Thursday, June 19, 2025
Times: The Village is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cost: In commemoration of Juneteenth, admission to the museum is free on June 19, 2025. Pre-registration is encouraged
Reserve Free Tickets
On June 19, 2025, we will commemorate and explore the history, resilience, and culture of Black people in America. We encourage visitors to consider the historical and present-day significance of Juneteenth through interactions with guest speakers and performers as well as Old Sturbridge Village’s costumed educators. Engage in discussions and ask yourself “what can I do to further educate myself?” about the past and how it informs the present day. We will also welcome several special guests!
Highlights include:
- Attend a performance by gospel choir Anthony Smith and Fully Committed
- Listen to special drumming performances by the African Community Education (ACE) group of Worcester
- View a case exhibit of antislavery writings in the Richardson House
- Take an “Uncomfortable Truths” walking tour and engage in themed conversations with our costumed historians
- Join historian Dr. CJ Martin for a talk and discussion about New England’s Black abolitionists
- Take part in a Kids Freedom Parade
- Grab a bite to eat from Travelin' Bones BBQ
- And more! Check back closer to the time for a more detailed schedule
What is Juneteenth? How does it connect to Old Sturbridge Village?
Juneteenth is a day commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in 1865. More specifically, it marks the day in 1865 when troops arrived in Galveston Texas to ensure the freedom of those enslaved at the time, more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The road to emancipation was a long one and although slavery wasn’t abolished in the country until decades after the Village’s time period, many seeds of abolition were sown in the first half of the 19th century through lectures, art, articles, books, and other forms of activism.