Old Sturbridge Village (Sturbridge, MA)

Date Visited: July 2, 2016

Location: 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd, Sturbridge, MA 508-347-3362 (about 45 minutes east of Springfield, MA and an hour west of Boston, MA)

Hours: presently, open Daily | 9:30 am – 5:00 pm

November 1-27
Open Wednesday through Sunday | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

December 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23
Christmas by Candlelight | 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Fri/Sat/Sun
Please Note: CLOSED during daytime hours
CLOSED December 24, 25

Cost: $28 for adult, $26 for seniors (55 and over), $14 for youths (3-17), children under 3 are admitted free.  They also have annual long family memberships.

Parking:  about 200 parking spots, fills up quickly.  Cars were parked on the grass and other non designated parking spaces when we left because of the large crowd

Time To Allot For Visit: I could spend all day here but 3 hours should do it.

Dog Friendly: No

Highlights: historical actors and portrayal of life in the colonial area era, historical homes, animals, family friendly events, special events throughout the year, stagecoach rides

Old Sturbridge Village

What better time than the fourth of July to take a trip back to the colonial days of our country where they relive those early days everyday?

Old Sturbridge Village is 200 acre living museum which recreates life in rural New Ebgland during the 1790’s through the 1830’s.  It is the largest living museum in New England.

As you enter the grounds of Sturbridge Village you see flags that represent fallen servicemen and women.

From the moment you walk into the museum, there are symbols and characters from the past everywhere.

The day began appropriately with the flag raising.  One of the historical actors selected two children from the crowd to help him raise the flag.

Throughout the day there were many more reenactments.  There was the firing of the cannons, marching, drilling and even musket firing (with blanks of course).

Of course, the houses are one of the biggest attractions.  The woman in this house was making stays.  This house is called the “Small House.”

The Meetinghouse is another big attraction.  For 100 years, Friends, also known as Quakers, worshiped in this building.  This particular meetinghouse was originally set in Bolton, MA.  As you can see by the photos, there was no pulpit, altar, statues or other decorative symbols.  Men and women entered the meetinghouse separately in different entrances and sat on separate sides of the building.  The Quakers are remembered for their temperance and anti slavery beliefs.

While the exterior of the houses were very pretty, the interior of the houses were even nicer.  It also gave you a real feel of what it was like to live back then.  The historical actors were both entertaining and engaging.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The other great thing about the village was the animals.  Meet Jim and Jerry (from left to right).  Jim and Jerry are the horses who drive the carry all wagon.

There were also a variety of farm animals.  This sheep was wandering around until he heard his mom calling out to him for feeding time and he came running.

The rest of the animals at the village were just as beautiful.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The village also has little shops and buildings with craftsman and people common to the era like a blacksmith and a tin maker as well as a band call the Quintebrass who played patriotic music of that era.

You could spend all day visiting the many buildings and attractions at the village or just taking in the beautiful views and atmosphere of the area.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Sturbridge Village even has toys from the era that kids (or adults) can play with.

The River Ride on the Quinebag takes you around the Quinebag River.  The boat driver also gave a historical overview of the area. The ride costs $3 a person and lasts about 10-15 minutes.

On the way out, there was a nice surprise.  We noticed a building set off to the side; the J. Cheney Wells Clock Gallery.  The clock gallery was a quiet clock museum.  It was fascinating seeing the evolution of time keeping and it felt like a library because it was quiet and set off by itself.  It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the historical museum area.

There is also a cafe there (most of their food is cooked outside barbecue style during the warmer seasons and the smell is sure to make you hungry).  There are also several comfort stations scattered around the area.

Below are some videos of the various recreations at Sturbridge Village.

The first cannon firing below was just to get the debris out of the cannon and prep it for the actual cannon firing which is in the second cannon firing video below the first cannon firing video.  The second video is a little long because the men wanted to wait until the stagecoach passed by so they didn’t startle the horse.

Please connect with me on Facebook: New England Nomad