I found the first two with no difficulty, and enjoyed my visit (although comparisons with Disneyland's Main Street USA were inevitable), and I found the scatter-shot arrangement of artifacts at the Henry Ford a bit disconcerting. I also felt that the place was designed to confirm what most Americans with common knowledge of history and material culture already know and feel, rather than to expand such knowledge, or to increase curiousity about less-familiar, perhaps less comfortable aspects of history. But there may well be good reasons for the populist and comfortably unchallenging approach, and certainly Henry Ford's character was reflected throughout both the museum and village. So I took what I could from both places, and enjoyed the rather sanitized version of history they presented.

But I had to inquire about Lovett Hall's whereabouts. It was hiding in plain sight, behind a padlocked gate next to the Henry Ford. I had to re-enter the museum and exit by a little-used side door to access Lovett Hall.
Once there, I found the front door unlocked, and no one inside. I made my way up the staircase, and gasped at the beautiful ballroom, whose crystal chandeliers and antique furnishings remain in place. I began to softly whistle English country dance music - and then danced a little solo dance, with an invisible partner and corners. It was a thrill just to be in such a historic place, and to know Lovett Hall's history.
Then I looked around a little more closely. The room was set up for a reception, with many large round tables covered in white tablecloths. Chairs were not yet in place, however, nor were there any decorations. There was an open area in the midst of the room, right in front of the musicians' gallery - presumably for dancing at what was probably going to be a wedding reception that evening (my guess was correct - I later saw the bridesmaids, in stiletto heels).
Then I looked at that wonderful polished wooden floor, which the Henry Ford management claimed had to be rewaxed regularly to accommodate the dancers.
It bore many long scratches leading to the legs of those round tables. Not just scuffs. Scratches, up to six feet in length. While the floor was clean, the scratches were all over the place. I looked more closely - and saw many small indentions, no doubt from spike heels.
So much for preserving tangible history.

Above the staircase's landing hangs a tribute to Henry Ford and Benjamin Lovett, with a poorly-lit explanation about the origins, history, and raison-d'etre of Lovett Hall. It makes no mention of the long series of dances held there by the Morningstars...or that Lovett Hall is now in the hands of the caterers. I photographed it, but doubt that many non-dancer visitors to the ballroom even notice the tribute, tucked away as it is.
Later, near Greenfield Village's Main Street area I was pleased to see a group of dancers clad in 1904 styles and doing the "animal dances" of that era - the Turkey Trot, Bunny Hug, Grizzly Bear, etc. Their spokeswoman was quite effective, and they were drawing members of the audience to dance with them (to recorded ragtime music). I complimented a few of them on their performance, and asked about what vintage dance group this might be.
I was told that they were all Henry Ford employees, and that they'd recently had four weeks of lessons in vintage dance.
I was glad to hear this - but upon later slightly cynical reflection, realized that while these dancers' performance was very entertaining, appropriate, and a welcome addition to Greenfield Village's activities, their performances also allow the HF management to clain that they are preserving traditional dance, and inviting the public to join right in.
Very educational, no doubt. And there's not one in a thousand visitors who would see any dark side to it at all - but I was that one.
Not quite the same, is it?

I am not sure my swipes at The Henry Ford's presentation and apparent philosophy (which gives the impression of a very idealized, somewhat Norman Rockwell-ish view of American history) are actually relevant, but they do sort of fit in with my take on seeing the vintage dances performed by employees. I surmized that the HF management could thus claim that they were continuing to feature and support dance - I don't know that they've actually made this claim. And in a way, of course they ARE featuring dance - it was just that this was clearly performance dance, not the open-to-the-public dances the Morningstars produced for so many years.
The damage to the surface of the Lovett Hall floor was very dismaying, though otherwise the room appeared adequately cared-for. Again, the condition of the floor was something a dancer would notice more than the casual observer/visitor.
It seems to me that the catering department, or whoever they hire to move their tables and chairs around, should be told to lift, not drag, to avoid scarring the floor. Six-foot long scars were most noticeable, and deplorable on any dance floor - but on THIS particular dance floor, they seemed to illustrate either an ignorance of Lovett Hall's raison d'etre and history, or a lack of respect and appreciation for that history. In either case, they show someone's carelessness and willingness to do things the easy way, rather than the right way.
Sadly, Susan Booker, Lexington, KY