DEVELOPMENT Westport Museum for History and Culture

Free First Saturdays
2023-09-02 11:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
First Saturdays are a great opportunity to experience what we have to offer at the Westport Museum free of charge on the first Saturday of each month.

Young visitors can enjoy a scavenger hunt in the museum, the diorama of Westport featuring an audio tour by Joanne Woodward, coloring pages, colonial games and more. Adult visitors will enjoy our wide array of exhibits. Our 2023 exhibitions include Legacy: The Adairs of Westport, Bittersweet: Chocolate in the American Colonies, I Thee Wed: Bridal Fashion from the Collections, Reluctant Liberators: Westport in the Civil War, Becoming Westport, and our local history gallery.

Modern Chocolate Tasting
2023-11-09 18:30 - 20:00 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Join Westport Museum and a local chocolatier to see a demonstration of how modern chocolate is made and try some delicious samples.

Our Executive Director, Ramin Ganeshram, a trained chef, food historian and award-winning cookbook author, will talk about the history behind chocolate and provide some delicious samplings.

Tickets $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Reservations are required, register here. Workshops limited to 10 participants. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Why not bring a group? Workshops are a wonderful opportunity for your company get-together or a family outing. If you’re interested in a private event please contact programs@westporthistory.org.

Sponsored by American Heritage Chocolate.

Master of Stone: A Bus Tour of Frazier Peters Homes in Westport
2023-11-05 13:00 - 17:00 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Join us on a bus tour with HisTOURy to see and learn about a collection of this Connecticut icon’s works! Architect Frazier Forman Peters, had a signature stone style. Between 1924 and 1936 he designed and built over 40 such stone homes in Westport alone, and many more in surrounding towns. We will see a great collection of some 20 of these homes, discussing their beautiful designs and special histories along the way. Several one-of-a-kind interior tours will also be included!

The bus will depart from the Westport Museum.

Tickets $75 for adults, $49 for students. A portion of the proceeds to benefit the Museum. Reservations are required, register online at histoury.org/historical-tour-calendar-and-tickets

A discount is available for Museum members from September 22nd through September 29th. Join today at westporthistory.org/support/membership and receive the discount code.

Cocktails & Collections
2023-10-23 18:30 - 19:30 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Come sip a cocktail and view special pieces from the museum’s collection! This event is for members to enjoy private access to our newly renovated historic barn space and never-seen-before collections.

Registration is recommended for members.

Cocktails and Collections is an exclusive, 21+ members-only event. Interested in joining? Become a member now!

Destination Westport: Dark History
2023-10-20 18:30 - 19:30 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Sneak along the paths of downtown as you hear curious tales from the darker side of Westport’s past. Care for a stroll along the waters that once contained the runoff of the Embalmers Supply Company? Peek into the windows of the former Coffin Tack factory, rest at a speakeasy, and hear about the Westport Museum’s resident ghost.

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 here. 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

Join us for more Spooktober programs, exploring the darker side of history. Click here to explore more.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Reading by Washington Irving
2023-10-19 18:30 - 19:30 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
The ghostly apparition of Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, has been resurrected for a special reading of his frightful tale about the Headless Horseman. Audiences of all ages are encouraged to hear an abbreviated version of his famous story in our historic barn. Enjoy light refreshments while you listen.

Tickets free for members, $5 for non-members. Become a member today to attend this program for free. Members receive discounts on most programs.

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

Join us for more Spooktober programs, exploring the darker side of history. Click here to explore more.

Into the Sanitarium Escape Room
2023-10-14 11:30 - 2024-06-29 20:00 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Can you go into the Sanitarium escape room and make it out? Can you uncover the truth of the Westport Sanitarium? Rumors have spread of strange goings on inside the patient wing. Like the famed Nelly Bly, you are a reporter who has gone inside the sanitarium to investigate but find yourself locked inside the doctor’s private office. Your group of up to ten people have one hour before the sanitarium staff return and begin your treatment.

This is a great group activity! Wonderful for birthdays, company activities or a club outing. Fun for the whole family, this escape room is recommended for children over eight. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Tickets $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Groups of 2-10 people. Reservations are required, select your date and time online. Reservations close 48 hours prior to their posted start date. You may make your reservation private for an additional $10 per group.

Purchase your tickets online here. To book a private session or use your member discount, please call the museum at (203)-222-1424.

Time slots are available Tuesdays-Thursdays from 11:30 am to 5 pm; on Fridays and Saturdays slots run from 11:30 am through 8 pm. All reservations last for 60 minutes, with the recommendation of arriving 15 minutes prior to your start time.

Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt. Groups arriving 15 minutes after their reservation start time will have their reservation cancelled without a refund.

Online waiver acknowledgment is required prior to entry into the escape room. Those 17 and under must have the waiver signed by a parent or guardian. The room is not suitable for individuals with pacemakers.

Made possible, in part, by generous sponsorship by Cohen & Wolfe

Destination Westport: Westport Sanitarium Walking Tour
2023-10-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Winslow Dog Park, 25 CT-136, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Though the buildings are long gone, the site of the Westport Sanitarium—one of two in Westport—stood in what is, today, Winslow Park. Follow our docent through the park and discover the tales of the administrators, doctors and patients that lived and worked in the sanitariums. See images from the time and ear tales of heartbreak, control, medicine, life and death on this unique walking tour.

Meet on the cement path in front of the parking lot along Compo Road North. 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. Reservations are required, register here. 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

Join us for more Spooktober programs, exploring the darker side of history. Click here to explore more.

Darkness, Inside the Mind of Connecticut’s Witches
2023-10-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Westport Museum for History & Culture, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Darkness, Inside the Mind of Connecticut’s Witches is a unique Halloween experience. Enter 1647 and witness the witch trials that European colonists experienced through their own words, in the darkness that pervaded their everyday lives. Sit with us in the dark and hear about superstitions of witchcraft and the belief that danger—both physical and supernatural—was all around.

This event will discuss mature themes in complete darkness for extended periods. Our program is held inside our newly renovated historic 19th century barn. Darkness is not a haunted house, though traditionally “scary” topics will be examined. Phones and light sources are not permitted. This event is not recommended for children under 10, adult supervision is mandatory.

Tickets $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Please make your reservations here. Tickets are nonrefundable. In the event you must cancel, we will consider your purchase a donation and will happily issue you a donation receipt.

Join us for more Spooktober programs, exploring the darker side of history. Click here to explore more.
