Held at Folsom Tavern on Friday, November 30 from 5 pm to 8 pm, Holiday Open House marks the beginning of a busy weekend for the American Independence Museum.
“It’s a weekend where we hope people who have yet to experience the tavern or our museum will come and visit us,” said Executive Director Emma Bray.
Holiday Open House is part of the museum’s Ring in the Season events, sponsored by Buxton Water.“We are so appreciative for their support,” added Bray. “Donna [Buxton] has always been a champion of the museum, so we are happy to have her as part of such a festive occasion. Folsom Tavern is the perfect backdrop for a holiday gathering.”
At the Holiday Open House, the museum will feature light snacks and adult refreshments, live seasonal music and a pop-up gift shop that will feature many local, handmade products perfect for holiday gift giving. The evening’s highlight is its silent auction, which will feature getaways, gift certificates to area restaurants and more.
Proceeds from the evening will support museum programs, some of which include Revolutionary Story Time! and Traveling Trunk, sponsored by sponsored by Exeter Hospital and Service Credit Union, respectively.
“We encourage curiosity, fun and engagement here,” said Bray. “I hope we see new faces throughout the weekend.”
Other programs that will take place during the weekend include Colonial Holiday Tea on Saturday, December 1 at Folsom Tavern. At this event, guests may “sip delicious teas and dine on small bites” provided by colonial-inspired caterer, For the Love of Food and Drink. Colonial Holiday Tea will also take place on Saturday, December 8 at Folsom Tavern.
On Sunday, December 2, the Tavern will be open from 10 am to 5 pm during which time visitors will be able to pick up tickets for Womenade of Greater Squamscott’s Exeter Area Holiday Home Tour. The museum’s pop-up gift shop will also be open and holiday refreshments will be available.
About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.
While the the first weekend in December is historically the last chance in a calendar year in which people may visit the American Independence Museum, Colonial Holiday Tea represents a departure from this formula.
“We wanted to create a new program this year that would extend our season a little bit,” explained Executive Director Emma Bray. “Our new Colonial Holiday Tea is the result of this effort, and we think it provides visitors of all ages with the perfect opportunity to enjoy a colonial-inspired experience during the festive holiday season.”
At the event, which takes place on Saturday, December 1 and 8, guests will enjoy “a relaxed, festive tea” provided by colonial inspired caterers, For the Love of Food and Drink. In addition to an array of teas, guests will be served food, which will include assorted finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and tarts.
“We intend the event to be an engaging holiday event for all ages–whether with friends, mothers and daughters, entire families, or groups,” said the museum’s Victoria Su, who is organizing the event.
Guests will dine in three of the ground floor rooms of historic Folsom Tavern in which George Washington enjoyed a meal during his 1789 visit to Exeter.
“The tavern is beautifully decorated for the holidays, so the ambiance is so festive,” said Su, who said the event will also provide visitors with the opportunity to make colonial crafts.
‘You can make mulling spices and lavender sachets, and you can try quill pen writing and write gift tags or letters to Santa,” she added. “We will also have a pop-up gift shop set up in the tavern for some historic holiday shopping.”
Seatings for Colonial Holiday Tea are 11 am and 2 pm on Saturday, December 1 and December 8. Each Tea is 2-hours long and will be more rustic than a traditional Victorian or high tea.
“It will bring the tavern to life, much like we imagine it might have been during our nation’s Revolutionary beginnings,” said Bray. “The emphasis is on lively, fun, and festive.”
Pre-registration is required. To purchase tickets, or to learn more about Colonial Holiday Tea, visit www.independencemuseum.org.
About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.
Sponsored by Service Credit Union, the American Independence Museum’s Traveling Trunk program is expected to educate more than 5,000 students across the nation in 2019.
Featuring more than 70 reproduction items with lesson plans for teachers, the free program provides opportunities for kids to actively engage with history through hands-on experiences.
According to Abby Pietrantonio, the unprecedented growth of the program–it has educated about 630 students in 2018–speaks to a real educational need.
“Students of all ages can benefit tremendously from experiencing hands-on history.” she said. “By exploring the past, it can help students can draw comparisons to their own lives.”
By the end of this year, it is anticipated that the program, which is provided at no cost to schools, will educate an additional 180 persons. In 2019, the Traveling Trunk is expected in California, Florida, Minnesota, Utah and other states. The program is not just geared for young people, though.
“I recently traveled to an assisted living facility, in Madbury, New Hampshire for a presentation,” she added.
Due to its popularity, museum Executive Director Emma Bray said that they may need to consider adding another trunk to its programming lineup.
“Our Traveling Trunk allows us to expand our programming outside our museum walls to provide a rich, interactive, hands-on history experience for schoolchildren,” she said. “An expansion of this program is definitely up for discussion.”
Bray credited the museum’s long standing partnership with Service Credit Union as instrumental.
“It is wonderful to know that we are providing a program of value and real need to teachers and that we are able to keep it free and accessible through Service Credit Union’s support,” she added.
In addition to educating students in the classroom, the Traveling Trunk program enables families of students to visit the museum free of charge.
About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.
Capping off a memorable 2018, the American Independence Museum in Exeter will celebrate the holidays from November 30 through December 2 during the town-wide Ring in the Season celebration.
The festivities begin on Friday, November 30 from 10 am to 2 pm, as visitors can take the season’s last tours of the Ladd-Gilman House and Folsom Tavern, which will be decorated for the holidays.
From 5 pm to 8 pm on that day, Folsom Tavern will then serve as host to a Holiday Open House during which time visitors may enjoy light refreshments and adult beverages, hear seasonal music and more. In addition to a pop-up gift shop, the evening will feature a silent auction that has historically included “big-ticket items,” such as vacation and brewery tour packages.
“The Tavern is such a beautiful space–and when you add live music and seasonal festivities, it is the perfect backdrop for a great time,” added Emma Bray, museum executive director.
This year, the museum will add a new program to its holiday weekend with Colonial Holiday Tea on Saturday, December 1 at Folsom Tavern. At this event, guests may “sip delicious teas and dine on small bites” provided by colonial-inspired caterer, For the Love of Food and Drink. Colonial Holiday Tea will also take place on Saturday, December 8 at Folsom Tavern.
“We wanted to extend the holidays a bit and create more opportunities for the public to enjoy our Tavern,” added Bray.
On Sunday, December 3, the Tavern will be open from 10 am to 5 pm as part of Womenade of Greater Squamscott’s Exeter Area Holiday Home Tour with tickets available at www.exeterareaholidayhousetour.com. The museum’s pop-up gift shop will also be open and holiday refreshments will be available.
“All ages are welcome and proceeds benefit our educational programs and efforts to preserve historical artifacts, some of which date back to the early 1700’s,” said Bray. “We hope to see a great turnout for this colonial-inspired, family-friendly weekend of programs.”
About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.
Building on prior successful collaborations, the American Independence Museum and Exeter Fine Crafts have developed a Colonial Crafts Workshop for youth, ages 11 to 18, on Saturday, November 17 at 1 pm.
The workshop will provide youth with the opportunity to learn about about the history of a colonial craft, followed by a 90-minute hands-on session led by Exeter Fine Crafts instructors.
On November 17, the focus will be Paper Marbling. Offered free of charge as the result of a grant awarded to Exeter Fine Crafts from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the workshop takes place at the museum’s Folsom Tavern, located at 164 Water Street in downtown Exeter.
Emma Bray, museum executive director, expressed excitement at the workshop.
“This is a wonderful partnership with Exeter Fine Crafts that is as fun as it is educational,” she said. “We advocate for history’s relevance, and the arts continue to serve as a wonderful vehicle for us. The result is outstanding and accessible community programming.”
Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, the museum welcomes more than 5,000 visitors annually and distinguishes itself with educational school programs and events that make history fun and relevant.
Pre-registration for the workshop is required and space is limited. To register, please fill out the online form at www.independencemuseum.org. For questions about the workshop, contact Education Manager Abby Pietrantonio at [email protected] or (603) 772-2622.
About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.
“We are so appreciative for their support,” added Bray. “Donna [Buxton] has always been a champion of the museum, so we are happy to have her as part of such a festive occasion. Folsom Tavern is the perfect backdrop for a holiday gathering.”