Friday, July 13, 2012

Welcome to Our New Blog

 

We invite all of you to join us at our New Blog.


 

Our new format will allow you read all the latest Museum news as well as find your favorite topics.

To subscribe to our new blog, please select the orange RSS feed button
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Thursday, July 12, 2012

We Have a Pressed Penny Machine!!!

The Museum's Pressed Penny Machine arrived today!

There are 4 designs:
Hyde House (also known as the Octagon House)
Hetchler House (also known as the Pioneer Cabin)
Oxen (affectionately known as Tom and Mike)
and of course, our own Civil War Balloon, the Intrepid!
  
Join us this weekend to help us meet our goal of 1,000 Pressed Pennies!!

Monday, July 2, 2012

The Intrepid Takes to the Air!






As you approach South Field, the home of the Intrepid, you round a row of trees to see the reconstructed Civil War balloon standing tall, ready to take flight.
 
As was the case during the War, General George McClellan watches over the field from the side of the Intrepid.

The Intrepid goes aloft with Balloonist Chris Lynn.




Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Pioneer Family Reflections


“Q-tips and tissues” was the ready answer from Mike Holcomb, patriarch of our most recent “Pioneer Family,” when asked what he missed most during his stay here.  Mike, his wife Carrie, and their three children (Audrey, Zach, and Natalie) spent the weekend of June 8-10 on site in the Hetchler House as the latest participants of the Pioneer House Experience.  They slept, ate, worked and played together like pioneers in the early nineteenth century Genesee Country.  What they were hoping to get out of the event was “a truer sense of where we come from, a deeper gratitude for what we have, [and] a greater appreciation for the little things.”  They profess that they were not disappointed, and it was a great experience for them as a family and fulfilled all the expectations they had when they signed up to spend the weekend at the log house on the pioneer farmstead. 

The kids, too, rolled up their sleeves and took action just as openly as their parents.  In fact, the whole weekend was Audrey’s birthday wish!  She had her birthday during the visit, and said that being able to spend it at the Pioneer House Experience would, “the best birthday ever!!”  She asked for vinegar pie to be made, and she really liked it!  Zach and Natalie didn’t care for it, but sampled it with a true pioneer spirit.  Zach also celebrated his birthday while here, and though he didn’t exactly share his sister’s birthday wish, he was very excited to share the experience with his family, and made some new, wooly, feathered, and hooved friends while here.  When asked what he would miss the most about staying here, his answer was the sheep.  He and Audrey made each other birthday gifts, and shared the chores, helping Mom & Dad make sure everything got done.  Not to be left out, little Natalie, made herself right at home, enjoying a doll her mother made her right on the spot. 

The family agreed that what they liked best about the experience was the peace and quiet of the evenings, and trying new things.  They left still feeling excited about the educational value of the weekend, and in their own words “What better way to learn about history than to live it?” 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

War of 1812 Bicentenial & Jane Austen Weekend

Please join us this weekend to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and revel in the fashions of the Jane Austen Era.


Two hundred years ago, New Yorkers from throughout the Rochester, Finger Lakes and Genesee region hastily assembled volunteer militia units to invade British Canada in 1812.
Eclipsed by the bloodshed of the Civil War, and often overlooked in the aftermath of two World Wars, the “Forgotten” War of 1812 is revisited on its Bicentennial at Genesee Country Village & Museum, Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24.
The weekend’s activities include:
 
  • Morning Parade & Flag Raising on the Village Square
  • Fashion Shows: Military Uniforms and Jane Austen style dresses
  • Live target shooting with muskets & artillery
  • Jane Austen dance demonstration by the English Country Dancers of Rochester (Saturday only)
  • Skillful craftspeople showcasing their talents in tailoring, medicine and apothecary
  • Tactical demonstrations and militia drills
  • Native Americans' role in the war
  • Genesee Harmonic Society concert featuring patriotic music (Sunday only)
NEW for 2012! - Join our Jane Austen Tea Party
Enjoy a relaxing cup of the 19th century’s finest tea while you chat about Jane Austen’s books with a rabid fan, and nibble on dainty tea cakes made according to 19th-century receipts (recipes). Imagine yourself a society debutante waited on by a servant and using the best china and linen the Village has to offer! This exclusive tea takes place on June 23 and 24 at 3pm both days.
  • Due to the intimate nature of the setting, seating is limited to 8 people per day.
  • Tickets are $10 per person (in addition to museum admission) and are pre-purchase only.

The War of 1812 Bicentennial & Jane Austen Weekend is sponsored in part by the New York Council for the Humanities.