In this speech, the author traces the history of museums as educational environments by speculating on how history museums have presented themselves to the public through their exhibits. The author also provides an outline of the implications that these methods of presentation have had on visitors. A major objective is to determine how history museums actually alter the basic relationship between the object and its beholder. Museum display development has been affected by at least five factors -- the taxonomic system used to organize the exhibit, the contribution of amateurs and specialists, the epistemological assumptions at work, the particular historiographical biases favored by each format, and the unresolved questions generated by each mode in the minds of visitors. Earliest history museums emphasized perception rather than reflection, offering exhibits which were collections of oddities and eccentricities, while later museums organized their holdings within some taxonomic system. The resulting effect was an exhibit which focused upon visual aspects as represented by the period space displays of "room" museums, house museums; or re-creations of entire village communities. These museums displays typically suggest an air of social harmony, ignoring the historical epoch and concept of historical change. A suggested solution is to have the visitor directly experience relationships through simulation. (Author/SJM)