It’s 1776, and the Hale family is busy supporting the American Revolutionary War effort from their homestead in Coventry. Learn more with Site Administrator Anne Marie Charland about the family that gave us Connecticut’s State Hero.
Bring a lawn chair and a picnic dinner and enjoy music in the lovely setting of the Butler-McCook historic garden on the Richard P. Garmany Fund Music & Education Terrace at the Amos Bull House.
Explore the places in the museum where the Burbank, Phelps, and Hatheway families kept cool (or at least tried to!) and learn about personal hygiene in the 18th and 19th centuries. Visitors will entertain themselves with simple games and make a handmade fan to refresh weary bodies.
Spend an afternoon with Hempsted staff on the Thames River Heritage Water Taxi to learn about New London's history. Joshua Hempsted began his diary in 1711 as a way to keep track of his many business activities, court sessions, and travels, as well as ship traffic and many other events important to New London. Join Hempsted Staff on a guided boat tour as we explore trade, slavery, and the Great Awakening through entries from Joshua Hempsted’s Colonial Diary.
Visit the Revolutionary War encampments of both the Continental Army and the British Army, as they reenact the daily lives of soldiers and perform tactical demonstrations with period weapons, including drilling, musket and cannon firing, and even a Revolutionary War battle! Visit 18th-Century crafters and participate in hands-on programming, including weaving and spinning, wood working, soap making, hearth cooking, plain colonial-era games, and so much more.
What could be better than an afternoon in the garden? After a successful debut in 2021, the Phelps-Hatheway House and Garden will once again offer a concert series in its 1867 barn. New this year are esteemed artists from Connecticut and Massachusetts.