Historic Wethersfield

Wethersfield, CT

Homes for the Holidays House Tour

December 6th, 10:00am – 4:00pm. Homes for the Holidays House Tour

What could be cozier than Connecticut’s largest and oldest historic district dressed up for the holidays?

The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Connecticut invites you to tour private houses and the historic homes of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum, all decorated for the season! Warm up between houses with hot beverages and treats in the museum’s Holcombe Education Center in the heart of Old Wethersfield.

Tickets

House Tour, December 6: $70 | $65 Member until October 31.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/homes-for-the-holidays-old-wethersfield-homes-on-tour
General admission includes open-house access to all homes.

Homes for the Holidays Preview Party

December 5th, 5:00pm – 8:30pm. Homes for the Holidays Preview Party

What could be cozier than Connecticut’s largest and oldest historic district dressed up for the holidays?

Get a sneak peek at the magic before the official tours begin. The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Connecticut invites you to tour private houses and the historic homes of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum, all decorated for the season! Share evening drinks and seasonal bites—and the WDS historic homes at their most enchanting.

Tickets

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/homes-for-the-holidays-old-wethersfield-homes-on-tour

• Preview Party, December 5: $125
• Patron: $250

One (1) ticket to December 5 Preview Party + one (1) ticket to December 6 Holiday House Tour. Acknowledgement in our printed materials.

• Sponsor: $500

Two (2) tickets to December 5 Preview Party + two (2) tickets to December 6 Holiday House Tour. Acknowledgement in our printed materials.

Proceeds advance the NSCDA-CT’s mission of preservation and education at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.

Coming Home: The Story of a Tulip and Sunflower Chest

November 20th, 7:00pm. Coming Home: The Story of a Tulip and Sunflower Chest

Lecture with Pat Kane

Renowned decorative arts scholar Pat Kane reveals the remarkable story of Connecticut’s Wethersfield chest tradition in this specialized lecture. Explore the intersection of artistry, craftsmanship, and cultural identity through these colonial masterpieces that represent some of America’s finest early furniture making. Kane’s expertise illuminates how these functional objects reflect broader patterns of settlement, trade, and artistic expression in the Connecticut River Valley, making them invaluable windows into colonial American life and aesthetics.

Tickets: General Admission $15| Members $10 | Jenrette Society & Students $5

https://www.simpletix.com/e/lecture-masterworks-in-wood-understanding-tickets-235026

Witches and Tombstones Spooktacular

October 31st, 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Witches and Tombstones Spooktacular

Each tour is limited to 20 souls

Join the Webb Deane Stevens Museum on a special Halloween night as we descend into the witching hour. Our Halloween Spooktacular is an immersive experience that will transport you through our haunted history. A Spirit Guide – arisen for one night only – will escort you to the Isaac Stevens house where you will meet our weeping widow and discover the macabre funerary practices of the 19th century—an unfortunate regular occurrence for the Stevens family. As you follow your Spirit Guide, you will pass by the Ancient Burial Ground where they will delight you with tales of some of Wethersfield’s longest serving ghouls. At the Buttolph-Williams House you will partake in the trial of an accused witch and witness first-hand the hysteria that overtook 17 th -century Connecticut Puritans and led neighbors to condemn neighbors to the hangman’s noose. Your final stop on this journey through haunted history is the Silas Deane House. Unfortunately, you will have arrived just a bit too late for poor Mrs. Deane, but her ghost may tell you of the dark history of 18 th -century medicine that sealed her fate. If you dare to linger, your obliging guide will invite you to toast her soul with a spirited drink in the old house. Our only tour event that occurs after dark, this extended Witches and Tombstones journey will haunt you long after
you’ve departed.

Tickets: $55
https://www.simpletix.com/e/special-event-witches-and-tombstones-spook-tickets-235024

*You must be 18 years or older to participate in this tour.  Valid I.D. is required for all attendees.
Please note that this program lasts approximately 1.5 hours and requires the ability to walk some
distances over unpaved and uneven ground as well as standing for periods of time.

Witches and Tombstones Tours

October 25th & November 1st. Witches and Tombstones Tours

An up-close and creepy examination of all things funereal with the Webb Deane Steven Museum.

Start at the Isaac Stevens House as an attendee at an early-nineteenth-century wake and learn about mourning practices, how illnesses were treated, and how the living dealt with fears of being buried alive. Then visit Wethersfield’s Ancient Burying Ground. See the graves, hear stories of those who met their end during Connecticut’s first mass murder, and learn how gravestones warned the living of their own impending peril. The final stop on the tour is the Buttolph-Williams House (ca. 1711), the setting for the Newbery-winning children’s novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. Hear stories about the notorious Wethersfield Witch Trials, which preceded the Salem Witch Trials by 30 years. The Buttolph-Williams House is a property of Connecticut Landmarks operated by the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.

Tour times: 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: Non-members $40 per person; Members $35 per person;
Tours are limited to groups of 16, so reserve your tickets before they sell out!

Get tickets now!!!
https://www.simpletix.com/e/witches-and-tombstone-tours-tickets-228326

Witches and Tombstones Tours

October 25th & November 1st. Witches and Tombstones Tours

An up-close and creepy examination of all things funereal with the Webb Deane Steven Museum.

Start at the Isaac Stevens House as an attendee at an early-nineteenth-century wake and learn about mourning practices, how illnesses were treated, and how the living dealt with fears of being buried alive. Then visit Wethersfield’s Ancient Burying Ground. See the graves, hear stories of those who met their end during Connecticut’s first mass murder, and learn how gravestones warned the living of their own impending peril. The final stop on the tour is the Buttolph-Williams House (ca. 1711), the setting for the Newbery-winning children’s novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. Hear stories about the notorious Wethersfield Witch Trials, which preceded the Salem Witch Trials by 30 years. The Buttolph-Williams House is a property of Connecticut Landmarks operated by the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.

Tour times: 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: Non-members $40 per person; Members $35 per person;
Tours are limited to groups of 16, so reserve your tickets before they sell out!

Get tickets now!!!
https://www.simpletix.com/e/witches-and-tombstone-tours-tickets-228326

Lantern Light Tours

October 10th, 11th, and 12th. The 16^th Annual Old Wethersfield Lantern Light Tours

The Ruin of All Witches

October 23rd, 12:00pm – 1:30pm. The Ruin of All Witches: Fear, Fury & False Accusations

Virtual lecture with Dr. Malcolm Gaskill

Description: Distinguished historian Dr. Malcolm Gaskill presents groundbreaking research into the social and cultural forces behind witchcraft accusations in early America. This virtual lecture examines how fear, community tensions, and economic pressures culminated in devastating witch trials that destroyed lives and communities. Dr. Gaskill’s scholarship illuminates the human stories behind these dark chapters, offering crucial insights into how societies can turn against their most vulnerable members.

Tickets: Members $10 | General Admission $15 | Book Club Members Free

www.simpletix.com/e/virtual-lecture-the-ruin-of-all-witches-fe-tickets-234991

Ancient Burying Ground Tours

October 18th, 10:00am. Ancient Burying Ground Tours

Volunteer Research Librarian Martha Smart resumes her popular Ancient Burying Ground Tours. A long-time Wethersfield resident, Martha leads a fascinating hour and a half walk through Wethersfield’s Ancient Burying Ground. Learn Wethersfield’s history through the lives of the people who lived here.

Tours gather at the red barn in the First Church parking lot. Tours last about an hour and a half. Admission is $10 for the general public and free to current Wethersfield Historical Society members. Due to the outdoor nature of the tour, only cash will be accepted.

Governors of Connecticut

October 15th, 10:00am. Governors of Connecticut

Admission: $10.00; Members Free – Reservations Encouraged

Join us for a tour of Connecticut governors interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery. You will be introduced to individuals who have held the state’s highest office. Hear stories about their lives, times, and accomplishments.

Cedar Hill Cemetery is located at 453 Fairfield Avenue, Hartford. The walking tour begins at the flagpole at the end of the entrance drive. Admission to the program is $10.00 and free for Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation members. Advance reservations are recommended and may be made online at www.cedarhillfoundation.org.