Daily events are subject to change.
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Welcome to Old Sturbridge Village, a recreated 1830s rural New England town! Fall is an exciting time here. See if you can spot marigolds, autumn crocuses, and dahlias in bloom. See our Blacksmith, Potter, and Tinners at work, and food being prepared by an open hearth with the remains of last year’s harvest, anxiously awaiting the autumn harvest. Our farmers and gardeners are beginning to bring in the harvest, and of course, our farm animals always enjoy a visitor too. Enjoy your visit!
Daily Activities
10:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. An Excerpt From a Letter By 19th Century Activist Sarah Grimke: Her thoughts on women speaking publicly (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
11:30 a.m. & 3:00 p.m. Let’s Talk About the Weather:
The real story of the Year without a Summer
(in the Richardson House, Building #12).
1:00 p.m. A Guided Tour of the Salem
Towne House: Tour a prosperous farmer’s home with a costumed educator (meets in the hallway of the Salem Towne House, Building #15).
Civics & Religion
11:00 a.m. A Son of the Forest: A discussion of William Apess, an Indigenous minister and writer in the early 19th century (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
2:30 p.m. A World to Win: Women Missionaries from New England – Learn about Sarah Joiner Lyman and Hannah Moore’s missionary service and what inspired them and hundreds of other New England women to become missionaries (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
Music Performances
10:00 a.m. Music at the Tavern: Hear a sample of 1830s fiddle tunes (in the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
11:00 a.m. & 1:30 p.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 Fitch House, Building #20).
2:30 p.m. Parlor Music at the Salem Towne House: Learn about the Towne Family’s musical background and hear a selection of songs historically performed in the home (Building #15).
Farm
3:00 p.m. Milking Demonstration
(at the Freeman Farm, Building #34).
Households
Small House (Building #4) Costumed interpreters are here to help you understand the past as it relates to the present. Make this your first stop to say “good day” and orient yourself to our 1830s Village.
Trade Shops
Cabinetmaking Shop (Building #7) Period cabinetmakers made a wide variety of wares including tables, chairs, chests and other case furniture. Explore this trade shop, and learn more about the tools and techniques used by nineteenth century woodworkers.
Community
Asa Knight Store (Building #10) Country stores brought in goods from all over the world, through seaports like Boston and Providence. They also bought locally produced goods such as butter, cheese, and handwork for sale in those urban commercial centers.
The Carryall (weather permitting)
We offer a horse-drawn carryall ride included with the price of admission. From 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. you can board behind the Bullard Tavern (#3) or in front of the Blacksmith Shop (#37) about every 20 minutes for a ride around the Mill Pond. There is no carryall operating outside of this time.
Dining & Shopping
Bullard Café (Building #3) (on the Ground Floor)
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Hungry? Stop by lunch or a late snack.
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. – 4:30 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. – 4:30 p.m. Take home a traditional rural New England treasure or unique 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 Collection
(in the Dennison Building, #27).