Old Sturbridge Village

We had a great visit here today on the 4th of July. This was much better than expected! Price seemed a little high till we went in and not only how big but how many people are working there in full time appropriate dress. Well worth the price of admission and a fantastic take. Lots of trees to sneak a little shade while you are walking around. There is food and drinks there as well. Go for it, you won't regret it and all the employees are super helpful and friendly.

If you love early American history, this is your happy place. It's a colonial village and farm with authentic buildings and crafts. The exhibits are staffed by craftspeople in colonial dress using the methods of the time. They are happy to explain their activities and answer questions.

Always a special experience when I'm here. I highly recommend seeing the blacksmith and the Cooper. Also, stop at the yellow house along the village green to see what's being prepared on the hearth. This village is set in 1838, and is a working village. There is no electricity and the phone hadn't been invented yet. There are plenty of activities for children, and there's a daily newspaper of the day's activities. There is also a gift shop /general store next to the bank inside the village on the main square.

Loved coming here as a kid and was so fun to bring my kids here for the first time. Staff is friendly and in character. The food is reasonably priced. Grounds are extremely well cared for

My kids loved visiting this place!! We visited on a Sunday morning in April, it was a bit chilly but not crowded at all. Loved the interactions with the staff, which were so informative and I think we all learned so much! Wonderful way to spend an afternoon with little ones!

This village was so much fun to explore, and it was very educational. All of the buildings in the village are either replicated homes and buildings from the 1800s, or they are actually from that time period. There is handmade pottery, clothes and shoes, and other crafts, made by actors and reenactors, for guests to see how things were made in the 19th century. There are so many buildings open to guests, where you can walk through and see all of the actors on their "daily lives", and they answer any questions you have, and provide you with some historic facts as well. It is such a great place to also just walk around and get some fresh air, or see some farm animals, the lake. It was such a peaceful town,and we would love to go back again. There is plenty of free parking on site, as well as a tavern, and plenty of bathrooms all around the town. And, if you buy your tickets in advance, there is an average of $3 per ticket that you can save. When we went, on the 4th of July, they were not only open, but had performances and reenactment shows throughout the day, and they were open from 9-5:30pm.

I really like the museum. It’s very educational and enjoyable. However, there was a problem with getting there. My GPS couldn’t find the museum entrance parking, and there wasn’t a clear sign for the museum parking. The museum map also had some incorrect locations. If those are fixed, I would rate it a 5.

If you're an adult going in the spring without (or with) children, go after 12. It started to really calm at 1. It's reasonably priced to get in. The reenactors are really great. Loved speaking with all of them and learning. Especially the ladies at the Asa Knight Store from Vermont. I even just said "hi" to a lady in period wear in passing and she answered, "Good day." Made my whole day. I love the dedication even if she was on her way home for the day or break. Would love to come back next time were through the area.

October visit We had a really good time during our mini vacation to the area. Traveling to New England 1800's was amazing. To learn a lot about history and how they lived back then. And a plus, enjoyed some yummy lunch at the Bullards Tavern Cafe at the Village.. We are for sure coming back next year because next time I dont want to miss the Phantoms by Firelight event.

Had a fantastic time at the Phantoms by Firelight a couple of weeks ago! And boy do they put on a party. I think in the past they've had more structured performances for halloween - but this was much more in the vein of spookier version of Old Sturbridge Village rather than a play at Old Sturbridge Village. Granted, I've never been to a normal day at Old Sturbridge Village (though we did see Big River performed there years ago and that was excellent) The special event had small performances by spooky vampyre themed circus artists across the property. There were historical re-enactors ready to give you death and grieving themed historical tid-bits. There was a wake being reenacted, which my friend didn't want to see - but I'd have been totally into if I were alone. They had a "trick or treat" stamp situation bringing you from village house to village house and a labyrinth. The performers were very good we saw some aerialists and fire eaters. We got the 4:30 ticket and arrived at 5:00 but the line was so long we did not get in until after 5. If I'd realized we would have gotten there for 4:30. I felt like there wasn't enough time to do everything but that's a positive I guess. Everything was so fun. The property is very beautiful even in the dark - the pileons burning in the lake were a great spooky touch. We weren't that impressed with the food in regards to price and quality of food but, if I ever do this again I am going order early for pick up to save time. So, it's not so off-putting that I wouldn't eat it again. It was fine. The only other grumpy statement is I wish they'd had more staff to sign people in at the beginning of the party so we could have gone in quicker and had more fun.

The Christmas by candlelight was so peaceful. The mulled cider was an awesome treat to keep warm in the cold. The cookies are to die for and probably the best cup of hot cocoa I've ever had. Reading the "make a wish" area under the bridge makes you really take a look at life **I thought the lighting ceremony would have been a little more organized, we all waited about 10 minutes past the lighting time, the light came on and that was it. No cheers, no leading up to the lighting. Just on and done with.

The beauty of this property is truly good for the soul. Even if all you did was walk around and enjoy the countryside, it would be worth the price of admission. That there are people dressed and in character to educate you about what life was like back then is a priceless experience. They were firing up the pottery, making shoes, making baskets, yarn, tending to the farms.. The historic charm of Old Sturbridge Village is incomparable. I used to be a member and bring my kids 2-3x a month just for a few hours (90 min drive)... I never grew tired of it, and neither did they. For me I think it's the beauty, and the fun of watching my kids enjoy themselves there too.

Fun for young families, probably not so much for adolescents. Lots to todo, from visiting historic sites to hands-on activities to reenactments. Lots of great places to eat.

We went to Phantoms by fire. $45.00 a piece. There werent as many people as the last tomevwe were there. However, we could not go around the lake to see the fires n the lake. Then we went to the green to see the bonfires. They didnt have that as well. There were no horse and buggy rides. 1/2 the houses were closed and the blavksmith was closed as well. All in all a terible time. I wont waste my hard earned money there ever again.

We've love coming here, sometimes just to take a 30-minute walk around the village (including the River Walk, Pasture Walk and Woodland Walk), and in other instances to attend fun events including: * Antique Car Show * July 4th Fireworks * Apple Festival * Dog Days * Thanksgiving Dinner * Christmas by Candlelight * And many more... The village is a recreation of a rural New England town in the 1830's, with costumed historians who conduct life tasks from that era (gardening, dyeing wool, baking, pressing apples, tin making, blacksmith, pottery, carpentry, etc.). They have over 200 acres plus 40 historical buildings to explore, and exhibits such as a antique clock exhibit and a working beehive. They also have animals including sheep, pigs, chickens, oxen, etc. for viewing, not petting. They often have interesting demonstrations from a small hot air balloon, to musket firing, to blue grass bands. This is a great "living museum" and a worthy destination for children and adults. Check it out!

This place is a nostalgic treasure for those who want to experience what it may have been like to live in New England during the 1830's. The entire grounds can be toured in about 5-6 hours, with plenty of time for shopping & eating in between. What I liked the best is that the actors are eager to engage in conversation with (you) when you stop in one of the many period homes that are replicas of early 19th Century life. I recommend checking out the Thompson Bank and their vintage printing press. Lots to learn, love, and enjoy here. Leaf peepers will love the photo options that abound. You can scan QR codes in some of the houses to get a brief audio recording presentation which tells you a little more history about the specific site. Food was reasonably priced & includes comfort foods like pot pies & mashed potatoes along with kid friendly options like chicken tenders. The fall weekends are probably best since most of the pedestrian traffic from the schools & other tourists is noticeably gone. Plenty of free parking. This was my first trip and I will return.

Take a step back in time as you pass through the entrance of OSV. This historic recreation of a rural 19th century New England town has been open to the public as a museum since the 1940s. Each season displays a different canvas of striking beauty here, and this year we decided to attend "Christmas by Candlelight". I recommend going around 3pm to leisurely look around, admire the pink sky as the day turn into dusk, and find peace the darkness by candlelight. The workers are not "characters" or "actors" but rather knowledgeable interpreters of history. They explain different processes of working and living in the 1830s and are able to juxtapose the past with the present. Money spent here goes towards maintaining and restoring this historical property. In a world gripped by smartphones and technology, our visit to OSV brought peace to my soul and gratitude to my heart.

This is an absolutely the most enjoyable way to learn American history. It transports you to a time of simplicity and elegance in craftsmanship and liveliness. You'll even catch a glimpse or two of the townsfolk strolling the grounds and interact with them as well. You can easily spend the entire day here just don't mind the occasional horse poo. We were here on 4th of July, what's a better time than this to be here! We saw the reading of the declaration, naturalization of new citizens (grand ceremony), firing of cannons. All in honor of the day. Well preserved old buildings and lifestyles of the bygone era. There's plenty to see and photograph here. Parking is free but the entry is a bit steep. They do have a few cafes where you can grab some lunch but the foods just ok. Apart from that everything else is 5star.

This might be as close as it comes to finding a wormhole and traveling back in time. Sturbridge Village is huge, offers a ton of replica homes and business, nearly everything functions - from the blacksmith to the printer to the tin shop. Everyone working there is in period costume and plays the role perfectly - they also know a ton about their craft. I can't wait to return for the Christmas Village! Highly suggest as something to do near Boston and for anyone interested in experiencing American history.

Found this spot in my deep dive of Boston sites. About a 45min drive outside of Boston. Beautifully historic 1800s Village located in a pretty isolated area. Location wise they had plenty of space and parking. We checked in and got our tickets. We immediately started our walk through the village. You can scan QR codes in some of the houses to get a brief audio recording presentation which tells you a little more history about the specific site. Just on the size and activities of the place, you can definitely get lost here for a good 3-5 hours. There's shopping and restaurants. There's also period actors walking around the grounds. They are so interactive and filled with historical information. We loved checking out the blacksmith's shop. They were in-depth with the process. The grounds themselves are more than enough reason to visit. The village is next to the water and so beautiful and rustic. The architecture is more than enough to keep coming back. Great experience.

This is a great recreated community with active reenactors demonstrating late 1800 crafts.

My family and I had such an enjoyable day here. I definitely recommend coming out and visiting especially if you're looking for not only a nice setting but also a place that is rich in history. The actors walking around in clothes of the olden days really make the village come to life. You can truly imagine what it must've been like living here back in the 1800's. I like that they not only mention the good but also the bad, that even includes how native indians and workers from Africa and Caribbean islands lived as well. People had to work really hard just to get basic necessities and for me personally, it helped me reflect on how far we've come, but also what we can look forward to in the future as well. I recommend checking out their website before visiting as you can probably find ways in which you can get a discounted ticket. They make visiting accessible to everyone which is great. You'll see people from all walks of life here from little kids who are on field trips, to older folks who are just looking for a peaceful respite from the modern world. They do sell food here, things like soup, sandwiches, salads, a few side dishes like mashed potatoes, wedges (which were really good actually). The gift shop however was selling cookies and they were soft, chewey, and really great on that cold afternoon. Definitely worth the trip.

A fun and educational experience for everyone of all ages! Come early and spend the whole day learning about what life was like in rural New England in the 1800s. I recommend coming during the Fall when the leaves are changing and the weather is cool - it's the perfect combo for a museum where most of your time is spent outside. Wear comfortable walking shoes because there will be a lot of walking! There's plenty to do and see. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable.

We drove over an hour to experience Sturbridge town, we loved the old buildings and town setting. whoever worked on the village did a great job of bringing it back to its former glory and preserving very nicely. Over the years has become very commercialized and very expensive but we did not mind paying to see it.. The problem we had was the attitude of some of the staff, whom were not friendly nor very polite when answering questions. The unprofessional attitude made it a negative experience and one we would not want experience again..

Visited on 7/22/22. Wonderful place for children and adults to learn about American history. The staff all dress as "period correct" as possible and they are very friendly and knowledgeable. It took us about 3.5 hours to casually walk through the entire complex making many stops along the way. Definitely cool to get the vibe of a simpler time, but an obvious harder life pre industrial revolution.

This is solely based on the Christmas experience there. I'll be honest.. I hate history. It really bores me but I went here because it was a different Christmas event than what I was use to and honestly... I enjoyed it! I spent about 3 hours here... yes it was cold, so dress warm. They had food and drink options, 2 or 3 gift shops, horse carriage rides, Christmas music in the church. You went into several houses which had people dressed like they did back in the day and explaining how things worked back then during Christmas. They also offered some very yummy samples of drinks and food you would have back in the day during Christmas. The place was rather large, lots of walking. This was a really interesting, informative place. I would recommend!

Red coats and rebels great to see all the history. The set up was excellent you had a great look at the encampment.

If you have kids this is an amazing opportunity to teach them about history of New England in a fun way for children. They learn about everything from the coins in the bank to working on a farm. My 4 kids love it here and on all of the dull days we take a trip to the "history" as my kids say. We really do love this place and we will to the end.

This site is scenic & brings some really good historic interpretation. But, I'm a vendor for a special event. The site doesn't allow us to set up until 2 PM using carts or 5 PM driving in the day before. I have a 6 hour set up. They expect me to be open by 10 AM the next day. With a heat advisory I asked if I could arrive 5 on Thursday spreading the work over 2 days & during the cooler hours. They said no, you can arrive during the hottest time of day pushing heavy carts in, or wait until 5 & work well into the dark hours. To top it off, I'm set up next to a man who looks like a clown selling pirate trinkets. I just talked to a Sean who sells really good historic hair care products he was very disappointed because OSV said his items aren't appropriate. What do silly trinkets bring to OSV that historic hair care doesn't. Does OSV sell hair powder of various colors in their gift shop?

Beautiful historic village in western Massachusetts! I hadn't been in 15-20 years so I was excited to come back as an adult. We went on a hot summer day (88 degrees!) and there were still lots of spots in the shade. The village has lots of interactive games and stations for kids. They also have horse drawn carriage rides and hiking trails. We ended up walking almost three miles! The one disappoint was that the River ride was not operating. We were really looking forward to that one, especially on a hot summer day! Hopefully that comes back soon! Re Covid safety precautions: As of June 2021, masks were still required for any of the inside areas even if you are vaccinated. You could take your mask off as you walked around outside!

EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE--highly recommended to us as we planned Fall Color roadtrip. --We highly recommend this surprisingly enjoyable/extensive educational experience. --Costumed knowledgeable guides explain/demonstrate early New Englanders living/cooking in 1-room & larger shelters, sawmilling/building, farming/ranching, weaving, blacksmithing, silversmithing to make/complete a small village community. --We spent only 3 hours--but easily could allocate all day --although walking dirt pathways can be taxing for elders. ARCHITECTURE/INTERIORS--varied, functionally specific, picturesque--very Instagrammable. LANDSCAPE--hilly, rural, complete w/ stillwater lake reflecting photogenic Fall Color & covered bridge.

It was October and a morning, so it might be the slow season, and that could be why it felt a bit more boring than usual. I remember coming here several times before and seeing more people, not visitors, and this time it was practically empty, I might have seen 1 or 2 people there and we spent over a hour walking around the entire grounds. It's still a fun place to visit if you have never been to something like it, but it felt like a letdown compared to the times I went in the past.

Hadn't been here in a long time but took the ride and it's def worth it. It was an unseasonably warm day which made it even better. My girlfriend and I learned a lot and got to walk around the whole place. It's cool that they have people working in the style that they did for the time like the cobblers and pottery makers. The sheep were very fluffy and fun to photograph. The ice cream shop and a number of food vendors weren't open so I can't comment on that but it was one of the last days that they were open for the season so that's probably why.

Definitely worth a visit! I hadn't really heard of it other than it was small and "no Colonial Williamsburg" but there was enough to see for a full day (and I came back for another day). As a living museum, there are a bunch of buildings (many authentic but moved from other locations) to create a feeling of an 1830's New England town. Not only are there a variety of buildings, but there are a lot of historic interpreters who demonstrate skills and jobs of the period and are thorough at answering questions. The interaction was the most interesting part. When we went there was a "military" themed weekend with a sham battle and cannon firings and militia uniform displays and an appearance by the Marquis de Lafayette. Other weekends have other special events, and every day has a list of when demos are, so you know what you will want to see. This was great for adults and there were lots of families here as well. There are a few places to eat (including a cute ice cream parlor) and plenty of parking. One day is $28 and a season pass is $35, so if history is something that interests you and you CAN come more than once, it's worth it to invest in the pass for a little more, as there are varying special events. Definitely glad I visited.

OPEN DURING COVID A pleasant place to visit, take a relaxing walk, and learn something about life in early-1800's new England. Don't miss Dummerton bridge, one of only 12 covered bridges still remaining in Massachusetts (originally built in Dummerston VT in ~1870, but moved here in 1951). Not very crowded. Easy to do social distancing (masks are required at all times), since the actor-historians are mostly outside (or you stick your head in a doorway to talk to them without entering a building). Online ticket purchase in advance is required. You pick a time window within which you are required to arrive, but you can stay to closing if you like. Cafe with outdoor seating. Lots of parking.

Very lovely mostly self guided walk through tour. I loved interacting with the staff inside of certain buildings and getting to enjoy the fall foliage all while being transported back to the 1800's. Here we were able to watch a tin maker create teapots, see a true 1800's dinner being prepped and cooked as they would have done so back then and we even got to visit with some farm animals. Overall it was a fun experience and took us approximately two hours to get through but it could most certainly take you more time if you are very thorough with things.

I have always seen the signs on the highway whenever we drove through Massachusetts and finally got to visit. We always enjoy bringing our grandson to historic sites and Sturbridge village did not disappoint. We were able to walk through and visit different sites which had individuals dressed in time period clothing discussing what life was like and how they lived dying the 1800s. The buildings and displays were excellent. The fact you could talk to the people and ask questions about daily life, work and other questions made it educational for me and my grandson. The displays are well maintained. I would suggest you bring comfortable shoes because there is plenty of walking. The village has several places you can get snacks, a bite to eat and refreshments. You will definitely enjoy it but I suggest you take a look at the weather; you may not want to do a visit on a rainy or cold day.

We came out to the village to photograph some fall foliage and it ended up being a cider festival. What a blast. Shot some great pics, scarfed on a giant smoked turkey leg cave man style and listened to some great Blue Grass. What a great day. Take the $3 boat tour, It's real fun. Check it out.

This place was suggested to us by a friend for a taste of authentic old New England. It was excellent! We had perfect Fall weather to explore the whole village and really enjoyed taking in all of the sites and sounds of the early 1800s. It is quite amazing to see how things were done back in the day and to see how far we have come as a society with all of our modern conveniences. All of the staff is incredibly knowledgeable about their area and are great to interact with. Highly recommend!

The horses looked abused and overworked. The tree lighting was so underwhelming i immediately wanted my money back. Everything was closed. There was literally nothing to do.

Been here 3x over the years and always enjoyed the experience I mean it's not like a theme park it's more learning and great for kids to see how easy they have it now days compared to back then. Just wish the price was more affordable

I came here on a Sunday morning to enjoy a mainly outside activity given the current environment. The museum is taking all the right precautions to keep people safe and still have a good time. We spent at least 2 hours in park and saw most of the exhibits. Some things were closed due to the close quarters but that was to be expected. Overall still a good time and I'd recommend visiting, they are still doing events for holidays and throughout the year!

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Old Sturbridge Village " Charlotte's Web" is a play done at the Freeman Farm live, amongst the farm animals! What a great production, done with great energy! The players interacted with the audience with great effect. The location was perfect, the cows even chimes in during some of the singing! I highly recommend this production which is playing through the end of August.

Came to OSV again. This time to attend MidWinter Mischief. I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. I absolutely loved the event. Granted MidWinter Mischief closes for the season. Tomorrow. But this is what happens. Should you attend. You travel around the village in a guided tour fashion. You are looking for The Peddler who is this mysterious rogue character who has been wreaking havoc on the village. As you visit the different houses and buildings, you first get a demonstration of village life, but then they tell you the latest antics of The Peddler, in rhyme, and send you on your way. When you first enter the tour, you are assigned a character. I was assigned Permelia Foster Smith, the Doctors wife. Perfect for me. Obviously some attendees take to their character more than others. I had fun being Permelia. The event ends with a soup buffet dinner in Bullard Tavern. Food was good and plentiful. We paid $30 per person for the 2 hour tour/experience, including dinner. Which I thought was quite reasonable. *******************************

It was fun the first time but after being here countless times it is incredibley boring.

I cannot recommend this living museum which depicts life in rural New England in 1830 enough....especially for those who want to teach their kiddos, and for lovers of history. First of all, the 200 acre grounds are just lovely! We first visited in autumn when the leaves were starting to change and fall to the ground. It seemed to make the perfect, appropriate backdrop for the vast wooded space and 60 gently rusted buildings, all which are original and had been collected form various regions of New England! Vermont covered bridges, Quaker meeting houses, a bank, homes, an outdoor kiln, a saw and gristmill and more! Very cool! It's a tad on the pricier side and no discounts or coupons are really available. It is however a non-profit so that admission price is all they have to maintain their artifacts. With your ticket you have the option to validate for complimentary return visit within 9 days. If we weren't heading out of town, we would've done just that. That is how much we enjoyed our time here! From open to close the museum is jammed packed with demonstrations, activities, free horse rides and minimal cost boat and carriage rides! We honestly planned on just stoping by for an hour or two and wound up staying most of the day! You can check the day's activities prior to your visit and plan accordingly. Although we didn't particularly follow the map and schedule we were given, we found we didn't miss anything we wanted to see. The fam and I loved watching the blacksmith, the tin maker, the shoemaker, the potter, the women making colonial fare and baked goods in an original oven, the woman spinning wool, and of course seeing the musket being firing...to name a few. All experiences were absolutely authentic! The staff who were all dressed in period garb and remained in full character were all outstanding! They interacted with every guest, especially catering towards the wee ones anxious to learn. You could tell just how much they loved their jobs! The kiddos also enjoyed feeding the heritage breed sheep and if you visit in the spring you can see the babies being born! The kids got some wiggles out on the small playground too. Hit that up of your little one needs a break. The museum has tons of seasonal events such as maple sugaring in the spring, July Fourth fireworks, Thanksgiving Day dinner, "Christmas by Candlelight" and the retelling of "Sleepy Hollow" which they were setting up for when we visited late September. I can imagine the village is quite lovely in winter when it's covered with snow. We may have to come back for that! It's then they offer horse-drawn sleigh rides on antique sleighs, ice skating and sledding on 1830s-style sleds! There's a tavern on site serving lunch and fare from the region such as "chowdah". There's also a lovely gift shop with hot coffee, baked goods, wooden toys, bonnets and locally made treats to take home such as jams, maple syrups etc. My recommendations would be to get there early, plan on spending a full(er) day, and wear comfortable, closed toes shoes. It's a lot of walking and it's dusty! We stayed overnight less than 10 minutes away at Publick House and combined a visit here with ones to Orchards and Farms in Woodstock and strolling the adorable town of Putnam, Conneticuit for dinner and shopping. An awesome experience!

Always a great time at the village. Great for kids to get some energy out and to learn a bit of history.

Serendipity. A wonderful place to go and learn, explore, share a wonderful experience, talk a walk with a pipe and cup of coffee, and mostly a place I go to reflect. Completely fictitious village created by a rich old white guy prior to World War Two. Some buildings came from other areas in New England, but all are indicative of the Massachusetts Quaker era of 1838. Truthfully, post-enlightenment and post-romantic, pre-antebellum is not that interesting of an era in New England; however, OSV does focus on daily life, yet obviously absent is religion... though a Pastors House and non-denominational Church are present. The church is actually rented out for events and weddings. In fact, most of the place is rentable. Don't be shocked by the lack of colored people represented either, it's a time point in history. There is a good sized park that represents low, middle and high class living accommodations. General store, tinker, metal shop, shoes, barrel, and pottery. At the upper level they display a collection of muskets and rifles, lamp and lighting collection, bottle and glass collection. Leaving the park you can eat at a wonderful cafe, or restaurant and there is a very well stocked store and gift shop. Special events year round... the best being Christmas by Candlelight. I love it there, and when I was working on my Masters in History, I considered being an historian there.

Old Sturbridge Village transports you back to a time when life was hard, but they had a good time regardless! Upon entering you're greeted by the gift shop and the information area, both of which have plenty of helpful folks to guide you through your journey. The walk to the actual village is a bit of a trek, but overall not terrible. The grassy area in the middle of the village makes for a great spot to take a load off and provides some great photo ops, especially with the church located at the far side of the lawn. A number of merchants line the area and there's more trinkets from the 1700's than you can shake a stick at. Good spot for history buffs and weekend enthusiasts alike, as long as you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary.

Get your 'OLD TIMEY' fix in. Been here a few times, and it doesnt seem like its changed at all since the first time I went here in the seventies on a grade school field trip. Good place to shoot black and white pics and feel teleported to 1800. Went here recently for their SLEEPY HOLLOW HEADLESS HORSEMAN event. First time Ive been to the place at night. A whole different vibe. After eating a tub of decent creamy NE chowder at their tavern, we walked through the place with 300 other tourists down a tiki torch lit path (in a rainy drizzle mind you), and watched their.... dunno what you would call it, broadway show??? Yes, this is the old Ichabod Crane story set to music and performed by a quartet of reasonably talented guitar and accordion playing folk, dressed up in period garb, and singing and dancing the story of a deadly, murderous, ghost who (spoiler alert) kills the main character at the end. But you knew that already, right? Its an old story!! Washington Irving wrote it. The same guy that wrote Rip Van Winkle!! You saying you only know of the Johnny Depp movie version? Who's Johnny Depp??? Who the hell is Rip Van Winkle??? He used to sleep alot!! Never mind. You wander through a variety of set pieces, an old barn, a schoolhouse. And then stop in the middle for a harvest festival party, Where you can chat amongst yourselves and refill your boozy drink at a bar set up outdoors, ( in that drizzle I was talking about). You finally end up at that covered bridge, 300 people stuffed in there, and the headless horseman does coming charging through to take out Ichabod Crane. A real headless horseman. With a real horse. Just like visiting the real Sleepy Hollow, where ' a drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere.' Yah, its cool. Freak out the little kids. They cancelled the first show I got tickets for because of heavy rain. My rescheduled show was...oh yah, drizzly. If you bring an umbrella they will stuff you in the back row. Just deal with it and get wet with everybody else. Worth checking out in the Halloween season. Bring a hat.

We came here about 10 AM and spent about four hours. Everyone we talked to was exceedingly friendly and knowledgeable about their area. We especially enjoyed the cooper, blacksmith, laundry-washing, horse drawn wagons, grist mill, and cobbler. This was genuinely fun and educational. Great trip for families or people ne to New England that are excited by colonial history.

I really do love this place. There's so much to do and see, always a great calendar of events and some tasty treats at the gift shops. My only complaint is, I wish it were more handicapped accessible. I work with adults who have special needs and we frequently do outings. I brought our guys here this past summer and it was really difficult to get in and out of the doors of the main building with wheelchairs. I was trying to exit the gift shop and the doors kept closing on me and my guy in a wheelchair. Eventually friendly strangers helped us out. As far as the Village was concerned, they had 1 museum that had a ramp but that was it. None of the other buildings were accessible which meant there was A LOT they missed and weren't able to experience. Even if Sturbridge Village just put little mini ramps on the lips of the doors getting into some of the houses, that would be really helpful. Differently abled people deserve to experience how wonderful this place is too. I really hope improvements are made in the way of handicapped accessibility. I'd really love to bring our guys back here so they can have a better experience.

I was looking forward to checking out Old Sturbridge village but was a little disappointed. We had to pre Oder tickets online and when I went to purchase tickets for my kids they were not the free tickets that were advertised. I wanted the time so I signed the kids up thinking I could just be refunded later. When I arrived at the appropriate time and told him what I did he said they didn't offer refunds and that I didn't scroll down far enough to get the kids in free. While he did let me keep 2 free tickets, it was still $28 and I have no idea when I would return. Also- I know covid 19 is horrible but if 1/2 of what you are going to see is closed then you should lower the price. I want to support this amazing place but we paid $84, visited while it was raining and had very few places to go to get out of the rain. However, this place seems really awesome!! I actually learned a lot and it had some great things to see. I bet it is totally worth it when it is run as it's normal operation

3 hours is perfect to go around this nice village. The layout was well made which was open but not too open. It led you through the village. It wasn't too crowded either on a October Saturaday. It was very nice to walk through here on a beautiful fall day. The houses are well kempt and the descriptions were not overbearing and still educational. It is a bit pricey but a one time visit isn't bad. It's not a place you'd think was in the middle of Mass. I recommended coming here at least once!

I grew up in Sturbridge, and going Old Sturbridge village was a big part of my childhood and teenage years. I am deeply saddened and disturbed to learn that the conditions of the animals kept there have deteriorated to the point of being able to describe it as negligent and potentially abusive. I deeply hope that you remedy the situation and provide these animals with the proper care that they deserve. I will not be comfortable supporting your institution until I learn that better conditions have been provided for the animals there.

Wonderful trip back in history. I was very pleased with all the workers and volunteers.

This evening, my family and I attended Christmas by Candlelight. By first glance, it was a bit overwhelming. Moving along to the different houses and attractions, ZERO precautions were taken to maintain social distancing, to the point my family and I felt very unsafe. Super disappointing, no social distancing, and majority of the places were closed and we still had to pay full price. Not happy with how the night turned out! Do better!