UPCOMING EVENTS

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Curator

September 21st, 22nd, 28th, & 29th—Revolutionary Theatre Company presents Macbeth

Paranoia. Power. Witchcraft. The Rebecca Nurse Homestead is proud to partner with The Revolutionary Theatre Company to present Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Macbeth on the Meeting House Stage. Believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607,  we are using Shakespeare’s original text to explore themes from the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria that happened  almost one hundred years later. A cast of sixteen actors present the tale in our reproduction of the Salem Village Meeting House. Please also join us before the show September 21st for “Scotland to Salem” a round table discussion with Danvers Alarm List Company president Kathryn Rutkowski, Rebecca Nurse House Caretaker Candice Dawes, and Macbeth director Thera Driscoll for further discussion on the Witchcraft Trials, Shakespeare, and our unique venue.

Shows will be at 5pm on Sept. 21st & Sept. 28th & 4pm on Sept. 22nd & Sept 29th. Tickets will be available on Eventbrite and at the door.

September 28th & 29th—Trails & Sails Weekend in partnership with Essex Heritage  For more information visit TrailsAndSails.org

  •  September 28th 10:00am-4:00pm—Atlatl Days The technique of using an atlatl or spear throwing stick is an ancient global technology. Join the Eugene Winter Chapter of Mass Archaeological Society, as they   teach you the finer points of hunting a wooly mammoth or wooly rhinoceros in the ancient world! Fun and    educational for all ages. Learn about tools that Native Americans in Danvers made and used.
  • September 28th & 29th 10:00am-3:00pm—Digging for History Become an archaeologist for the day! The Homestead was at the center of a summer archaeology program, run by the University of Southern Maine and Phillips Andover Academy, teaching students of all ages how to become archaeologists. Now it’s your turn! What will you uncover? On Saturday September 28th as a special addition there will be a demonstration on drone mapping and 3D modeling.
  • TRAILS & SAILS events are alaways FREE but to enter the Rebecca Nurse House and other buildings will still apply.

October 19th 3:00pm—Skeletons in the Closet: The Memorialization of George Jacobs Sr. & Rebecca Nurse after the 1692 Witch Trials

Dan Gagnon (Danvers Alarm List Company Board Member and Rebecca Nurse Homestead Tour Guide) will present on his research into how victims of the Salem Village Witch-Hunt were memorialized in the centuries following 1692. He will trace the story of how the Nurse Family and the Danvers community constructed the first memorial to anyone ever executed for witchcraft in the United States, while across town the descendants of Jacobs did not even erect a headstone over his grave. Admission for this lecture is $5 & Tickets will be available at the door 

November 16th 10:00am-4:00pm—Annual Historic Holidays Event 

 This year’s theme and programming is TBD but check out our Facebook and Website for more details.

 

 

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August 29th

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Curator

Due to a family medical emergency, we will not be open for tours today, August 29th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for understanding.

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July 20th Weather Advisory

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Curator

Museum will be closed Saturday July 20  

The National weather service has announced an excessive heat warning through Sunday July 21st. Where the Nurse Homestead buildings are period correct to the 1600’s and have no Air Conditioning, we have decided it would be unsafe to conduct tours of the buildings and grounds. We apologize for the late notice, we hoped the weather would break and would be able to open as scheduled. Please follow check for potential closure on Sunday July 21.

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Into the Countryside: Preparations for War

Posted on March 31, 2019 by Curator

A Revolutionary War Reenactment weekend at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead!

The time is sometime in the summer of 1774 to early 1775. The Port of Boston has been closed in retribution for the Boston Tea Party. The countryside is rising up and the courts in Worcester County have been closed.

 

There is talk of raising minute companies alongside of the regular militia, and “warlike stores” are being gathered, stored, the moved and stored again. Patriotic citizens are doing their part by casting musket balls, rolling cartridges for muskets and cannon, making shirts and
stockings, tents, knapsacks, and cartridge pouches.

Meanwhile, alarmed by the rising of the “country people” General Gage is gathering intelligence from local loyal subjects, and sending patrols of Regulars into the countryside for “exercise”, and to try to locate and seize military stores. Cannon and powder were taken from Charlestown and Cambridge, and there was a patrol that was turned back by local militia at Salem, and there are rumors of a raid not far from John Adams; home in Braintree – could Danvers be next?

This event will be open for public viewing
May 18th 10:00am-3:00pm 
May 19th 10:00am-3:00pm
(Please check back here or on Facebook for updated schedule of events)

PLEASE NOTE: The regular guided tours of the Nurse Homestead will not be available this weekend, instead we will have reenactors in the house interpreting colonial life. 

Admission:
Adults: $8.00
Seniors: $6.00
Children (6-16) $5.00

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8th Annual “Gala Day”

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Curator

1919 Lawn Party and Open House: 8th Annual “Gala Day”

 

 

 

 

 

Visit us this summer as we host the 8th annual”Gala Day”. The very first “Gala Day & Garden Party Bazaar” was held at The 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 historic house, to learn about local history, and just enjoy the beautiful grounds on a summer day.

This year we are taking you back to the year 1919 to experience what the original Gala Days were like, complete with the original entrance fee of only 25¢ !

You will be able to explore the home of Rebecca Nurse, listen to popular music from the 1900’s, try your hand at playing period-style lawn games, and talk with reenactors dressed in Edwardian fashion. We will also be serving our famous Strawberry Shortcakes we used to serve at our Strawberry Festival years ago, as well as other snacks and refreshments. (Check back here or on Facebook for more updates to our activities schedule)

Rain Date for this event will be June 16th

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END OF SEASON

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Curator

We would like to thank the many people who helped support the Nurse Homestead in so many ways over the course of this year, and as the winter nears and we begin to shutdown our buildings and prepare the property for the upcoming winter weather we please ask potential visitors to keep a few things in mind….

For the safety of you as a visitor, and and the safeguard of our historic property, we ask that you plan to visit during our seasonal open hours ONLY which will begin again in May 2019. This means that we do not allow visitation of any part of the property while we are closed for the season, and ask that you be respectful of this. We will try to do whatever we can to accommodate visitor requests when possible, and reasonable but we please ask for your patience and understanding, of the limited resources of our volunteer run site. 

We look forward to seeing you all in the SPRING!!

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Historic Holidays 2018

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Curator

Join us for our annual Historic Holidays event 

November 24th from 10-3 

Take a break from Christmas shopping and visit us for a good old-fashioned holiday celebration with reenactors from many different time periods, and wool spinning demonstrations. Have a cup of mulled cider while you stroll the property listening to holiday music from across the centuries and warming up by a roaring fire. For a bit of fun, visit the dress up booth or make a pomander at our craft table.

 

Adults: $8 •Seniors $6 • Children $4•  Members FREE

 

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Trails & Sails Weekend

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Curator

This year in conjunction with Essex Heritage’s Trails & Sails: Two Weekends of walks, talks, water & more! We are hosting two FREE events!!

  • Digging for History— Come get dirty with us, as you become an archaeologist for the day! Archaeologists from the University of Southern Maine and Phillips Andover Academy, will be teaching students of all ages how to become archaeologists. What will you uncover? September 29th & 30th 10:00am-3:00pm 

  • Atlatl Days—Try your hand at ancient hunting practices! The technique of using an atlatl, or spear throwing stick, is an ancient global technology. Join us, along with the Eugene Winter Chapter of Mass Archaeological Society, as they teach you the finer points about hunting in the ancient world! September 29th & 30th 9:00am-3:00pm

Admission for these two Trails & Sails Events is Free! BUT If you would like to visit the Nurse Homestead Museum, Admission is $8 Adults, $6 Seniors, $5 Children 6-16

 

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Revolutionary Theater Company

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Curator

Revolutionary Theater Company Presents I Want to Be a Musketeer!

The Danvers Alarm List Company & Rebecca Nurse Homestead are thrilled to host The Revolutionary Theater Company for their second summer production with us, after performing Short Stories & Tall Tales here last summer. “I Want To Be A Musketeer”, written and directed by Josh Black is the story of the Three Musketeers focusing on D’Artagnion. Follow these characters as they make their way through France and the very play itself. Featuring a talented and comedic cast as they create a new spin on the timeless tale!

SHOW DATES
Saturday August 25th at 5:30 pm
Sunday August 26th at 3:00 pm
Saturday September 1st at 5:30 pm
Sunday September 2nd at 3:00 pm

TICKETS
Click Here to Purchase Tickets $ 10.00
Pay At The Door $15.00
Children $ 8.00

 

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Museum Hours

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Curator

We would like to thank the many people planning to visit us throughout the summer and fall and would ask that you please take special note of our museum hours listed below. For the safety of our visitors and to safeguard of our historic site, we must ask that you only visit during these times. We will do whatever we can do accommodate visitors upon request, but ask for your patience and understanding of the limited resources of a volunteer run site. Thank you for your support!

Museum Hours:

July & August: Wednesday-Sunday 10-3

September: Saturday & Sunday 10-3

October: Friday-Sunday 10-3

November: Saturday & Sunday 10-3

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