The Pioneer Museum of Alabama will turn the clock back this weekend to the days when Alabama was learning to pull itself up by the bootstraps.

The museum’s annual Pioneer Days will begin on Friday when more than 300 elementary school students will participate in the living history festival on the museum grounds and continue on Saturday when the festival is open to the public.

“Although Friday is designed especially for students, everyone is welcome to join us,” said Kari Barley, museum director. “We’ll have the fourth grade students from Banks, Goshen and Pike County elementary schools as well as from schools in other counties. It will be a great day of learning fun.”

On both days, Bruce Brannen’s Wild West Show will be featured entertainment and Davy Crockett will be around to spin tales of the Wild West.

“We’ll also have re-enactment groups from the Civil War and the Spanish American War eras,” Barley said. “We’ll have demonstrations of old-time crafts like caning chairs, basket weaving, churning butter and cooking on a wood stove.”

SheBANG! Cloggers and the Benton Brothers will be the featured entertainment for Pioneer Days 2012.

“On Saturday, we’ll have wagon rides and the museum that houses thousands of artifacts from pioneer days will be open Friday and Saturday,” Barley said. “The museum’s picnic area will be open and available and the walking trails are really nice at this time of the year. So, we encourage everyone to come and enjoy Pioneer Days at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama.”

Admission to Pioneer Days is $6. Children ages five and under are admitted free.

Memberships may be purchased at the weekend event, which will include admission to Pioneer Days and to the museum and its events from date of purchase. Individual memberships are $25 and family memberships are $45. For more information, call (334) 566-3597.