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Ann Lindblad
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Old Sturbridge Village Museum on Track for Best Year in Decade

History museum memberships up 16%; attendance jumps 6%; school field trips highest since 2001

STURBRIDGE, Mass.--(August 25, 2009)--Old Sturbridge Village President and CEO James E. Donahue announced that the American history museum is on track for its best year in a decade based on gains achieved to date halfway through the museum's fiscal year. Museum memberships have increased 16 percent; attendance is up 6 percent compared to the same period last year; and school field trip visits jumped 6 percent during the last school year -- the first increase in field trip visits to Old Sturbridge Village since 2001. The Village, a popular history museum and New England destination for family fun, also gained visitors last year, posting an 8 percent attendance gain in 2008.

The living history museum’s 2009 fiscal year-to-date attendance (Feb. 1 through July 31) rose 6 percent to 132,763, compared to 125,714 for the same period last year. Old Sturbridge Village memberships grew approximately 16 percent to 7,200 from 6,200 a year ago. In addition, school field trip visits to OSV jumped 6 percent during the last school year (Sept. 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009), from 59,211 to 62,846, the best performance since 2001.

In addition, OSV’s popular July 4th evening fireworks sold out for the second straight year, and daytime attendance on July 4th was 31 percent higher than last year.

"The museum's gains are especially significant since they come despite this year's dramatic stock market plunge, above average snow and ice storms during the winter, spring school cancellations due to H1N1 swine flu scares, and the coldest and rainiest June and July on record," Donahue said.

"Heading into a new school year, we’re particularly encouraged with the surge in field trip numbers," Donahue added. "It is proof that despite tight school budgets, teachers still value the hands-on, interactive educational experiences we provide. They know that during a visit to OSV their students will learn more, remember it longer, and have fun at the same time."

Old Sturbridge Village’s strong year-to-date performance puts it in a good position heading into the busy fall foliage and harvest season, when the Village has special family fun events planned nearly every weekend, followed by the museum’s traditional Thanksgiving celebrations. Due to increased demand, this year the Village will expand its popular Christmas by Candlelight celebrations to "12 Nights of Christmas" Thursday through Sunday evenings from Dec. 3-20.

The museum will launch a new exhibit of antique fine furniture in October: Convenient & Fashionable; Furniture of Inland Massachusetts 1790-1830, which will showcase many seldom-seen furniture treasures from the Village collection. Old Sturbridge Village Trustee Norm Abram, host of the popular PBS series The New Yankee Workshop, will be the Village’s special guest at a brunch and book signing in honor of the new exhibit on Sat. Oct. 24.

Old Sturbridge Village is one of the oldest and largest living history museums in the country and celebrates New England life in the 1830s. The museum is open year round, but hours of operation vary seasonally. For details: www.osv.org; 1-800-SEE-1830, or visit us on Facebook.

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