2016 Press Kit - Old Sturbridge Village

OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
Fact Sheet
Old Sturbridge Village Overview
Situated in central Massachusetts, Old Sturbridge Village is one of our nation’s largest outdoor history museums with more than
40 historic buildings and 200 forested acres.
During its 70-year history, the Village has welcomed more than 21 million visitors from across New England, throughout the
United States and around the world. The Village currently provides more than 250,000 visitors annually, including 55,000 students,
with an immersion into early American history through the museum’s historic buildings and landscapes, collections and exhibits,
and, most importantly, interaction with costumed historians, artisans and farmers.
During a visit to the Village, visitors experience “the world” as it existed in rural New England 200 years ago. They come faceto-face with issues and concepts that transformed the everyday lives of early New Englanders, such as the rise of commerce
and manufacturing, innovations in agriculture and transportation, the pulls of emigration and urbanization, and the tides of
educational, political, aesthetic and social change. Visitors explore our historic houses and experience hearthside cooking;
pastures where they meet our heritage breed animals; the many trade shops where our skilled craftspeople make iron tools,
pottery, tinware, and coopered buckets and barrels; and our town common where we celebrate Independence Day and
Thanksgiving.
Today, we live in a world challenged by technology-dependence, a lost appreciation for hard work and being neighborly, and a
heightened sense of entitlement and materialism. Old Sturbridge Village reconnects visitors to 1830s values and life lessons that
have never been more relevant and necessary, such as:
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Living modestly and simply;
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Mastering a skill, craft or trade;
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Sharing a strong, disciplined work ethic;
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Protecting the Earth through sustainable living;
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Being a good neighbor through a heightened sense of community;
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Sharing an appreciation for the land and understanding of where and how our food is sourced; and
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Valuing our nation’s history and applying it to ensure a brighter future.
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OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
Fact Sheet
Mission
Organization
Old Sturbridge Village, a museum and learning resource
of New England life, invites each visitor to find meaning,
pleasure, relevance and inspiration through the exploration
of history.
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Location
Hours of Operation
1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566
508-347-3362 | 800-733-1830
February 15 – 21, 2016
Open Daily | 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
Situated in central Massachusetts, Old Sturbridge Village
is located in the town of Sturbridge, MA. Within a onehour drive of 6 million people, the Village is located at
the intersection of I-90 and I-84 — less than an hour from
Boston and Providence, 45 minutes from Hartford, 30
minutes from Springfield and 20 minutes from Worcester.
February 22 – April 17, 2016
Open Wednesday – Sunday | 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
Admission Rates:
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$28 adults
$26 seniors (age 55 and over)
$14 youth (ages 3 to17)
FREE for children (2 and under)
FREE for active-duty and career-retired military families
FREE for Old Sturbridge Village Members
Note – Second visit free within ten days
Membership Levels
Old Sturbridge Village membership includes year-round,
daytime admission to the Village, as well as a number of
benefits and Village discounts.
501(c)(3) nonprofit museum
Governed by a 21-member Board of Trustees
Member of the New England Museum Association (NEMA)
Annual budget of approximately $7 million
April 18 – 24, 2016
Open Daily | 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
April 25 – May 1, 2016
Open Wednesday – Sunday | 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
May 2 – October 31, 2016
Open Daily | 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
November 1 – 27, 2016
Open Wednesday – Sunday | 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
December 2 – 4, 9 – 11, 16 – 18, 23
Christmas by Candlelight | 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Fri/Sat/Sun
Please Note: CLOSED during daytime hours
CLOSED December 24, 25
• $65 Individual membership
• $90 Individual +1 membership
• $90 Dual membership
• $105 Family membership
• $130 Family +1 membership
Note – Discounted membership rates for Sturbridge residents
and military available at the Visitor Center with a photo ID.
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OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
Fact Sheet
History
Since its founding in 1946, Old Sturbridge Village, a 501(c)(3) organization located in central Massachusetts, has provided millions
of families, students and individuals from across the globe the opportunity to explore and be inspired by the rich history of
19th-century New England. Visitors to the Village explore our historic homes and experience hearthside cooking; pastures where
they meet our heritage breed animals; and the many trade shops where our skilled craftsmen make iron tools, pottery, tinware,
and coopered buckets and barrels; and our town common where we celebrate Independence Day and Thanksgiving. While the
museum’s living history exhibits interpret daily life in the 1830s, our material culture collection and library holdings encompass
artifacts that are important to the understanding and interpretation of early 19th-century life and document the daily lives of
rural, inland New Englanders from 1790 to 1840.
Old Sturbridge Village traces its beginnings to the remarkable collection of early New England artifacts, amassed by the Wells
family of neighboring Southbridge, Massachusetts. Albert B. Wells was a passionate collector of what he called “primitives,” the
everyday furnishings, tools, gadgets and “oddities” of early America. His brother, J. Cheney, focused on early American clocks and
timepieces. Albert Wells’ zealous collecting habits required him to build an addition to his home in Southbridge; eventually the
accumulation of objects forced the family out completely and they moved to nearby Sturbridge. By the early 1930s Albert had
filled more than 42 rooms in his Southbridge house, and the question of what to do with this extraordinary profusion of ordinary
things could no longer be avoided. In 1935, eager to make his growing collection accessible to the public, Albert established the
Wells Historical Museum, a nonprofit educational corporation responsible for the care and public display of the collection. Shortly
thereafter, Albert, joined by his brother J. Cheney, acquired 153 acres of farmland in Sturbridge, on which they would build a
“living village” where visitors could see craftsmen working in a variety of shops, tour furnished early American homes, watch grain
being ground by a waterpowered Gristmill and enjoy comprehensive exhibitions of the Wells family collections. The museum
opened to the public on June 8, 1946, an experiment in outdoor living history, and remains today an engaging, educational and
entertaining destination for visitors of all ages.
Collections & Research Library
The Village’s expansive and diverse collections have national significance as the single largest holding of materials documenting
the everyday life of early New England; more than half of these objects were acquired by the Wells Family. The collection includes
an enormous range of materials characteristic of New England regional culture in a period of important historical transition.
Containing approximately 60,000 objects, the material culture collections are particularly strong in their holdings of early
nineteenth-century New England craftsmen’s tools, agricultural implements, ceramics, clothing and textiles, furniture, clocks,
lighting, portraits, and other fine and decorative arts.
The Village’s Research Library holds more than 40,000 volumes of primary sources and secondary materials documenting all
aspects of early American New England culture, economy and society.
Recent exhibitions at Old Sturbridge Village have included Delightfully Designed: The Furniture and Life of Nathan Lombard in 2013
and Bucket Town: Four Centuries of Toy-Making and Coopering in Hingham in 2014 and Kindred Spirits: A. B. Wells, Malcolm Watkins
and the Origins of Old Sturbridge Village. The Delightfully Designed exhibit was presented in collaboration with the Four Centuries of
Massachusetts Furniture Project, a consortium of 11 institutions throughout Massachusetts that celebrated the history of furniture
and furniture making in the Commonwealth from the seventeenth century to the present.
Current Exhibition
Make No Little Plans: The Beginnings of Old Sturbridge Village
In the Village’s changing exhibition space located in the Visitor Center, a new exhibition opened this year that explores the origins
of Old Sturbridge Village. Make No Little Plans explores the Village’s formative years, focusing on the individuals whose big plans
and hard work shaped an American treasure and the everyday objects that inspired them.
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OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
Fact Sheet
Education Programs
Food and Lodging
Old Sturbridge Village is an expansive outdoor classroom
where 55,000 students each year explore and experience
key themes of early American life such as language
arts, science, civics and music. During a field trip to the
Village, students come face-to-face with issues and
concepts that transformed the everyday lives of early
New Englanders and connect those same issues to their
own lives, communities and current events. Educational
programming includes:
Old Sturbridge Village’s food and beverage service provides
an enormous opportunity to showcase early New England
foodways. Understanding the important connection between
food and its impact on the overall visitor experience, the Village
has begun to integrate our culinary program into our museum
and educational experiences – making Old Sturbridge Village a
dining destination with a focus on field-to-table and nutritious,
healthy meals.
• Field Trips
• Scout and Home School Days
• Teacher Training Workshops
•Overnights
•Historic Craft Classes – Craft workshops for adults,
students and families
•Discovery Adventures – Weeklong program for children
6 to 14 years of age, in spring and summer
Public Events
The Village hosts dozens of historically-themed events and
festivals throughout the year that attract thousands of
visitors to the area. This year, the Village is holding its first
Family Farm Fest, craft beer and artisan weekend, field-totable festival, and expanded Fourth of July, Thanksgiving
and Christmas programs.
Dining experiences include:
•Two onsite restaurants: Bullard Tavern Cafeteria and the
Village Café
•The Bake Shop and Village Scoop (opened summer 2015)
and Miner Grant Store offer baked goods and treats
•Oliver Wight Tavern serves Sunday Brunch and holiday
celebrations, weddings, corporate events and functions
•“Dinner in a Country Village” is an immersive, hands-on
experience that showcases an authentic 19th-century meal
and cooking techniques for up to 14 people
•“Hearthside Bounty” in Bullard Tavern is a banquet-style
culinary experience for a larger group and without the
hands-on participation
Old Sturbridge Village operates the Old Sturbridge Inn and
Reeder Family Lodges, located adjacent to the museum
entrance. See separate fact sheet with information about these
facilities.
2016 Calendar of Events:
Old Sturbridge Village By the Numbers
March (weekends in March).................. Maple Days
April 2.............................................................. Garden Symposium
April 16 – 24.................................................. Family Farm Fest
May 28 – 30................................................... Wool Days
May 14 – 15................................................... Garden Weekend
June 11........................................................... Antique Car Rally
June 13 – 19.................................................. Freedom Week
July 2 – 4......................................................... Independence: 4th of July
August 6 & 7................................................. Redcoats and Rebels
August 20 & 21............................................ Textile Weekend
September 10 – 11..................................... Craft: Beer + Trades
October 8 – 10............................................. Dig-In: A Field-to-Table
Festival
November 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20
and 24............................................................. Bounty: A New England
Thanksgiving
November 25 – 27...................................... Winter Market
December 2 – 4, 9 – 11, 16 – 18............ Christmas by Candlelight
•Approximately 250,000 visitors in 2015, including 55,000
schoolchildren
• 40 historic buildings on 200 forested acres
• 3 working water-powered mills
• 69 farm animals on a vintage 1830s-style
working farm
•60,000 items in material culture collection (only 10%
currently on display)
• More than 170,000 images in Visual Resources Library
• More than 40,000 volumes in Research Library
•400 varieties of garden plants and field crops, primarily
heirloom stock
•60 full-time, year-round employees, including 45 costumed
historians and artisans; 47 part-time, year round employees;
and 114 seasonal employees
• 250 volunteers donate 25,000 total service hours annually
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Old Sturbridge Inn and Reeder Family Lodges
Fact Sheet
Two Distinct Lodging Properties on One Site
Adjacent to the entrance of Old Sturbridge Village, the museum operates the Old Sturbridge Inn and Reeder Family Lodges,
offering first-class hospitality and 19th-century charm with modern-day amenities. Proceeds support the ongoing operation of
Old Sturbridge Village, a nonprofit museum.
Cabinetmaker Oliver Wight had his Federal-style “mansion house,” now the Old Sturbridge Inn, built in 1789 by carpenter and
architect Samuel Stetson. Wight quickly found he was financially over-extended and sold his stately home to Ebenezer Howard,
another cabinetmaker, who ran it as an inn in the early 1800s. It returned to the Wight family later in the 1800s, and is a guest
favorite for romantic getaways. The murals on the foyer walls, ascribed to artist Rufus Porter, date to the early 1800s. Since the
1930s, Old Sturbridge Village has used the house for staff offices, a store, and most recently, as lodging for guests. Today it is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
The recently renovated 29-room Reeder Family Lodges provide spacious, modern rooms with curbside parking and private
entryways. The Lodges offer the perfect escape for families, tourists and business travelers looking for modern accommodations
with a central location to base a New England visit.
The Oliver Wight House
All rooms share these amenities:
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• Free wireless internet
• 32” Flat-screen cable TVs
• iPod/iPad docking/charging stations
• Free continental breakfast
• Free parking
• Outdoor swimming pool/poolside seating area
• Fitness room and spa
• Outdoor patios and fire pit
• A/C in every room
•Playground
•Kids 19th-century toy and game baskets
• King, Queen, or two double bed rooms available
• Iron/ironing board, blow dryer, coffee maker in every room
Built in 1789
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
10 rooms with historic ambiance
Historic mural on interior hallway, restored in 2012
Reeder Family Lodges
• 29 rooms with private entrances
• First opened in the early 1960s
• Completely renovated in 2012
Location
369 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA 01566
508-347-5056
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Old Sturbridge Inn and Reeder Family Lodges
Fact Sheet
Old Sturbridge Inn and Reeder Family Lodges
Summer Family Fun Package
Stay & Play Six Flags Package
•One-night stay at the or Reeder Family Lodges
•Two-day admission to Old Sturbridge Village for two
adults and two children
•Four vouchers for a ride either on the stagecoach or on
the riverboat
Available weekdays. Pricing per package from $149 ($115 for
OSV Members). Call 508-347-5056 to book this package today.
Hearthside Bounty Package
•One-night stay at the Old Sturbridge Inn or Reeder
Family Lodges for two adults
•Admission for two adults to Old Sturbridge Village for
two days
•Tickets for two to Hearthside Bounty
•Sunday brunch for two at the Oliver Wight Tavern
Available for fall 2016 and winter 2017 dates. Pricing from $280
per package, or from $246 for OSV members. Call 508-347-5056
to book this package today.
• Two night stay for a family of 2 adults and 2 children
•Tickets to Old Sturbridge Village and tickets to Six Flags
New England
Package price $384 plus tax.
Valid 4/9-10/31. Check OSV & Six Flags schedules.
(not valid during the weeks of the Brimfield Antique Show)
Zoo Adventure Package
•Two-night weekday stay at the Reeder Family Lodges
•Admission for two adults and two children to
Southwick Zoo in Mendon, MA
•Two-day admission for two adults and two children to
Old Sturbridge Village
•Four vouchers for a Village stagecoach or riverboat ride
Available weekdays. Pricing starts at $296 plus tax.
Call 508-347-5056 to book this package today.
Murder Mystery Package
Romantic Escape
•One-night stay at the Old Sturbridge Inn or Reeder
Family Lodges
•Admission for two adults to Old Sturbridge Village
for two days
•Champagne
•$75 Gift Card to a Sturbridge area restaurant of
your choice
Available for check-in on weekdays. Pricing from $219 per
package, or from $195 for OSV members. Call 508-347-5056
to book this package today.
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•Overnight stay for two adults at the Old Sturbridge Inn
or Reeder Family Lodges
•Two tickets to the Murder Mystery at the Salem Cross
Inn complete with dinner
•Two-day admission for two at Old Sturbridge Village
Available for check-in September 22, October 27 and November
17. Pricing starts at $255 plus tax. Call 508-347-5056 to book
this package today.
Available weekdays. Pricing starts at $296 plus tax.
Call 508-347-5056 to book this package today.
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OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
Story Ideas
Let Our Experts Help You with Story Development
History and Preservation
•Old Sturbridge Village has experts on American decorative arts, antiques and the nature of collecting in
general; what to collect, how to go about it, and how to store and display special treasures.
•With more than 40 historic buildings on-site, we know the “ins and outs” of historic building preservation. From
paint selection to design and everything in between, we have the resources and experience to provide advice
and direction.
Museum Trends
•We keep abreast of museum trends, challenges and opportunities, our leadership team has their fingers on the
pulse of the museum-going public, exhibit development and museum education.
Artisan Crafts + Trades
•Trades, crafts and artisans – when it comes to blacksmithing, tinsmithing, woodworking and more, we train
craftspeople on historic properties, as well as 19th-century fashion design and clothing trends.
Simple Living
•Small house living, simple living, sustainability, and “making due” all had their beginnings in the 19th century;
and with the growing interest in these subjects and the idea of “living off the grid” coming into vogue, Old
Sturbridge Village is the perfect place to discover how this was done in the past, and how it can be done today.
Food and Cooking
•Healthy, unadulterated food was the norm in the 1830s, because most residents grew their own food or
sourced it locally. With the recent resurgence of farmer’s markets and interest in locally grown food, Old
Sturbridge Village is at the vanguard of this movement, and our costumed historians regularly demonstrate
how to grow, harvest and prepare your own food with delicious results! In addition, our historians know all
about 19th-century dining customs and etiquette, hearth cooking and historic foodways.
Holiday Traditions
•Holidays in history, and the development of traditions – when did they come about? What traditions used
to be popular but are no longer practiced? Our historians will enthrall you with the often little known and
surprising reasons we do many of the things we take for granted.
Religious Life
•Many visitors are surprised to learn that so many of the traditional Christian holidays recognized today were
virtually unknown in the 1830s; neither Christmas nor Easter were celebrated holidays—Villagers attended
church services regularly, but they were suspicious of anything that might be perceived as “Papist.”
Horticulture & Agriculture
•Old Sturbridge Village’s vegetable, herb and flower gardens feature heirloom plant varieties, gardening
practices and gardening styles of early 19th-century New England; we have knowledgeable staff members
who know what varieties were grown, and why many of them are making a come-back today, plus some
ingenious tips and techniques on cultivation and beating pests. With all the fields and farm animals we care
for, we also have agriculture and animal husbandry experts who can speak to common practices in the 1830s.
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OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
Photography
Sample Photo Selects
The above photos are just a small sampling of the thousands of images we have available. Please contact
Michael Arnum at [email protected] or 508-347-0205 for assistance in finding the right images for your story.
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CONNECT WITH US
Many exhibits are accessible. See the symbol on
the map. Wheelchairs are available on loan at the
Visitors Center.
ACCESS INFORMATION
Photography in Old Sturbridge Village is permitted
for personal use only. By entering the museum,
you agree to the use of your image for publicity
purposes.
PHOTOGRAPHY
• Silence all mobile devices to help us preserve the
1830s experience.
• Please do not touch or feed the animals – both
farm and wild!
• Walk carefully on the Village’s natural roadways.
• Please do not walk or climb on fences, walls
and trees.
• Eating and drinking is not permitted in historic
buildings and exhibits.
• Smoking is not permitted in the Village.
• Tripodsandselfie-sticksarenotpermitted.
• Soliciting is not permitted unless authorized
by management.
FOR THE SAFETY & COMFORT OF ALL:
Use this map and list of today’s activities to
explore Old Sturbridge Village. Learn about
life in rural New England between 1790 and
1840, and how early American living applies to
your life today. Talk with costumed historians
and artisans, meet our heritage breed animals,
see 19th-century demonstrations and witness
history coming alive!
Welcome!
to Old Sturbridge Village
Old Sturbridge Village Road to Museum Education
)
To Route 20 and I-90 Mass Pike
First Aid/Security
Seasonal
Picnic Area
ATM
Telephone
Shopping
Wheelchair
Accessible Exhibit
Stagecoach Ride Pick-up
Wagon Ride Pick-up*
Baby Changing Stations
Restrooms (All
Food & Beverage
Drinking Fountains
Simple
Machines
Blacksmith*
Shop
River
Ride*
Vermont Covered
Bridge*
Mill Pond
Carding
Gristmill
Mill
Bixby
House*
Parsonage*
Barn
Graveyard
District
School*
Town
Pound*
Kiln
Start of
Pasture Walk
Shoe
Shop
Pottery
Shop*
Freeman
Farmhouse
Freeman
Barn*
G
Start of
Pasture Walk
Goods from
the Woods*
Start of
Woodland
Walk
Powder
House
Oliver Wight
Tavern*
Village Café*
Museum Store
& Bookshop*
Stallion Hill Road to Museum Main Entrance
g
E xi
t to Parkin
Towne
House*
MUSEUM MAIN
ENTRANCE
Old Sturbridge Village
The Beginnings of
MAKE
NO LITTLE
PLANS
New Exhibit
Bullard
Tin Parsonage* Law Asa Knight
Center
Tavern* Shop*
Office Store*
Meetinghouse*
Quinebaug
Thompson
River
Miner Grant Store Bank
Towne
Horsesheds*
& Bake Shop*
Fenno
Barn*
Fenno
Barn*
Fitch House
House
& Barn*
Cider Mill*
Printing
Office*
Friends
Playground
Meetinghouse*
Firearms
Glass*
A Child’s
& Textiles*
Small
World*
Bake Shop &
House*
Clock
Village Scoop*
Gallery*
Early
Fuller
Lighting*
First Aid/Security/
Conference
Lost & Found
Kidstory* Country Bank
Center*
Visitor Center*
Beekeeping
PA
Herb
Theatre*
RK
IN
Garden*
Sawmill*
Start of
River Walk
MAP KEY
Museum
Education
Center*
Cooper Shop
OSV787-05v16
OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
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