Ashbel Woodward Museum

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Ashbel Woodward Museum Like our FB page for our upcoming happenings REG MUSEUM HOURS SATURDAYS 1-4,
OTHER INCLUDE SPECIAL EVENTS and BY APPOINTMENT

Happy Museum Day! We're open today from 11 AM to 4 PM and would love to see you!Bring the whole family for a day of free...
10/10/2026

Happy Museum Day!
We're open today from 11 AM to 4 PM and would love to see you!
Bring the whole family for a day of free activities:
Craft your own Make & Take Herbal Bag 🌿
Play our Kid’s "Spying on History" Game
Walk the 1776 Challenge at Giddings Park, stop by the museum, and claim a special prize!
Relax in our gardens and check out the Rebel Yankees Exhibit
👻 Halloween Preview: Don't forget—our next open day is on Halloween! Join us at the Woodward House and the Schoolhouse for historic Halloween fun! 🎃

🍂 **Step into history every single day this October!** 🌲✨Whether you have 20 minutes or an entire afternoon, Franklin’s ...
10/04/2026

🍂 **Step into history every single day this October!** 🌲✨

Whether you have 20 minutes or an entire afternoon, Franklin’s **1,776 Challenge** is running all day, every day all month long for Walktober!

Brought to you by The Last Green Valley, the Ashbel Woodward Museum, the Franklin Historical Society, and the Franklin Recreation Commission, this lively walk mixes history, fitness, and pure autumn fun right here in town.

Designed for **all ability levels**, you can walk in the footsteps of our 1775 colonial militia at your own pace:

🔴 **Red Trail (Life):** Quick, level 0.6-mile grass walk

⚪ **White Trail (Liberty):** Relaxing 0.7-mile stroll through woods and grass

🔵 **Blue Trail (Pursuit of Happiness):** Scenic 1-mile woodland escape

🎖️ **1,776 Challenge Loop:** 1.25-mile trail with 9 interactive militia story markers!

📍 **Where to Start:** Head over to **Giddings Park**, find the main trailhead sign, and scan the QR code to track your steps!

Grab your sneakers, bring your family and friends, and come enjoy the fall colors. History is waiting right out on the trails! 🥾🍁

It’s a beautiful day for local history!While our museum doors are closed today, we’re on the road! Catch us set up at Le...
10/03/2026

It’s a beautiful day for local history!
While our museum doors are closed today, we’re on the road! Catch us set up at Ledyard History Day, where we’ll be sharing and celebrating all things Franklin history.
Plus, our entry for the historical baking contest is fresh out of the oven! We baked an authentic 1836 Apple Pie straight from The Young Housekeeper's Friend.
If you’re at the event, stop by our booth, say hi, and wish our pie good luck!

Limited September Hours🍂 **What’s Happening at the Ashbel Woodward Museum This Fall & Winter!** 🍂As we transition into t...
09/12/2026

Limited September Hours

🍂 **What’s Happening at the Ashbel Woodward Museum This Fall & Winter!** 🍂

As we transition into the autumn season, we have lots of exciting things happening at the **Ashbel Woodward Museum**!

Limited September Hours

Due to behind-the-scenes preparations, the museum will have **limited open hours throughout September**. Our time will be dedicated to preparing our historic displays, gardens, and upcoming programming for a busy harvest season.

Please check with us ahead of your visit for specific tour availability during this transition.
🍎 Fall & Winter Events

Mark your calendars and join us as we celebrate Franklin’s history, seasonal traditions, and community spirit!
October – “1,776 Steps to Heritage” Walktober Challenge**

Take a historic walking journey beginning at the Giddings Park walking trails and ending at the Woodward Gardens. Enjoy exercise, local history, and Franklin’s beautiful historic landscape along the way!

Saturday, October 3 – Ledyard History Day & October Open House**

We’ll be participating in Ledyard History Day from **10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.** with a hands-on Touch Table featuring make an herbal sachet bags, and information about the museum. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Saturday, October 31 – Autumn Harvest Afternoon & Halloween Event**

Join us at the museum grounds for a festive afternoon celebrating New England’s harvest traditions! Enjoy heirloom apple tasting, traditional pumpkin painting, corn husk doll making, and seasonal children’s crafts.

Early November – Garden “Final Harvest & Bedding Down” Day**

Date to be announced! Volunteers and friends are invited to help complete the final harvest of our historic herb collections and prepare the Woodward Gardens for winter. Come enjoy a hands-on day in the gardens!

Saturday, November 14 – “A New England Harvest of Thanks” Open House**

Step into the traditions of the past with our featured activity: **Clove-Studded Pomander Balls!** Create fragrant clove-and-citrus pomanders inspired by historic 18th- and 19th-century traditions.

Additional activities will include corn husk turkey folding and winter root cellar preservation displays.

Saturday, December 5 – “Winter Quiet: Historic Holiday House” Open House**

Celebrate the season at the Ashbel Woodward Museum and Lebanon Road Schoolhouse with natural holiday crafts! Create dried botanical and evergreen ornaments using garden botanicals, dried orange rounds, cinnamon, seed pods, and white pine sprigs.

🎄 Season Finale: December 5 will mark the close of our official 2026 open season. We’ll take a winter pause through January and plan to return to regular open hours, weather permitting, in February 2027.

🧵 Winter 2027 Period Sewing Sessions

Our popular period sewing sessions will be returning during the winter months!

Our 2027 focus will be Regency-period clothing, but participants are welcome to work on garments from any historical era. Whether you’re an experienced seamstress or looking to expand your historical sewing skills, we’ll offer advice, support, and hands-on guidance.

Private group tours are typically coordinated and scheduled on **Fridays**. Please reach out to arrange a visit!

Volunteers & Docents Needed!

As we prepare for our fall and winter programs, we are looking for volunteers to help make these events a success!

We need assistance with:

* Greeting visitors

* Helping with simple historic crafts

* Staffing short, two-hour shifts

* Supporting our special events and garden workday

We are also actively recruiting **new docents**! If you have a passion for history and would love to share Franklin’s story with visitors, we would love to hear from you. Orientation and training sessions will be offered once we have two or three interested individuals ready to get started.

Even a few hours of your time can make a meaningful difference!

Interested in volunteering, becoming a docent, joining a sewing session, or scheduling a group tour? Please reach out directly to the Ashbel Woodward Museum.**

Thank you for your continued support of the museum and for helping us preserve, celebrate, and share **Franklin’s rich history** with our community. History is closer than you think! 🍁

09/04/2026

Reminder.. We will be closed over Labor Day Weekend. Watch for our fall schedule of events and activities.

🦋✨ **A little sunshine, a lot of creativity!** ✨🦋The beautiful weather today didn’t stop our us from hosting a class wit...
08/29/2026

🦋✨ **A little sunshine, a lot of creativity!** ✨🦋

The beautiful weather today didn’t stop our us from hosting a class with DAB Stained Glass at the museum and making **gorgeous stained-glass garden butterflies!** 🌸🦋

A huge thank you to Dawn and April of DAB Stained Glass for sharing your talents and this wonderful art with us. Our participants created some truly beautiful pieces that will be perfect additions to their gardens!

We had such a wonderful time and look forward to scheduling more creative classes with you soon!

Thank you to everyone who joined us today and keep an eye out for what’s coming next at the museum!

First substantial harvest of elderberries from our gardens!! We cannot wait to share their historic uses with you in upc...
08/22/2026

First substantial harvest of elderberries from our gardens!! We cannot wait to share their historic uses with you in upcoming programming…

HISTORY IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!Looking for something fun, fascinating, and a little unexpected to do TODAY? Come visit...
08/22/2026

HISTORY IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!
Looking for something fun, fascinating, and a little unexpected to do TODAY? Come visit the Ashbel Woodward Museum from 11 AM–4 PM!
Our Saturday Kids Activities continue!�🔎 Take on our Spy Hunt�🌸 Try your hand at flower pressing�Explore the stories of Connecticut during the Revolution and discover the fascinating history of West Farms/Franklin through our Rebel Yankees exhibit.
And here's the question… Did you know that on exhibit right now is an item that started the Revolution
Come see it for yourself and discover just how close to home the story of the American Revolution really is!
Make history part of your Saturday. We’ll see you at the museum!
Ashbel Woodward Museum�TODAY • 11 AM–4 PM

Discover your local history right in your own backyard! History is closer than you think, and the Ashbel Woodward Museum...
08/15/2026

Discover your local history right in your own backyard! History is closer than you think, and the Ashbel Woodward Museum is the perfect place to explore it.

Throughout the month of August, we are proud to host the state's traveling America 250 exhibition, alongside our special display Rebel Yankees. Plus, join us every Saturday in August for free, engaging kids' activities and crafty adult workshops!

📍 Come visit us and make history part of your weekend!

Address

Franklin, CT
06254

Telephone

(860) 642-1988

Website

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