Home
>
Outdoors
>
Old Sturbridge Village ? Links to Our Past Guide, Part 2

Old Sturbridge Village ? Links to Our Past Guide, Part 2

Once described in a 1950 article as "The Town That Wants to Be Out of Date," Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts is a lovingly recreated village of early 19th century New England. You'll be whisked back to the dawn of modern commerce and experience what life was like in a typical New England Village of that time.

This is the second part in the series of popular attractions for New England vacations with a historical theme. Others in the series are Plymouth Plantation, Mayflower II, and Mystic Seaport.

Old Sturbridge Village opened to the public in 1946 and received 5,000 visitors in its first year of operation. Today nearly half a million visitors a year experience the authentic buildings and wonderful collections of artifacts on display.

Located 60 miles west of Boston off exit 9 on Route 90, Sturbridge Village is set among 200 acres of rural Central Massachusetts.

Since opening nearly 60 years ago the village has survived a destructive hurricane, flooding, and the occasional fire - look for the high water mark notched on the Gristmill on the millpond from Hurricane Diane.

Where Plymouth Plantation focuses on the early years of settlement in the region, Old Sturbridge Village covers the beginning of prosperity, and a more sophisticated existence built around the emerging commerce of 1830s America.

A word about the buildings?

Many of the structures are original and moved here from villages in Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Reconstructed and restored with painstaking care they tingle your senses with their rustic charm, and simple designs.

Unpaved country roads lead you around the common and to outlying areas of inviting barns and craftsmen establishments, such as the shoe and tin shops. Here you'll see and talk to role-playing 19th century craftsmen. Marvel as they skillfully produce goods using only the tools and resources available in the 1830s.

Both a museum and educational resource, Old Sturbridge Village is primarily a place to explore for all ages. The centerpiece is the recreated New England town and outlying areas containing more than 40 buildings to visit, experience, and enjoy.

Sturbridge Village contains both residential homes, as well as a bank, printing office, and stores and shops. You'll learn why banks didn't do personal loans, but who did. And why the buildings called Meetinghouses, weren't called churches - even though each Sunday most villagers spent four hours worshipping in them.

Pay a call on the Salem household in their handsome Towne House, and then stop by and have tea at the Parsonage before visiting the Fenno and Fitch dwellings. These residential homes on the common in Sturbridge Village are full of surprises and homely comforts.

And if you need to stop for refreshment, Sturbridge Village has plenty of picnic areas if you've brought your own food, or you can purchase hot and cold fare at Bullard Tavern, or treats at Little Cakes. Options to eat change with the seasons so be sure to check the guide the day you visit.

The vision of the original founders of Old Sturbridge Village was for a place to learn by doing and direct experience ? an active outdoors museum. I've always found Sturbridge Village a welcome change of pace and reminder that quality of life has nothing to do with a car or the latest wide screen TV.

Plan to spend at least 3-4 hours at Old Sturbridge Village. Remember a ticket to Sturbridge Village is good for two days within a 10-day period. For more information on schedule, events, and ticket prices, check out the official web site at: www.osv.org.

Cliff Calderwood is the owner and contributing writer of the new england vacations guide . You can read more about Old Sturbridge Village and get a free travel report at his new england vacations guide site.

reliable home cleaners Lincolnshire ..

In The News:

Major healthcare data analytics firm Episource had a cybersecurity incident exposing 5 million patients' medical records and personal information in recent breach.

A new sophisticated PayPal scam sends legitimate-looking emails from official PayPal addresses, using phone numbers instead of links to convince victims to download remote access tools.

Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.

The innovative Kara Pod device extracts moisture from air to create mineral-rich water and brew coffee, featuring UV sterilization and compatibility with Nespresso pods.

Gov. Hochul unveiled New York's nuclear power plant project to power a million homes, which faces permit challenges while promising jobs and a cleaner energy future.

SAFE introduces Aerie, an underground luxury bunker combining high-end living with advanced security, wellness amenities and interactive walls simulating panoramic views.

A Facebook scammer posing as Elon Musk tricked a victim with promises of a Tesla and $250,000, requesting gift cards that become untraceable once the codes are shared.

Experience hands-free golfing with the Robera Neo smart caddie that uses AI to follow you, navigate obstacles and carry your clubs with GPS course mapping.

Cybersecurity alert: 16 billion passwords exposed in massive credential database affecting major platforms. Protect your accounts with password managers

The innovative BeBot robot uses electric power to remove pollution from shorelines, covering 20-30 times more area than manual collection while preserving wildlife.

A new ClickFix campaign targets macOS users with fake Spectrum support sites, tricking victims with CAPTCHA failures to paste commands that install information-stealing malware.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Plus Automation are being tested across the U.S., Europe and Asia to solve logistics challenges while facing regulatory hurdles and labor concerns.

Your health information might feel private and secure with your doctor, but the reality is far more complicated. Data brokers collect a wide range of sensitive health data, from diagnoses and prescription details to personal identifiers, and sell this data to marketers, insurers, and other third parties.

Kepler Robotics has officially introduced its Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" humanoid robot at the SAIC-GM automotive plant in Shanghai, marking a significant moment in the real-world deployment of advanced robotics.

Scammers never seem to be running out of new ways to try and get their hands on your money – and lately, they've been getting sophisticated.

Thirty people were injured and killed, though the exact number remains currently unknown, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Damascus church.

Unexpected password reset alerts signal potential hacking attempts or phishing scams. Learn how to respond and establish stronger security measures for your accounts.

A historic electric airplane flight landed at JFK with passengers, marking a milestone as Beta Technologies demonstrates the practicality and efficiency of electric air travel.

The Chaos ransomware group breached Optima Tax Relief in a double-extortion attack, stealing sensitive customer case files and corporate documents with personal information.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The first human brain-computer interface by Paradromics was completed in 20 minutes, featuring microelectrodes to help paralyzed individuals control computers with thoughts.

The power behind AI tools requires massive energy, and global data centers are expected to triple electricity usage by 2030 despite tech companies' renewable pledges.

New Android malware Crocodilus spreads through Facebook ads disguised as banking apps, adds fake contacts to phones and steals financial data with advanced screen monitoring.

ANYmal-D, the badminton-playing quadruped robot from ETH Zurich, combines artificial intelligence with whole-body coordination to rally with human players for up to 10 shots.

A personal data protection guide revealing 10 signs your information is circulating among data brokers and practical strategies to regain control of your digital footprint.

Old Sturbridge Village ? Links to Our Past Guide, Part 2

Outdoors