Take a Closer Look is a monthly program open to all OSV Members*. Held at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month, this program invites a closer look with a Village specialist.  Programs last approximately 30 minutes.

January 9 - Behind the Scenes: Costume
Go behind the scenes in the Old Sturbridge Village Costume Shop. See how the costume staff help make the 1830s come alive and learn what it takes to clothe a Village.  Meet in the Visitor Center.

February 13 - Convenient and Fashionable
Early New England craftsmen created furniture that was both practical and stylish for a growing rural population. Explore the work of some of the cabinetmakers of central Massachusetts and learn about the ways these artisans met the needs of their style-conscious consumers.  Meet in the Visitor Center.

March 13 - It's About Time
In the years before standardized time -- to say nothing of digital clocks and daylight savings -- New Englanders measured "time" in many ways. Spend some time in the Clock Gallery exploring apparent time, mean time and the role played by clocks, almanacs and sundials in 19th-century time management.  Meet in the Clock Gallery.

April 10 - Too Good to Be Rags
Recycling is not a new phenomenon. Re-using and mending textile items, rather than throwing them out, was common in the early 1800s. Examine the ways that enterprising and frugal New England women ‘made do' by patching, darning, mending and altering old garments.  Meet in the Firearms & Textiles building.

May 8 - Drummer's Call
Join an OSV curator for a tour of the Firearms building focusing on the Drummer's Call exhibit. Learn more about martial music in early New England through artifacts from the Old Sturbridge Village collection.  Meet in the Firearms & Textiles building.

June 12 - Going to Towne
Take a closer look at the changes happening in the Towne House entry. See the artifacts from the Old Sturbridge Village collection that inspired the new entry and learn about changes to come.  Meet in the Salem Towne House.

July 10 - The Blacksmith Buys a Home
Members will tour the Emerson Bixby house (including the attic) with an OSV master blacksmith who will conduct a discussion of what forged iron items a blacksmith would make for his own house, or that of a neighbor.  Meet at the Bixby House.

August 14 - The Labor of My Youthful Hands
Join OSV staff for a tour of the Textile Exhibit focusing on samplers, needlework and art created by young ladies in the early 1800s in New England, both at home and with instruction at academies.  Meet in the Firearms & Textiles building.

September 11 - Behind the Scenes: Pottery
Go behind the scenes in the pottery shop with an OSV potter. See how the potters keep up with the high demand for redware and learn about the modern pottery production process at Old Sturbridge Village.  Meet at the Pottery.

October 9 - History and Archeology of the Freeman Farmhouse
Get an insider's tour of the Freeman Farmhouse, originally in the town of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, now located at Old Sturbridge Village. Learn about the history of the house and the restoration efforts after the fire of June 2007.  Meet at the Freeman Farmhouse.

*The October archaeology program is free with OSV admission, not limited to OSV Members.

November 13 - Specialized Lighting
Take a closer look in the Lighting exhibit at some of the specialized and patent lighting devices in the Old Sturbridge Village collection. See how lighting devices were adapted to a variety of circumstances.  Meet at the Early Lighting building.