We are sorry to anyone who arrived on August 4th and did not know we were closed, we had posts scheduled for our website and social media that for some reason did not post.

We are sorry to anyone who arrived on August 4th and did not know we were closed, we had posts scheduled for our website and social media that for some reason did not post.
Our replica Meetinghouse will be closed to visitors for the rest of the season. It has been rented for a private project. We plan to use the revenue from this rental to accomplish much needed repairs and refurbishment on the building. We apologize for any inconvenience to our incoming visitors this season.
Starting in July our summer hours will be 10-3 Wednesday through Saturday only.
We will also be co-hosting some historic Walking Tours with Essex Heritage called Origins of the Salem Witch Trials which will run select Saturdays through September.
We will also be hosting a few special nights of our Twilight Tours over the summer, check back here or on Facebook for updated dates and times.
Just an FYI for those expecting to visit on June 11th we will not be doing our usual guided tours because we have our fundraiser event GALA DAY going on. The house will open for self guided visitation and you will be able to use the audio tour to learn about the history. We will have staff on site to answer questions but we will not be doing our normal museum procedures.
GALA DAY IS BACK! Join us for our annual summer fundraiser “Gala Day”!
The very first “Gala Day & Garden Party Bazaar” was held at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in 1912 right after becoming a Museum, and they continued to be held annually through the 1920’s! It was a way to welcome the community to explore the newly restored historic house, learn about local history, and just enjoy the beautiful grounds on a summer day. This also marks the 10th year since our first Gala Day reenactment!
This year we are traveling back to the 1920s. Come experience our version of Gala Day, complete with the original entrance fee of only 25¢.
We encourage you and your whole family to come dressed in your best 1920s attire and spend the day with us!
You are welcome to arrive anytime throughout the day from 9:45 on but we will be closing the site down right at 4pm.
Visitors will NOT be permitted to setup picnics inside any of the historic structures.
Things to bring:
Please do not bring
We also have a carry-in, carry-out policy for trash, we will gladly supply small trash bags for people to place trash into before you leave.
Check out our Facebook Event page to register for this event.
We are excited to announce that we will be open for the season starting May 7th.
For May & June we will be open Saturdays ONLY from 10am-3pm.
For other visitor information CLICK HERE
We would like to extend a big THANK YOU to the many people who helped support the Nurse Homestead in so many ways over the course of this year! As we prepare the property for the upcoming winter weather we please ask potential visitors, and locals to keep a few things in mind…
For the safety of you as a visitor, and and the safeguard of our historic property, we do not allow visitation of ANY part of the property while we are closed for the season (this includes locals who have previously used the property as a walking trail or shortcut to Collins Street or the Rail Trail), and ask that you be respectful of this.
We will also be unable to honor any private tour requests from December-February but will welcome special visitor requests again starting in March (weather permitting and upon volunteer availability).
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding, of the limited resources of our volunteer run site. Check back with us in the Spring for all of our exciting 2022 EVENTS!
The tour begins at sunset with a short (300 yard) walk along the tree lined path to the back of the property, to the ancient Nurse Family Cemetery.
At the next stop your guide will tell you about the history of Rebecca’s home, and her family and then allow each party to pass through the candlelit home.
The final stop on the tour is the Meetinghouse. This building is an exact replica of the 1672 Salem Village Meetinghouse where many of the early hearings of suspects such as Tituba & Rebecca Nurse took place.
These tours will be offered on Friday and Saturday nights in October. The tour will begin at sunset and conclude right before Twilight. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets
Adults: $15
Seniors: $13
Children (6-16): $10
DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED, WE ARE SO SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS CAUSES, WE HOPE TO DO THIS EVENT AGAIN IN 2022.
Come get your hands dirty with us as you become an archaeologist for the day!
Working alongside professionals from the University of Southern Maine, kids and adults can try their hand at digging and uncovering pieces of history. Over the past decade we have uncovered thousands of artifacts on our site that have given a glimpse into the lives of those who have walked these grounds for the past millennia…What will you discover?
This event takes place entirely outside we suggest, wearing a hat, sunscreen and bug spray, and if you don’t want to get your hands dirty bring some gardening gloves.
ADMISSION IS FREE FOR THIS EVENT
but to visit the Museum buildings admission is required.
Hours- 10:00AM -3:00PM
Lecture at 12:30pm on the 25th and 26th only
Hosted in conjunction with Essex Heritage for Trails & Sails: Two Weekends of Walks and Water.