Come enjoy the splendor of the fall season at the largest outdoor living history museum in New England. The changing colors and autumnal landscape provide visitors a beautiful backdrop to meet and talk with our costumed historians, craftspeople, and artisans. Don’t be afraid to ask them lots of questions! They will help to enrich your experience of the past. Come meet our animals including sheep, pigs, oxen, horses, and chickens. Step inside the historical homes and buildings each moved from throughout New England, and restored to show how they would have been furnished and used during the early 19th century. Walk across the Vermont Covered Bridge. See the blacksmith, potter, and farmers at work. Plus, so much more!
Old Sturbridge Village is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm until October 1. Beginning October 4 through November 12 the Village will close one hour earlier, 4:00 pm. Plan your visit today.
Things to do this fall:
Craft Weekend
September 16 & 17
Visit during Craft Weekend when we will be highlighting a variety of New England crafts and trades from the early 19th century. The Village’s craftspeople will showcase their skills by crafting more complicated or unique items that are not usually displayed at the Village. Craft Weekend is sponsored by Savers Bank. Learn more about the weekend’s events and get tickets.
Celebrating the Harvest
Select Weekends
Fall is a busy time of year at Old Sturbridge Village. This time of year early 19th-century New Englanders farmers worked tirelessly to harvest corn, potatoes, apples, squash, and other produce from their fields. As the growing season winds down, come see our gardeners and farmers who are hard at work harvesting and preserving crops, putting fields and gardens to rest, and thinking ahead to the next growing season. Join us in celebration of the harvest!
Phantoms by Firelight
Friday – Sunday Beginning October 6th
Phantoms by Firelight returns to Old Sturbridge Village for 12 nights this Fall…and it’s bigger than ever! Step into the firelit shadows of history and uncover its eerie tales. Learn about the history of Halloween traditions, play games, find treats, and listen to ghost stories by the bonfire. Plus, be entertained by the spectacle of mesmerizing performances including fire breathing and flame spinning, as well as acrobats flying high over the Village with their vampire-like ways. From specters to secrets, explore history’s haunted mysteries. Tickets are on sale now! Learn more and get your tickets early.
Agriculture Fair Weekend
October 7-9
Fall was the time for 19th-century Agricultural Societies to hold a Cattle Show. Many shows also included an Exhibition of Domestic Manufacture. Throughout the weekend, we are recreating such a display. Stop by to see an exhibition of vegetables, fruit, butter, cheese, and items of home manufacture such as handwoven cotton and woolen fabrics, knitted stockings and shawls, and fancy work. Agriculture Fair Weekend is sponsored by UniBank.
Stay Overnight
Enjoy a visit to the Village during the picturesque fall season and an overnight stay at the Old Sturbridge Inn & Reeder Family Lodges. There are a variety of packages to choose from including a Fall Foliage Package, Phantoms by Firelight, and a Couple’s Homestead Package. Book your overnight stay.
Enjoy Sweet and Savory Treats
Stop by the Ox & Yoke Café located outside the Visitor Center. Enjoy one of our signature desserts and pastries, as well as a beverages. Sit down and relax with a cup of fresh ground coffee, gourmet tea, craft beer or wine. Sweet and savory treats like focaccia, cheesecake, pies, soups, and salads will be the perfect start or end of your visit to the Village.
Shop for Seasonal Décor and More
Find all your favorites, like Village-made pottery and tinware, crafts, books, toys, and more. Shop for locally produced, specialty foodstuffs like cider vinegar, cider syrup, and apple butter all at the Ox & Yoke Mercantile. Learn more about our shops and the hours they are open.