Old Sturbridge Village | Finding 1830s New England in 21st Century Massachusetts
One of the oldest and largest living history museums in the country, Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts offers up a spirited dose of 1830s New England life.
By Aimee Tucker|Apr 16 2019|
It’s a rite of passage for all southern New England kids – at some point during your elementary or middle school years, you will visit one (or hopefully all) of the region’s excellent living history museums depicting New England life in a bygone era. All are special and worthy of repeated visits, but the oldest and largest of the bunch is Old Sturbridge Village in south-central Massachusetts, just a half hour from Worcester.
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
A SPRING VISIT TO OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
Portraying everyday life in a rural 1830s New England town, Old Sturbridge Village (founded in 1946) is set on more than 200 acres and includes a series of curated exhibits, costumed interpreters, meticulously maintained period buildings, heritage-breed animals, and lovely landscapes. It’s a history museum, but it’s also a fantastic learning resource for all ages that encourages visitors to find “meaning, pleasure, relevance, and inspiration in the exploration of New England’s past.”
As a child, visits to places like Old Sturbridge Village, Plimoth Plantation, and Mystic Seaport were some of my favorite learning experiences and sparked my life-long love of history, so I was delighted to find myself walking the beautiful OSV grounds once more (this time after-hours) with a group of fellow local history and food enthusiasts, before enjoying one of the village’s signature Dinner in a Country Village events.
We began our visit outside the museum proper with a look at the herb garden (with more than 400 varieties of plants commonly cultivated in 19th-century New England) then made our way to the Visitor Center to check out a few of the exhibits.
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
There are 40 antique buildings spread throughout the Village (relocated to the museum from throughout New England and restored to 19th century perfection), and the landscape is organized into three areas: the Common, Mill Neighborhood, and Countryside. We spent the majority of our time in and around the central Common, so that’s mostly what you’ll see here.
As we approached from the “main road,” the landscape opened up and immediately transported us back to the 1830s.
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Tucker
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
I could have spent hours wandering around and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine, but before long, it was time to head to the Parsonage (with its gorgeous adjoining barn) for dinner.
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Inside, three of OSV’s talented, tireless, and friendly costumed professionals served us some light refreshments, including raspberry shrub and “A Cool Summer Tankard,” and told us about 19th dining customs and the meal we’d be making together. The menu included potted cheese, spring greens dressed with “a most delicious salad sauce,” roast boneless leg of lamb, roasted Jerusalem artichokes, spring dug parsnips, asparagus loaves, lemon pudding (part of the meal, not the dessert!), and trifle served with homemade hot chocolate for dessert. How’s that for a feast?!
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
During a break in the cooking, we even got up close and personal with one of the Village’s baby lambs in the arms of OSV employee Darin Johnson. Just try to resist that cute, warm body (and try not to think about what I listed on the menu a moment ago).
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
After a spirited period of preparation, it was time to sit down together, say grace, and dig in. It’s tough to top a good candlelit community-style dinner in an 18th century New England house.
Photo Credit: Aimee Seavey
The perfect ending to yet another a wonderful visit to Old Sturbridge Village!
Open year round with a jam-packed calendar of events (not to mention the beauty of the ever-changing seasons) no two visits to the Village are the same. I guess that’s why I’m already planning my next excursion. I’ll bet it looks incredible all decked out for the 4th of July, bathed in warm autumn colors of late September, or during the November “Evening of Illumination,” when tours of the Village are conducted by candlelight.
For nearly 70 years the goal at Old Sturbridge Village has been to help history come alive, and that’s just what they do for the more than 250,000 students, families, tourists, and scholars that visit every year, including me! Have you visited the Village lately? If not, I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to Darin Johnson and Michael Arnum in the OSV administrative offices for arranging and facilitating our visit, and to Ryan Beckman, Victoria Belisle, and Jean Contino for the superb 1830s hostessing!
Old Sturbridge Village. 29 Stallion Hill Road (off Route 20), Sturbridge, MA. 800-733-1830; osv.org
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated.
SEE MORE:
Old Sturbridge Village | A Christmas by Candlelight Celebration
A Late Summer Visit to Plimoth Plantation
Guide to New England Architecture
We visited Old Sturbridge Village on two occasions when our daughter was younger. She enjoyed dressing up, and playing games such as hoop rolling. We took a ride in a wagon pulled by large draft horses. We spent time in the one-room schoolhouse. Now, our daughter is in college in Boston, so we pass by OSV when we drive back and forth visiting her. Every time, it brings back fond memories of our visits. Truly a worth a visit by the whole family. Make your plans now for a summer trip, and be sure to make a reservation for a wonderful meal at the nearby Publick House to extend the experience of old New England.
My parents were members at OSV so we spent many wonderful days there. If you haven’t been there, it is a place you really need to explore. Don’t miss the mansion which was used in the movie Hawaii many years ago. Be sure to see the top floor which was also used as a Masonic meeting room. On another note, my Dad worked for over 40 years at Norton Company in Worcester in the kiln department and was able to help the men who were setting the kiln at OSV for the first time. His vast experience was valuable to the kiln’s success. Truly a great place! B
We had a membership for several years when my daughter was young…she is now a mother herself and her oldest became a teenager just yesterday…so it has been a while. We would have been there every weekend if it had been up to her. Lol. My favorite was the clock gallery, especially on the hour. Don’t forget to ride the stagecoach and the pontoon boat! Oh, and the cookies at the general store…Yum! I recently moved to Texas, but plan on visiting whenever I am back in MA.
My first visit was in 1950. I was in my mother’s arms and I clearly recall a pigeon leaving a deposit on her opposite shoulder as we passed the gristmill. I went on to a several-decade membership, particularly appreciating Frugal Farmers and Housewives weekends hosted by Ralph Hodgkinson, volunteering, and basing much of our family’s life on the learning at OSV. Our disappointment at the presence of plastic animals and decrease of interpreters ended our attendance several years ago, but this article is prompting a return. I hope the integrity of the village has been recovered.