The movement toward preservation of historical sites and objects has shifted from professional preservationists to a diverse population of individuals. Allegiance to the past has given way to recreating the past. Historical discovery occurs, for example, through visits to restructured historic sites where activities illustrate notions of how life must have been. Authenticity and documentation have been replaced by the fun and recreation of visiting such places. Heritage marketing now dominates the housing market and one can even purchase strains of seeds to recreate a 19th century garden. Direct experience of the past occurs through festivals in which communities return to costumes and customs of 100 years ago. The challenge, then, is to align preservation policies with the way people view the past. In order to create some order from these chaotic activities, the professional preservationist needs to understand the full impact of our sense of the past, based both on group heritage and individual experiences. (KC)