Dress Construction Viewing
2024-03-27 13:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Ever wanted to know how a dress from your favorite period drama was made? Have questions about fashion from the past?

Join our Director of Programs and Collections, Nicole Carpenter, as she creates a reproduction gown based on 18th century examples and techniques. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions about the process of creating a gown, the history of mantua-makers or dress makers, and the Museum’s textile collection. Visitors can also try textile art objects like a spinning wheel, loom, and embroidery hoops for themselves.

This gown will be displayed and worn during our Colonial Field Day. Interested in attending? Tickets can be purchased with the form below. Tickets are $5 for nonmember adults, free for members and children under 10.

Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, Part I
2024-04-04 18:30 - 19:30 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
In conjunction with the Westport Museum’s exhibition “Playful Pastimes,” join Dr. Robin Jaffee Frank for a captivating look at Coney Island as the ultimate accessible leisure destination and its iconic place in the history of American art and culture. The curator and author of an acclaimed exhibition and book on Coney Island, Robin will explore the site’s enduring status as a subject for artists by exploring paintings, photographs, films, carousel animals, and fun ephemera ranging from postcards to sideshow banners.

Called “America’s Playground,” Coney Island is a world-famous resort and national cultural symbol that has inspired artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers. They captured its inception as a watering hole for the wealthy, transformation into the world’s most famous mechanical amusement center, evolution into a mecca for the masses, decline into a disheveled dreamland, and recent revival. An extraordinary array of artists will be discussed—among them, William Merritt Chase, Joseph Stella, Walker Evans, Reginald Marsh, Paul Cadmus, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, George Tooker, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, Patti Smith, Basquiat, Red Grooms, Daze, and Swoon.

The best show is the people themselves.
Reginald Marsh, Artist

Many artists perceived this iconic place as a prism through which to view the American experience. Their visions of Coney Island imagined the future and later recalled the past, conveying changing ideas about leisure, and exploring the mixing of people of different races, ethnicities, and classes, transcending social boundaries. How artists chose to portray America’s Playground—in tableaux of wonder and menace, hope and despair, dreams and nightmares—mirrored the aspirations and disappointments of the era. Their art brings to life the allure and excitement of Coney Island, which occupies not only a strip of sand in Brooklyn, but also a singular place in the American imagination.

Tickets are free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Register online below.

Part two of Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, will be held on April 11th.

Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Robin Jaffee Frank, PhD, curated the exhibition and authored the accompanying award-winning book Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861–2008 (Yale University Press, 2015). The exhibition opened at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, and traveled to the San Diego Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. A version of the exhibition traveled across the country until 2022 through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities On-the Road program.

An independent curator, Robin has organized numerous exhibitions at museums throughout the US, lectured extensively, and published widely on American visual culture from the colonial through contemporary periods. She formerly served as Chief Curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and Senior Associate Curator at the Yale University Art Gallery. Robin holds a PhD in the history of art from Yale University.

Event Image: Reginald Marsh, Pip and Flip, 1932. Tempera on paper mounted on canvas. Terra Foundation for American Art, Chicago

Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, Part II
2024-04-11 18:30 - 19:30 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
In conjunction with the Westport Museum’s exhibition “Playful Pastimes,” join Dr. Robin Jaffee Frank for part two of her captivating series about Coney Island as the ultimate accessible leisure destination and its iconic place in the history of American art and culture. The curator and author of an acclaimed exhibition and book on Coney Island, Robin will explore the site’s enduring status as a subject for artists by exploring paintings, photographs, films, carousel animals, and fun ephemera ranging from postcards to sideshow banners.

Called “America’s Playground,” Coney Island is a world-famous resort and national cultural symbol that has inspired artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers. They captured its inception as a watering hole for the wealthy, transformation into the world’s most famous mechanical amusement center, evolution into a mecca for the masses, decline into a disheveled dreamland, and recent revival. An extraordinary array of artists will be discussed—among them, William Merritt Chase, Joseph Stella, Walker Evans, Reginald Marsh, Paul Cadmus, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, George Tooker, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, Patti Smith, Basquiat, Red Grooms, Daze, and Swoon.

The best show is the people themselves.
Reginald Marsh, Artist

Many artists perceived this iconic place as a prism through which to view the American experience. Their visions of Coney Island imagined the future and later recalled the past, conveying changing ideas about leisure, and exploring the mixing of people of different races, ethnicities, and classes, transcending social boundaries. How artists chose to portray America’s Playground—in tableaux of wonder and menace, hope and despair, dreams and nightmares—mirrored the aspirations and disappointments of the era. Their art brings to life the allure and excitement of Coney Island, which occupies not only a strip of sand in Brooklyn, but also a singular place in the American imagination.

Tickets are free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Register online below.

Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Robin Jaffee Frank, PhD, curated the exhibition and authored the accompanying award-winning book Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861–2008 (Yale University Press, 2015). The exhibition opened at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, and traveled to the San Diego Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. A version of the exhibition traveled across the country until 2022 through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities On-the Road program.

An independent curator, Robin has organized numerous exhibitions at museums throughout the US, lectured extensively, and published widely on American visual culture from the colonial through contemporary periods. She formerly served as Chief Curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and Senior Associate Curator at the Yale University Art Gallery. Robin holds a PhD in the history of art from Yale University.

Event Image: Red Grooms, Weegee 1940, 1998-99. Acrylic on paper. Private Collection

Candle Dipping Workshop
2024-04-21 14:00 - 15:00 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Make your own dipped candle in the colonial way. In our candle-dipping workshop you will learn one of the ways people in the 17th and 18th century American made candles and then take your candle home to use and enjoy. Join the Museum today and enjoy this class for free!

Tickets for our workshops $15 per person for non-members, $10 for Family members and above. Workshops limited to 12 attendees, save your spot with the form below. Please note candles are made from bee’s wax and require a hot plate.

Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Interested in more colonial programs? Join us for our family-friendly Colonial Day to try your hand at other crafts from the period. Or attend our Mock Colonial Wedding, to see a costumed couple exchange nuptials while enjoying food and drinks from the era.

Colonial Field Day
2024-05-18 14:00 - 16:00
Ever wondered how to play hoop and stick? Or break flax? What about spinning yarn? Bring the whole family and see for yourself at the museum’s Colonial Field Day!

Take part in activities that were commonplace in the 18th century. Speak with costumed staff and volunteers about the lives of those in the colonial era. Try your hand at beating a rug, playing nine-mans-Morris or writing with a quill and ink. Enjoy colonial music and some treats while you explore the activities as well as the fun and games of the past.

Tickets are $5 for nonmember adults, free for members and children under 10. Registration is available below. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Destination Westport: In Gatsby’s Shoes
2024-05-25 09:30 - 11:00 | Longshore Club Park, 260 Compo Rd. S., Westport, 06880
Imagine it’s the summer of 1920. Westport is a sleepy farm community that lures New York’s most glamorous couple-F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald—to its shores.

Seeking respite from their whirlwind Jazz era lives, the Fitzgeralds set up in an 18th century farmhouse that has seen Revolution and the building of a nation over many decades. Zelda swims daily in the peaceful waters of the Long Island Sound while Scott takes advantage of the bucolic quiet to work on what he hopes will be his next great novel—The Great Gatsby. Join the Museum, as we recreate the summer of 1920 and the sites and characters that influenced Fitzgerald’s Great American novel.

Come prepared for a gorgeous, vigorous 90-minute walk in one of the East Coast’s most beautiful settings. Please bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes.

PARKING INFORMATION: Guests should park at Longshore Marina, along the asphalt and dirt areas, in Lot F.

Tickets $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Reservations are required, register below. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Space is limited to 25 persons per tour. If you wish to join but the tour has been sold out or are interested in a private tour, please email your interest to programs@westporthistory.org

Destination Westport: Path of Patriots
2024-05-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Greens Farms Lower Cemetery, Nyala Farms Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
On July 8, 1779, during the war for Independence, British soldiers attacked Green’s Farms, burning buildings to the ground. Learn about Westport’s role in the American Revolution, by visiting the gravestones of those who served during the war for Independence—including stories of the fateful day Greens Farms burned. Even as you hear the story of colonists fighting for their freedom you will also hear the stories of enslaved Africans who chose sides and fought for their voices to be heard.

Park on Nyala Farms Road and meet on the marked green at the back entrance to the cemetery. We recommend you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring bottled water—the ground is uneven and the weather may be warm.

Tickets $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Pre-registration is required. Register online below. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Space is limited to 25 persons per tour. Additional tours may be added if demand requires. If you wish to join but the tour has been sold out or are interested in a private tour, please email programs@westporthistory.org

Connecticut 29th Plaque Dedication
2024-06-19 09:15 - 09:45
Westport Museum and Saugatuck Church will be dedicating a temporary plaque honoring the service of the Connecticut 29th Regiment, and that of their Commander, Lt. Louis McDonough, who is buried at the church’s Evergreen Cemetery. The free memorial will be unveiled by local veteran Sergeant First Class Buyile Rani, CT Army National Guard.

The event is part of a day long Juneteenth celebration hosted by the Museum. To learn more about the day-long event schedule please visit, westporthistory.org/juneteenth/

Destination Westport: Black Stories
2024-06-19 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-06-19 12:30 - 14:00
Traverse downtown Westport and learn the hidden African American history of Westport, based on the Museum’s award-winning exhibit Remembered: The History of African Americans in Westport. Trained guides reveal the untold stories of the region’s Black community from colonial times through today. From enslaved people to soldiers, sailors, activists, artists, and respected citizens, this rich history is deeply explored through existing buildings and long destroyed sites. Follow along with our virtual exhibit of the same name online here.

Meet on the Westport Museum’s brick walk along Myrtle Avenue. The tour covers 1-2 miles of sidewalk walking, please bring water and suitable outdoor attire.

Tickets $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Reservations are required, register online below. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Space is limited to 25 persons per tour. Additional tours may be added if demand requires. If you wish to join but the tour has been sold out or are interested in a private tour, please email your interest to programs@westporthistory.org

Film Screening and Celebration
2024-06-19 15:00 - 17:00
Celebrate Juneteenth with a screening of the short documentary film The 29th Connecticut about the African American soldiers who enlisted in Connecticut during the American Civil War, specifically eleven men from Berlin. Enjoy refreshments afterwards while hearing more about the 13 men who enlisted from Westport and their contribution to the liberation of enslaved people on June 19th, 1865 in Galveston, Texas.

Make your free reservation below to view the film, enjoy refreshments, and receive admission to the Museum’s exhibitions for the program’s duration. Donations will support the Museum as well as the activities of the Berlin Equity Action Team. Produced by the Berlin Equity Action Team, The 29th Connecticut was selected as the Best Connecticut film at the Mystic Film Festival in 2023.

The 29th Regiment of United States Colored Troops, formed just after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, fought in critical battles near the end of the war and helped to secure freedom from enslavement for all United States citizens. Despite discrimination, more than 1,200 African and Native American men served in the Union Army as members of the 29th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

To learn more about Westport in the Civil War period and the actions of the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment, read our blog post by clicking here.

Caribbean Cooking Class
2024-06-27 18:30 - 20:30
Celebrate Caribbean Heritage month by learning to cook iconic heritage dishes from different islands. Chef Kashia Cave, a noted Trinidadian trained chef and founder of My City Kitchen, a nonprofit that teaches culinary skills to young people will be your instructor for this class. This year, Chef Kashia is in Chef Carla Hall’s Favorite Chef competition. Attendees work in groups and at the end of the evening share in a feast of their final dishes with wine in our historic 7-sided Cobblestone Barn.

Menu:

Appetizers: Mini Jamaican Meat or Veg. Patties & Conch Ceviche

Main: Rice & Peas, Spicy Tamarind Chicken, & Caribbean Jicama Slaw

Dessert: Coconut Pone

Tickets $125 for members, $150 for non-members. Reservations are required and can be made with the online form below. Limited to 10 participants. Cancellations up to one week prior to the workshop will be given a full refund. Cancellations with less than one week’s notice will be refunded 75% of their registration amount.

Interested in a private event? Our historic foodways classes are a wonderful opportunity for your company get-together or a family outing to try something new and take away a delicious souvenir. If you’re interested in a private event, please contact programs@westporthistory.org.

Destination Westport: Saugatuck Stories
2024-08-10 09:30 - 10:30
Explore diverse experiences as you stroll through the riverside neighborhood of Saugatuck. Situated at the mouth of the Saugatuck River at the Long Island Sound, the area has been historically significant from before European colonization, through the 20th century. Explore commerce, including the Atlantic trade, as well as 19th and early 20th century immigrant and women’s experiences in the town through the history of this area.

Bring your walking shoes as the tour covers one mile. Meet at the Saugatuck Train Station, New York bound side (45 Railroad Place).

Tickets $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Reservations are required, register below. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Space is limited to 25 persons per tour. Additional tours may be added if demand requires. If you wish to join but the tour has been sold out or are interested in a private tour, please email your interest to programs@westporthistory.org

Chats on the Past: Waite “Schoolboy” Hoyt
2024-08-14 12:00 - 13:00
In conjunction with the Westport Museum’s exhibition “Playful Pastimes,” join Westport author Tim Manners to discuss Schoolboy: The Untold Journey of a Yankees Hero (University of Nebraska Press 2024).

Waite “Schoolboy” Hoyt’s improbable baseball journey began when the 1915 New York Giants signed him as a high school junior, for no pay and a five-dollar bonus. After nearly having both his hands amputated and holding his own with players twice his age in the hardscrabble Minor Leagues, he somehow ended up the best pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1920s. Based on a trove of Hoyt’s writings and interview transcripts, Tim Manners has reanimated the baseball legend’s untold story, entirely in the pitcher’s own words. Schoolboy dives straight into early twentieth-century America and the birth of modern-day baseball, as well as Hoyt’s defining conflict: Should he have pursued something more respectable than being the best pitcher on the 1927 New York Yankees, arguably the greatest baseball team of all time?

Tickets for this virtual event are free for members and $5 for nonmembers. To watch this program please use the direct link in your emailed purchase receipt.

Register online below. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

To learn more about our exhibit on the history of play click here.
