See the simple life lived once upon a time in New England. Photo courtesy of Old Sturbridge Village

Visiting Old Sturbridge Village with Kids

Much like 19th-century culture it's modeled after, Old Sturbridge Village plans its daily activities around the seasons. It's open year-round, with special celebrations and demonstrations that suit the time of year. Halloween brings "Phantoms by Firelight at Old Sturbridge Village." In December, the village is filled with holiday decor and merriment, with "Christmas by Candlelight" evenings featuring storytelling, sleigh rides, and musical performances. Come summer, kids can see harvesting demonstrations, cooking demonstrations, crafts and craftsman, and more, like the "Cow Parade."

After a quick check-in at the vistors center, feel free to start roaming the 200-acre, remarkably well-tended property, full of interesting animals and people as well as well-preserved buildings and antique tools. And here's what to expect on a visit to OSV.

Top Things To See and Do at Old Sturbridge Village

Visitors receive a map and list of daily highlighted activities upon arrival to Old Sturbridge Village. You can stroll around the property on your own, or take a ride on a horse-drawn wagon that winds around the village, making stops at Bullard Tavern and the Blacksmith Shop. Here are just some of the stops to enjoy during your visit:

Farm Animals

From sheep to cows to horses, friendly farm animals are part of the culture at Old Sturbridge Village, and seem happy to stroll up to the fence to interact with children.

Fitch House

One of the small houses on the grounds, the Fitch House shows a slice of 1830s domestic life, as women use (and describe) doing laundry with antique machines and handmade soap, and take trimmings from a kitchen garden. Visitors can peek inside their house to see what a child's bedroom or ironing board looked like.

"Asa Knight" will tell you about the medicines, cheeses, decorative items, and more that he sells at his shop.

Asa Knight Store

The store is perfectly organized with an array of fascinating goods, from decorative fire bellows to chocolate. And the proprietor might take some time to point out the store's curiosities to inquisitive children.

Tin Shop

Tinsmiths are busy at work to gently bend and solder tin into lanterns, mugs, and more as visitors watch. In a stop by their outdoor workshop, you can learn about the craft, as well as the trade between New England and England.

Tour history at Old Sturbridge Village, like visiting the Blacksmith shop. Photo courtesy of Old Sturbridge Village

Blacksmith Shop

From the wheezing of the giant bellows that feed the fire to the pounding of glowing iron into shape, the goings-on in the blacksmith shop hold kids rapt for awhile. 

Sawmill

Old Sturbridge Village is home to a rare, working water-pwered sawmill, with demostrations from Spring through Fall.

Gardens and Bees

The extensive herb garden and bee colony are often unexpected highlights of a visit to OSV. A big plexiglass box allow visitors to observe the work of the honeybees that were so important to villagers' garden, featuring hundreds of herbs and plants that were useful during the period.

Nature Trails

Short, pretty hikes wind around the property and even across a historic New England covered bridge on the farm side of the village.

 
Stop by the Village Scoop Shop at Old Sturbridge Village.

Old Sturbridge Village Dining and Shopping

Visitors who want to linger at Old Sturbridge Village will be pleased to know there are several spots to grab a bite to eat around the property. The Bullard Tavern serves up several options, from typical kid food (chicken tenders and mac-'n-cheese) to period favorites, like individual (and surprisingly tasty) shepherd pies and chicken pot pies. The Ox and Yoke Cafe in the Oliver Wright Building serves up light fare. And there's the Village Scoop Shop for ice cream (located across from the playground).

Just like most museums, visitors exit through a gift shop, but browsing the one at Old Sturbridge Village is worth your time. There are colonial-inspired crafting kits, replica tools, toy muskets, cookbooks, and more that can serve as souvenirs for this fascinating trip back in time.

All photos courtesy of Old Sturbridge Village.