If you are Irish-American, there is a good chance that your ancestors actually came from Ulster - Ulstermen played an important role in the history of the United States. This park highlights the individual reasons for migration, from religious dissenters to the simply poor.
The real strength of the Ulster American Folk Park, however, lies in the recreation of the actual experience of migration. Visitors are first guided through parts of an Irish village, consisting of smallholdings, cottages, churches and a blacksmith's workshop. The park then "ends" in a city street (complete with well-stocked shops) leading down to a quay. Here a sailing ship awaits you, you board ... and when you get off again you are in America.
The Ulster American Folk Park allows a unique glimpse into history indded - on both sides of the Atlantic!
Photo © 2005 Bernd Biege licensed to About.com, Inc.