Daily events are subject to change.
Sunday, November 12, 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!
Please note: due to hunting season, the Woodland Walk (#44) and Pasture Walk (#46) are closed.
Daily Activities
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. & 1:30-3:30 p.m. Turkey Shoot:
While beginning to fall out of favor by the 1830s, competitive turkey shoots were still fairly common New England events in the fall and early winter. Participants would pay cash to shoot at nearly impossible ranges to try to win their own bird. Watch costumed historians recreate one of these events with replica firearms of the period (behind the Cabinetmaking Shop, Building #7).
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).
11:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Kids Turkey Shoot Activity:
Kids! Come and take part in a special turkey shoot with rubber band rifles. (Bullard Tavern great room, Building #3).
11:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Read Me a Story: A read-aloud story for children (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
1:00 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).
Civics & Religion
11:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. “Heaven is Under Our Feet” – Transcendentalists: Learn about Emerson, Thoreau, and a new philosophy of the 1830s that inspired modern protest movements (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
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, #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.
Pottery Shop and Kiln (Building #32) Explore the world of pottery and see household vessels being made at the potter’s wheel.
Tin Shop (Building #14) Experience our tinners creating authentic reproductions of household items made from tinned sheet iron.
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).