Get into the “spirit” of the season! Our special, candlelit tours will take you around the property and into the house, all the way up to the dark, shadowy attic. Hear long-standing and new Homestead ghost stories from staff members and spooky encounters reported by guests, as featured on the Syfy channel’s Ghost Hunters.
Stop into Phelps-Hatheway's Visitor Center for the Pastel Paintings exhibition by Gina Trusiewicz. With a longtime interest in art, Trusiewicz developed her craft in an online class during the pandemic. Her interest in nature, animals, and plants, combined with her certification as a Master Gardener, has inspired the work for this exhibit–capturing everyday moments, and the feelings they evoke, in West Hartford or right from her own backyard.
Get hands-on with history with a new workshop for 2025! Designed to acquaint participants with the process of wood block printing, which was used to manufacture our 18th-century Parisian wallpapers, the objective of this workshop is to bring the manufacturing process of our wallpapers to life! Guests will gain hands-on experience that will couple with a tour of the house to view the stunning Réveillon wallpapers. All materials included. Light refreshments will be provided.
Join us for a walking tour of the Hempstead Historic District, one of New London’s first African-American neighborhoods. Hear the stories of the people who lived in this neighborhood and explore how this diverse area evolved. The neighborhood grew up around the Joshua Hempsted House, built in 1678. Residents have included slaveholders, civic leaders, abolitionists, a Revolutionary War hero, and at least two enslaved people. Offered in collaboration with Thames River Heritage Park. Advance registration required.
Step inside the museum to be transported to the 18th and 19th centuries and learn about the lives of those who built, lived in, and preserved the house. Understand the role of Connecticut in the American Revolution, examine colonial era trade and commercial exchange, consider land and real estate speculation and Indigenous people’s land rights, and observe the ways we display wealth and status in our homes. Stop into the visitor’s center for the Pastel Paintings exhibition by artist Gina Trusiewicz.