Updated for 2026! Join an easy 1.5-mile walking tour on the sidewalks of Hartford’s historic Main Street from the Butler-McCook House & Garden to the G. Fox Building exploring this city's colonial roots and more! This walk includes some of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. This program is offered FREE as part of Connecticut Trails Day.
Sample festive beverages that the founders would recognize — from rum punch to syllabub — as we learn about beverages of the Colonial Era. As the United States marks 250 years since its founding, the Nathan Hale Homestead is asking, how can we party like it’s 1776? Our 18th-Century Celebrations series brings history to life with three immersive events.
Learn about the practices that bound – or bundled! – people together in the decades around the American Revolution with presentations and vignettes on dating and marriage practices in the 18th century. As the United States marks 250 years since its founding, the Nathan Hale Homestead is asking, how can we party like it’s 1776? Our 18th-Century Celebrations series brings history to life with three immersive events.
At our third annual Pipes & Cider Festival, the rich traditions of Scotland come alive! Enjoy local beverage tastings from Fifth State Distillery and Yankee Cider Co., who will feature a signature “Dunstaffnage” whiskey cider crafted to transport you to the Scottish moors with its hints of Highland peat smoke. Immerse yourself in the stirring sounds of Mystic Pipes and Drums, the Middletown Police Benefit Association (MPBA) Pipes & Drums, and the Moodus Drum & Fife Corps, as well as the art and music of Rick Spencer and Dawn Indermuehle. Bring your friends and test your knowledge with a spirited round of pub trivia and visit the historic crafters village with Big Bear Trading Company, Wedges of Time Coffee and Textiles, and others. Raise a glass, embrace the music, and celebrate the magic of Scotland.
Join us to explore the architectural treasures of Coltsville and the Charter Oak neighborhoods. Discuss the impacts of industry and immigration on these neighborhoods in Hartford, including sites like the Colt Factory and its worker houses, the Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House, the Capewell Nail Factory, and the Polish National Home.
Join us to explore the architectural treasures of Coltsville and the Charter Oak neighborhoods. Discuss the impacts of industry and immigration on these neighborhoods in Hartford, including sites like the Colt Factory and its worker houses, the Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House, the Capewell Nail Factory, and the Polish National Home.
Join us to explore the architectural treasures of Coltsville and the Charter Oak neighborhoods. Discuss the impacts of industry and immigration on these neighborhoods in Hartford, including sites like the Colt Factory and its worker houses, the Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House, the Capewell Nail Factory, and the Polish National Home.
Our perennially popular Halloween program is SOLD OUT for the 2026 season. Tickets will not be available at the door. Our special flashlight tours will take you all the way up to the dark, shadowy attic to 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.
When Indonesia’s Mount Tambora erupted in 1815, it unleashed the most destructive wave of extreme weather the world has witnessed in thousands of years. Step back in time with Professor Gillen D’Arcy Wood for a virtual presentation about “the year without a summer” that inspired Mary Shelley’s monster.
In October 1816, the Year Without a Summer has left Hartford cold, dark, and uneasy. An elegant masquerade brings together Lord Byron, Mary Godwin, Percy Shelley, John Polidori, and their Hartford hosts for an evening of poetry, philosophy, storytelling, and revelry. But as the night unfolds, strange behavior, missing memories, and inexplicable occurrences begin to suggest that something has followed the guests into the house.
This special program honors Oscar Wilde’s birthday with an afternoon of literary entertainment featuring readings from his most celebrated works, including his sparkling social comedies and thought-provoking essays. Blue Fire Stage Company will perform, and light refreshments and cocktails will be available.
Something is missing at the Manse … and the spirits know where it is! Join this a one-of-a-kind house tour where history, mystery, and a few friendly ghosts come together! As you make your way through the Manse, you will encounter some familiar—and not-so-familiar—spirits, each with a clue to help solve the mystery of the missing artifact. You will follow the clues, uncover the secrets, and see if you can figure out where the artifact has gone!
Explore the burial customs, traditions, and superstitions around death in New England from colonial times through the 19th century with Dean Massey, an urban planning researcher from Northeastern University. Following the talk, a short walk to the Warner Cemetery will offer provide an opportunity to examine epitaphs and iconography up close, and engage in a discussion about the rich diversity of New England’s remembrance practices.
As the nights grow longer, bring some light to a November afternoon with an exploration of winter traditions with roots in Europe. Gather around the outdoor fire to learn about Pope Night, hear about the traditions that morphed into our modern-day Halloween celebrations, understand New England's days of thanksgiving, and bring your favorite mug to participate in a wassailing tradition of old!
Join us for the last Open Tour Day of 2026 to discover more about Veterans of the Butler-McCook House and their connections to Ohio's famous “Fighting McCooks”! Standard admission applies for tours, which will be offered on the hour; last tour departs one hour before closing.