Events & Exhibits

*** PLEASE NOTE: These events may be cancelled to support the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 ***

May-October (Wednesday-Sunday) 10:00-4:30
Exhibit — What Is It?
Test your object identification skills and complete a crossword puzzle as you tour two galleries of mystery items, and complete a scavenger hunt as you tour the Whitfield House. Part of a joint exhibit at the five Historic Guilford Museums. Included with admission.

May 2 (Saturday) 10:00-4:30
Kindness Rocks
Get creative and bring someone a bit of happiness! Paint a rock, let it dry, then put it in a special place outside for someone to find. Included with admission.

May 17 (Sunday) 10:00-4:30
State Museum Sunday
Free admission for Connecticut residents at any of the four State Museums on the third Sunday of the month. (Note: Prudence Crandall Museum and Eric Sloane Museum are closed)

June 13 (Saturday) 10:00-4:30
Puritans at Play on Connecticut Open House Day
Free admission! Try all sorts of historical games and old-time toys, including knicker boxes, nine pins, rolling hoops, cups-and-balls, draughts, and more. The fun continues with scavenger hunts in the 1639 Whitfield House, a crossword puzzle challenge in the Visitor Center galleries, and hands-on activities in the Education Building.

June 21 (Sunday) 1:00-8:00 pm
Make Music Day
Enjoy free outdoor music performances on the museum's front lawn as we take part in this global celebration of music on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Bring blankets, chairs, and a picnic - - or better yet, get food and drink from on-site vendors. Check the event listing on the museum’s Facebook page for the latest details on the performance schedule and food vendors. Free admission to the museum. Canceled if it rains.

June 21 (Sunday) 10:00-4:30
State Museum Sunday
Free admission for Connecticut residents at any of the four State Museums on the third Sunday of the month. (Note: Prudence Crandall Museum and Eric Sloane Museum are closed)

July (Wednesday-Friday) 10:00-4:00
SCSU Archaeology
Watch and interact with Southern Connecticut State University students as they dig on the grounds. No admission required.

July 19 (Sunday) 10:00-4:30
State Museum Sunday
Free admission for Connecticut residents at any of the four State Museums on the third Sunday of the month. (Note: Prudence Crandall Museum is closed)

August 16 (Sunday) 10:00-4:30
State Museum Sunday
Free admission for Connecticut residents at any of the four State Museums on the third Sunday of the month. (Note: Prudence Crandall Museum is closed)

September 20 (Sunday) 10:00-4:30
State Museum Sunday
Free admission for Connecticut residents at any of the four State Museums on the third Sunday of the month. (Note: Prudence Crandall Museum is closed)

September 26-December 22 (Wednesday-Sunday) 10:00-4:30
Exhibit — Holidaze: The Real Story of Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas
Explore the origins and myths of our most popular holidays. Hands-on activities include trying on Halloween costumes, a trivia challenge, and writing letters to Santa. Visitors are encouraged to bring donations for the Guilford Food Bank and Toys for Tots. Included with admission.

October 18 (Sunday) 10:00-4:30
State Museum Sunday
Free admission for Connecticut residents at any of the four State Museums on the third Sunday of the month. (Note: Prudence Crandall Museum is closed)

October 31 (Saturday) 10:00-4:30
Halloween at Henry’s
The lights will be off in Connecticut’s oldest house, so bring a flashlight to explore — even the basement, which may have surprises for visitors brave enough to venture there. Admission includes crafting gravestones and gargoyles out of clay, displays on the Guilford Green graveyards and the Whitfield connection to the Salem witch trials, the origins of Halloween traditions in the Holidaze display, … and candy!

November 3 (Tuesday) 10:00-4:30
I Voted Free Admission Day
I Voted sticker required

November 27 (Friday) 10:00-4:30
Harvesting History
Thanksgiving Friday is the perfect time to visit Connecticut's own Pilgrim-era museum. Taste 17th-century English and Native American foods, touch 17th-century English and Native American reproductions, hear hourly readings of the Pilgrim Cat storybook, write with a quill pen to "Make Your Marke," learn about the myths and origins of our Thanksgiving traditions in the Holidaze display, and take a self-guided tour of the 1639 Whitfield House.

December 4 (Friday) 4:00-8:00 pm
Firelight Festival
Spend an evening at Connecticut’s oldest house with festive luminaria, lanterns, and outdoor fires. Enjoy roasted marshmallows and chestnuts, s'mores, popcorn, hot cocoa, and mulled cider. Listen to readings of The Night Before Christmas, tour the 1639 Whitfield House after dark and the Holidaze display, and craft your own glowing campfire to take home. No rain/snow date. NOTE THESE SPECIAL ADMISSION RATES: free for ages 12 & younger and $8 for everyone else.