Historic Deerfield
Historic Deerfield, Inc., is dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield, Massachusetts and the Connecticut River Valley. Historic Deerfield, Inc., which maintains more than 50 buildings in Old Deerfield, focuses on the significance of small-town America to the national culture. Founded in 1952, the museum includes 12 historic houses, which are regularly open to the public as well as the exhibition building, the Flynt Center of Early New England Life. It stewards a nationally significant collection of approximately 28,000 household artifacts both rare and common – including furniture, metalwares, textiles, needlework, ceramics, and more – many with documented histories of local ownership or manufacture. These authentic objects document the stories and founding years of our nation, and through them, visitors learn the stories of generations of real people whose beliefs, belongings, lifestyles, conflicts, economy, and technology unlock the door to the past and help us to better understand today.
JOSIAH DWIGHT HOUSE
The Josiah Dwight House, built around 1725, features striking architectural elements, such as window, door, and dormer pediments as well as a brightly colored facade. Once used as a rooming house, the home originally stood in Springfield, Massachusetts, but was later moved to Deerfield after the structure was threatened with demolition.
Regular Season Hours
April 14, 2018 – December 23, 2018
Open daily 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Memorial Libraries
Open Tuesday – Friday 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Museum Gift Shop & Bookstore
Open Wednesday- Monday (Closed Tuesdays) 10:30 a.m. -4:30 p.m.
The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day.
• A free orientation film is shown throughout the day at the Visitor Center at Hall Tavern.
• Museum Houses Guided Tours start on the hour.
• Two museum houses are open all day for self-guided tours.
• The Apprentice’s Workshop at Dwight House is open for demonstrations from 12:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Plan your visit using our village map.
Winter Hours
Historic Deerfield’s winter hours go into effect on Monday, December 24. The Flynt Center of Early New England Life will be open Saturdays and Sundays, December 29, 2018 – April 9, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Visitors can enjoy current exhibitions and “The Museum’s Attic” gallery. The Henry N. Flynt Library will be open Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The Museum Gift Shop & Bookstore is open every day except Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The museum will reopen for the 2019 Season on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
Seasonal Winter Admission: $7 Adults, $5 Youth (ages 6-17), under 6, Deerfield/South Deerfield residents, and members free. Historic Deerfield’s museum houses are closed to the public during the winter months (January-mid-April), however pre-arranged tours-by-appointment, school tours and group tours are scheduled.
Historic Deerfield, August Adventures
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAFree admission for all! In partnership with the Highland Street Foundation, Historic Deerfield will offer no-cost admission to the museum on Thursday, August 14th as part of the August Adventures program! Visit the museum’s historic houses and Flynt Center, get hands-on with make-and-take arts and crafts activities, enjoy a treat from the Maple Valley Creamery ice cream…
Historic Deerfield, Hands-On Workshop
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAFlax to Linen Workshop Flax is a fascinating fiber! In this hands-on workshop, you will explore flax with Peter Cook of Tare Shirt Farm (Berwick, Maine) and Michelle Parrish, Historic Deerfield’s staff expert on flax. Learn how this amazing plant fiber is transformed into linen thread. Participants can try their hand at different stages in…
Historic Deerfield, The Art of the Book
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAThe Art of the Book—Exploring the Revival of Historic Book Arts Join us for a day-long event celebrating contemporary and historic book arts. Visitors can see demonstrations of: Wood-engraved illustration with noted artist Barry Moser Papermaking with Elisa Lanzi Hand bookbinding and gold-tooling with Barbara Blumenthal and Matthew Zimmerman Handpress printing with Historic Deerfield’s Printer-in-Residence,…
Historic Deerfield, Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MASeasonal Flavors, Local Produce Have you ever enjoyed a cucumber in winter? Pickling and preserving fresh produce was an ongoing task before the age of refrigeration. Join our hearth cooks as they use seasonal ingredients either making dishes for immediate use or preserving them for winter. Note: fire will be lit, weather permitting. Included with General…
Historic Deerfield, Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MASeasonal Flavors, Local Produce Have you ever enjoyed a cucumber in winter? Pickling and preserving fresh produce was an ongoing task before the age of refrigeration. Join our hearth cooks as they use seasonal ingredients either making dishes for immediate use or preserving them for winter. Note: fire will be lit, weather permitting. Included with General…
Historic Deerfield, Natural History Walk Around Old Deerfield
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MATake a guided walk around Old Deerfield! Dates: August 21, September 18, October 16, November 20 Starting Time: 3 p.m. Location: Meet at the Visitor Center at Hall Tavern Experience the beauty of Old Deerfield with our popular afternoon Natural History Walks! Join us on select Thursdays for a guided walk around Old Deerfield. Witness…
Historic Deerfield, Dublin Seminar
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAThe Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife’s 2025 gathering, Recalling the Revolution in New England, will be held June 27–28 at Historic Deerfield. The conference keynote will be provided by Dr. Zara Anishanslin of the University of Delaware, author of the forthcoming book The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists who Championed the American…
Historic Deerfield, Natural History Walk Around Old Deerfield
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MATake a guided walk around Old Deerfield! Dates: August 21, September 18, October 16, November 20 Starting Time: 3 p.m. Location: Meet at the Visitor Center at Hall Tavern Experience the beauty of Old Deerfield with our popular afternoon Natural History Walks! Join us on select Thursdays for a guided walk around Old Deerfield. Witness…
Historic Deerfield, Father’s Day
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAFather’s Day Fun: Make a Colorful Clay Tile Workshop with Rick Hamelin This Father’s Day, give the gift of creativity! Celebrate with a hands-on pottery tile workshop at Historic Deerfield, perfect for the family to enjoy together. Led by master potter Rick of Pied Potter Hamelin, this special experience invites families to design and paint…
Historic Deerfield, Juneteenth
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAJuneteenth Celebration Concert with Jake Blount Deerfield Community Center 16 Memorial Street Deerfield, MA Jake Blount is an award-winning interpreter of Black folk music based in Providence, RI. Initially recognized for his skill as a string band musician, Blount has charted an unprecedented Afrofuturist course on his pilgrimage through sound archives and song collections. In his hands,…
Historic Deerfield, Exhibit
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAStebbins House Restoration Exhibit Come take a walk through the Stebbins House during this unique moment in time when the house is under restoration! Stebbins will be open from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on the following dates: June 7-8, June 11-15, June 19-22, June 25-29 Witness the discoveries being made and the mysteries…
Historic Deerfield, Exhibit Opening
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAStebbins House Restoration Exhibit Opens This Weekend! Come take a walk through the Stebbins House during this unique moment in time when the house is under restoration! Stebbins will be open from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on the following dates: June 7-8, June 11-15, June 19-22, June 25-29 Witness the discoveries being made…
Historic Deerfield, Open Hearth Cooking Demonstrations
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MASpice it Up! Cooking with Flavors of the Past May 10, 17, 24, and 31, from 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Today we take for granted the availability of any herb, spice, salt, or vinegar we desire to flavor our favorite dishes. Our hearth cooks this month will be taking a deeper look at the ingredients used…
Historic Deerfield, Open Hearth Cooking Demonstrations
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MASpice it Up! Cooking with Flavors of the Past May 10, 17, 24, and 31, from 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Today we take for granted the availability of any herb, spice, salt, or vinegar we desire to flavor our favorite dishes. Our hearth cooks this month will be taking a deeper look at the ingredients used…
Historic Deerfield, Open Hearth Cooking Demonstrations
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MASpice it Up! Cooking with Flavors of the Past May 10, 17, 24, and 31, from 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Today we take for granted the availability of any herb, spice, salt, or vinegar we desire to flavor our favorite dishes. Our hearth cooks this month will be taking a deeper look at the ingredients used…
Historic Deerfield, Natural History Walk Around Old Deerfield
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MATake a guided walk around Old Deerfield! Dates: August 21, September 18, October 16, November 20 Starting Time: 3 p.m. Location: Meet at the Visitor Center at Hall Tavern Experience the beauty of Old Deerfield with our popular afternoon Natural History Walks! Join us on select Thursdays for a guided walk around Old Deerfield. Witness…
Historic Deerfield, Open Hearth Cooking Demonstrations
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MASpice it Up! Cooking with Flavors of the Past May 10, 17, 24, and 31, from 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Today we take for granted the availability of any herb, spice, salt, or vinegar we desire to flavor our favorite dishes. Our hearth cooks this month will be taking a deeper look at the ingredients used…
Historic Deerfield, Wooly Wonders
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MACome and visit heritage breed sheep under the big tent this weekend! Discover the history of sheep in New England and learn why the Merino created such a craze! Event Highlights Back by popular demand: “Meet and Greet the Sheep” with heritage breed expert, Peter Cook from Tare Shirt Farm in Berwick, Maine. Sheepdog herding…
Historic Deerfield, Vacation Week
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAApril Vacation Week 2025: Our Power, Our Planet Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April Vacation is Earth Week at the History Workshop! The theme is Our Power, Our Planet. Explore how wind and water power have been used in the past and continue to be important for…
Historic Deerfield, Lecture
Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, MAHistoric Deerfield is pleased to announce a one-day conference, “Engaging with the Legacies of Northern Slavery,” in collaboration with the Witness Stones Project, Inc. to mark the completion of the second phase of installing 35 Witness Stones Memorials™ that honor the enslaved people who lived in the community. In Deerfield, by the mid-eighteenth century over a third of…
