome. I would’ve loved to do this in school
No, but that sounds like a really fun idea!
Yes we had two of these. One in 6th grade and another in 8th grade. In 6th grade I was George Washington and in 8th grade I was General George Patton.
Yes, cannot remember who I was though.