Daily events are subject to change.
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Welcome to Wool Days at Old Sturbridge Village! Discover how New England farmers used the wool from their sheep. Farmers will give the sheep their annual haircut while costumed historians demonstrate the entire wool textile process, from scouring and carding the wool to dyeing, spinning, and then knitting the dyed yarn. See our artisans making handcrafted items from iron, tin plate, clay, leather, and wood. Watch as food is being prepared by an open hearth with the remains of last year’s harvest, anxiously awaiting the new spring growth. Enjoy your visit!
Wool Days Programming
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Knitting – Knitting has been described as both a useful employment and a source of never-failing amusement. Learn about the skills needed to clothe a family and the charitable knitting women did for others in the community (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Making a Pair of Worked Mittens (in the Small House, Building #4).
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sorting, Picking, and Scouring Wool: Spring is the perfect time to process wool in preparation for spinning (outside the Fenno House, Building #22).
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Llamas & Alpacas: Other Wool Fibers (by Dennison Building, #27).
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Dyeing with Local Dyes (near the Herb Garden, #30).
10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. Sheep Shearing Demonstration – See how the fleece is taken from the sheep using traditional hand shears (at the Freeman Farm, #34).
11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Dye Plants in the Herb Garden (Tour meets at the Herb Garden, #30).
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Knitting for a Cause: Help to Knit Scarves for Soldiers (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
Daily Activities
10:00 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. A Guided Tour of the Salem Towne House: Tour the home of a prosperous farmer with a costumed educator (meets in the hallway of the Salem Towne House, Building #15).
11:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Living By the Bell: A boardinghouse mistress reminisces about the Lowell factory girls (in the Salem Towne House Garden, #15).
12:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. Nature Myths: Fanciful tales about how things came to be (in the Salem Towne House Garden, #15).
Music Performances
10:30 a.m. Parlor Music: Listen to a selection of parlor music at the Bixby House, Building #36.
11:30 a.m. Musical Highlights, The Guitar: Learn about the guitar in New England, and hear a sample of music performed on a 19th-century style guitar at the Bixby House, Building #36.
1:00 p.m. Music at the Tavern: Hear a sample of 1830s fiddle tunes (at the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
2:00 p.m. Musical Highlights, the “Accordion”: The accordion was a new and popular musical instrument throughout rural New England in the 1830s. Learn how this instrument works, and listen to a selection of songs at the Bullard Tavern, Building #3.
Dining & Shopping
Bullard Café (Building #3) (on the Ground Floor)
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. A variety of lunch options and beverages.
Miner Grant Store & Bake Shop (Building #18)
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Stop in to buy our famous chocolate chip cookies, Joe Frogger cookies, and treats. Shop for Village-made wares, heirloom seeds, historical children’s toys and gifts, too!
Ox & Yoke Mercantile (Building #1)
10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Take home a traditional rural New England treasure or locally made gift. Village-made crafts and kits, home décor, books, and more await!
The Environmental Point of View
Woodland Walk (#44) A short hike along Pogus Brook to a wooded viewing platform.
Pasture Walk (#46) Takes you to the top of Powder House Hill, offering views of the pastured landscape.
River Walk (#47) Best views of the Wight Dam and a peaceful setting to enjoy the Quinebaug River.
Exhibitions
For the Purpose of Illumination: This new exhibit draws upon OSV’s large collection of lighting devices and prompts us to examine the impact that artificial lighting had in the early 19th century and continues to have on our lives today (in the Countryside Gallery, Building #38).
New England on Parade: Learn about the long history of parades in this region, and their many purposes. Visit both of the exhibitions’ locations in the Visitor Center (#2G), and Armed & Equipped Militia Exhibit (#25).
Needle and Thread: The Art and Skill of Clothing an Early 19th Century Family highlights the responsibilities held by rural New England housewives in constructing new garments, patching, mending, and darning worn items, and repurposing old items into new wardrobes. The exhibit features over a dozen garments and accessories, along with other textile and clothing objects from the Old Sturbridge Village Museum Collections (in the Dennison Building, #27).