Daily events are subject to change.
Friday, November 3, 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. & 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).
2:00 p.m. Good For What Ails You, But Don’t Try This At Home: 1830s home remedies that will make you appreciate modern medicine (in the Fitch House, Building #20).
3:00 p.m. I Need Your Advice: A printer has a long-staying guest who’s been overstaying his visit. How can he get him to leave? (in the Fitch House, Building #20).
Civics & Religion
11:00 a.m. Schooling in the 19th Century: Learn about what education was like in the 1830s (in the District School, Building #31).
2:30 p.m. “Jesus Christ The Arch of Safety” – Hear the words of the Rev. Fosdick Harrison as he tries to bring conversion to his congregation (in the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
Music Performances
10:00 a.m. Music at the Tavern: Hear a sample of 1830s fiddle tunes (at the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
11:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. A Musical Sampler: Hear a selection of early 19th century social music (in the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
1:30 p.m. Unusual New England Instruments: Listen to and learn about a selection of the more unusual instruments used during the Village period (at the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
3:30 p.m. Musical Highlights, the “Hurdy Gurdy”:
Listen to this strange and unusual instrument
(at the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
Farm
3:00 p.m. Milking Demonstration
(at the Freeman Farm, Building #34).
Trades
Printing Office (Building #17) Small printing offices often worked for publishers in Philadelphia, New York, or Boston, printing and binding books for sale anywhere in New England. They often also did smaller printing jobs for local people.
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.
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).