Martin Luther King Jr. Day features “Honoring a Slave Heroine: The Mumbet Story” Jan. 21
Children Learn Pottery at Discovery Adventures Jan. 19-20
STURBRIDGE, Mass. (Jan. 3, 2013) – Old Sturbridge Village is saluting the New Year by offering free admission for children in January (an $8 value per child). Through Jan. 31, all kids age 17 and under get free admission to the Village when accompanied by a paying adult. There is no limit on the number of free youth admissions per adult, but the offer does not apply to school groups or Discovery Adventure programs.
For the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Mon. Jan. 21, the museum will feature storyteller and museum educator Tammy Denease, who will present Honoring a Slave Heroine: The Mumbet Story. The presentation is based on the inspiring true story of Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, a young slave woman who won her freedom in court in 1781. All MLK Day programs at the Village are included in museum admission.
During the weekend of Jan. 19-20 children can learn introductory pottery skills at a special two-day OSV Winter Discovery Adventure session entitled A Potter's Work (separate fee applies). Children ages 6-17 will wear period costumes and explore the history of early New England farmer/potters and learn the pottery process from beginning to end, including how to use the pottery wheel. Each child will take home a pottery memento they crafted themselves. For details on all January programs and promotions at Old Sturbridge Village: 800-SEE-1830; www.osv.org.
Storyteller Denease's portrayal of Mumbet is influenced by stories told to her by her own great-grandmother, a former slave from Mississippi who lived to the age of 125. “I draw on my great-grandmother’s own life story for inspiration when portraying Mumbet.”
To win her freedom, Mumbet cited the phrase "all men are born free and equal” in the Massachusetts constitution, and her case led to the 1783 decision that ended slavery statewide. Mumbet once said, “Anytime while I was a slave, if one minute’s freedom had been offered to me, and I was told I would die at the end of that minute, I would have taken it, just to stand on God’s green earth a free woman.”
After spending 30 years as a slave in the household of Colonel John Ashley of Sheffield, Massachusetts, Mumbet hired lawyer Theodore Sedgwick, to sue for her freedom in court. Once free, she took the name Elizabeth Freeman and was employed by the Sedgwick family as a midwife, nurse, and healer.
Other activities at Old Sturbridge Village on MLK Day and throughout the month include ice skating (bring your own skates), sledding on 1830s-style sleds, and sleigh rides (snow permitting). After enjoying the museum’s outdoor winter activities, visitors can warm up indoors beside one of the Village’s many cozy fireplaces and take part in hands-on crafts and activities. Children can also spend time “pretending” in Old Sturbridge Village’s popular “KidStory” indoor play area.
With more than 40 restored buildings – farmhouses, mills, meetinghouses, and craft shops – on more than 200 acres of fields and woods, Old Sturbridge Village is one of the country's oldest and largest living history museums and celebrates early New England life from 1790-1840.
Located just off the Massachusetts Turnpike and Routes I-84 and 20 in Sturbridge, Mass., the Village is open year-round, but hours vary seasonally. Winter hours are Wed.-Sun. 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (the Village is open on all Monday holidays); Children age 17 and under receive free admission through Jan. 31, 2013. Normal admission is: $24 for adults; $22 for seniors; $8 for children ages 3-17; children 2 and under are admitted free. Each admission includes a free second-day visit within 10 days. For details, visit www.osv.org or call 800-SEE-1830.
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Contact:
Ann Lindblad
VP Communications
Old Sturbridge Village
508-347-0323
pr@osv.org
