Daily events are subject to change.
Welcome to Old Sturbridge Village, a recreated 1830s rural New England town! Discover how New England farmers used the wool from their sheep in the 1830s at Old Sturbridge Village’s annual Wool Days. Farmers will give the sheep their annual “haircut” while costumed historians demonstrate the entire wool textile process, from scouring and carding the wool to dyeing, spinning, and then knitting the dyed yarn. Enjoy your visit!
Wool Days Programs
9:30 – 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. Knitting with Wool: Knitting has been described as both a useful employment and a source of never-failing amusement. Learn about the skills needed to clothe a family and the charitable knitting women did for others in the community (in the Richardson House, Building #12).
9:30 – 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. Making a pair of Worked Mittens: Beautifully decorated, cozy mittens can be made by a technique called shagging, working, or yarn sewing. Visit to see how loops of woollen yarn are sewn into knitted mittens for cold New England winters (in the Small House, Building #4).
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sorting, Picking, & Scouring Wool: Spring is the perfect time to process wool in preparation for spinning (outside the Fenno House, Building #22).
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Llamas & Alpacas: Other Wool Fibers (by the Dennison Building, Building #27).
10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. Sheep Shearing Demonstration: See how the fleece is taken from the sheep using traditional hand shears (at the Freeman Farm, Building #34).
11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Textile Plants in the Herb Garden (tour meets at the Herb Garden, #30).
11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Carding Mill Demonstration: Carding is brushing wool to prepare it for spinning into yarn. Our 200+ year-old water-powered machines did it much faster than hand carding, a welcome service to early farm families (at the Carding Mill, Building #39).
11:00 a.m., 1:00, & 3:00 p.m. Sheep Dog Herding (in the field next to the Bixby House, Building # 36).
Daily Activities
10:00 a.m. Town Officers’ Tour: A brief walking tour of the Center Village discussing town government and civic responsibilities in early New England.) Meets in front of the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
10:30 a.m. Martial Music: Listen to martial music and learn about the music of the militia in Early America (in the Center Meetinghouse, Building #6).
11:00 a.m. Phrenology: The Science of the Mind: Learn about the hot new “science” of the 1830s and how it influenced society and thought (in the Gebhardt Barn, Building #13).
11:30 a.m. Morning Millpond Melodies: From fanfares to fiddle tunes to fantasies, hear the sounds of the trumpet as they fill the village (by the Vermont Covered Bridge, #43).
12:00 p.m. Towards a More Inclusive History: Gender: Real stories of three early New Englanders who did not conform to traditional gender roles.) Friends Meetinghouse, Building #5).
1:00 p.m. Parlor Music: Listen to a selection of formal songs set for the parlor (in the Fitch House, Building #20).
1:30 p.m. A Guided Tour of the Salem Towne House: Tour a prosperous farm family’s home with a costumed historian (Meets in front of the Salem Towne House, Building #15).
2:00 p.m. The Rocking Melodeon: The portable keyboard may be older than you realize (in the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
2:30 p.m. A Dentist Comes to Town: A travelling dentist character describes his practice, shows his tools, and recounts stories of dentistry in the early 19th century (in the Gebhardt Barn, Building #13).
4:00 p.m. The Hurdy Gurdy: Listen to this strange and unusual instrument (in the Bullard Tavern, Building #3).
Exhibitions
Hands & Hearts: Courtship and Marriage in 19th-century New England: Most New Englanders chose to marry, and they did so for a variety of reasons. Learn more about these reasons, as well as four couples and their stories, in this exhibit (in the Visitor Center Exhibition Gallery, G).
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).
For the Purpose of Illumination: This 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).
Dining & Shopping
Bullard Café (Building #3) (on the Ground Floor)
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Hungry? Stop by for lunch or a snack.
Miner Grant Store & Bake Shop (Building #18)
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 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. – 5:30 p.m. Featuring scrumptious sweet and savory baked goods prepared on-site, along with freshly ground coffee, beer and wine, cold and hot drinks, and more.
Ox & Yoke Mercantile (Building #1)
10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Take home a traditional rural New England treasure or unique gift. Village-made crafts and kits, home décor, books, and more await!