Daily events are subject to change.
Welcome to Old Sturbridge Village, a recreated 1830s rural New England town! Today is our fall muster day; cheer on your favorite militia company! To supplement the meager armed forces, most early 19th-century farmers and craftsmen were required by law to serve in local militia units. Fall militia musters often saw the various militia companies of several towns coming together for a regimental muster. See a sham fight, talk to members of two uniformed volunteer militia companies, visit the striped pig tent and more. Enjoy your visit! Please note: The Woodland and Pasture Walks are closed today.
Muster Day Programs
Gingerbread for sale outside of the Miner Grant Store – While supplies last! A winter treat today, gingerbread was traditionally enjoyed on muster days in the early 19th century (Building #18).
Throughout the Day:
- Visit the Striped Pig Tent (by the Asa Knight Store, Building #10).
- Visit with a Member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard (in the tent near the Horse Sheds, next to Building #6).
9:20 a.m. – 9:45a.m. Fife and Drum Music (outside of the Visitor Center, Building #2).
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The Militia in Context: Visit the large tent near the Bullard Tavern to learn about the militia system, who served, and its connection to social reform movements in the 1830s (near the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Make a Paper Militia Hat (in the Visitor Center, Building #2).
10:00 a.m. “What is Muster Day?” A Citizen’s Guide to the Militia (in front of the Fenno House, Building #22).
10:15 a.m. The Militia Assembles for a Regimental Review (on the Common)
11:00 a.m. The Militia Practices Target Shooting (behind the Cabinetmaking Shop, Building #7).
12:00 p.m. Fife and Drum Music Demonstration (by the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
12:30 p.m. Kids Learn to March (on the Common)
1:15 p.m. Sermon on the Death of Daniel Burbank at a Muster (in the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
2:00 p.m. Justice of the Peace Hearing on Militia Infractions (outside the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
2:30 p.m. Cannon Demonstration (next to the Blacksmith Shop, Building #37).
3:00 p.m. Sham Fight (at the Freeman Farm Fields, #34).
4:00 p.m. Fife and Drum Music Demonstration (by the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
Daily Activities
10:00 a.m. Common Curiosities: Why do most New England town centers have an open green and a church? This tour of the Center Village will answer these and other questions about this area (meets in front of the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
11:00 a.m. Phrenology – The Science of the Mind:
Learn about the hot new science of the 1830s, and what it can say about you! (in the Gebhardt Barn, Building #13).
12:00 p.m. Uncomfortable Truths Tour: A discussion about Race in early New England (starts outside the Small House, Building #4).
1:30 p.m. A Guided Tour of the Salem Towne House:
Tour the home of a prosperous farmer with a costumed historian (meets in front of the Salem Towne House, Building #15).
2:30 p.m. A Dentist Comes to Town: A traveling dentist character describes his practice, shows his tools, recounts original and sometimes amusing stories about dentistry in the early 1800s (in the Gebhardt Barn, Building #13).
3:30 p.m. Tales of a Yankee Peddler: A peddler tells stories about his life on the road in early New England (in the Gebhardt Barn, Building #13).
Dining & Shopping
Bullard Café (Building #3) (on the Ground Floor)
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
A variety of lunch options and beverages.
Miner Grant Store & Bake Shop (Building #18)
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Stop in to buy our famous chocolate chip cookies, Joe Frogger cookies, and treats. Shop for Village-made wares, historical children’s toys and gifts, too!
Ox & Yoke Café (Building #1) 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Featuring scrumptious sweet and savory baked goods made right on-site, along with freshly ground coffee, beer and wine, maple water, and more. Enjoy pies, focaccia, cheesecake,
or a “flight” of cookies!
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!
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).
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).