Amherst Historical Society and Museum

History Begins at Home

What’s New at the Amherst History Museum

The 2019 Amherst Garden Tour

Saturday, June 29, 2019
10:00 AM- 4:00 PM
PURCHASE GARDEN TOUR TICKETS

This year we are celebrating the Heart and Soul of the garden. We have six (never on the tour before) experiences for you along with the Strong House 18th century garden and new beds of medicinal herbs. You will visit professional and personal, Japanese and permaculture, suburban and urban landscapes while learning what makes these gardens reach your heart and soul.

Garden Tour tickets are available online now. Tickets go on sale June 12 at A.J. Hastings, the Hadley Garden Center, Andrew’s Greenhouse, and at the Amherst History Museum during open hours. Advance tickets: $20 adults, $15 AHS members. Day of tickets: $25 adults, $20 AHS members, children 10 and under are free.

New! – Thursday Evening Farmers’ Market

Visit the Museum on Thursday evenings, from 5 to 8 PM, from May through September, and see the new farmers’ market we are hosting on our front lawn. The offerings are constantly changing, and will expand as the season warms up. We have already hosted booths selling pottery, jewelry, coffee, and barbecued chicken.

 

Dressing Up, Dressing Down

Come explore our new exhibit, “Dressing Up: Women’s Fashion Through the Gilded Age” curated by Hampshire College thesis student Molly O’Donnell!  This exhibit examines the dichotomy of public/private presentation through an exploration of women’s ‘house’ and ‘street’ clothes throughout the 19th century!  This is your chance to see a beautifully curated collected of dresses from our clothing collection all on display at once, and learn about the evolution of women’s fashion in 19th century America.

 

Soap, Water, and Wool- Felted Soap Making Workshop

Soap and a washcloth, all in one! Join fiber artist Flo Rosenstock on Sunday, April 28th from 1-3pm for a hands-on felted-soap making workshop for the whole family! To create felted soap, a bar of soap is wrapped in wool fleece, wet, and agitated to created a felted soap with a colorful, slightly abrasive surface. Then you can use it as you would any soap, except that it will last longer and be fun to admire! Learn how to make your own felted soap, and then take it home. This workshop will have a $1 materials fee per participant.

About the Museum

Visit the Amherst History Museum, located at the Simeon Strong House, 67 Amity St., Amherst MA. We held our first exhibition in 1899, received our charter in 1903, and are celebrating over 100 years of the Society’s ownership of the c.1759 Simeon Strong House.

The Amherst History Museum is open Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment. You can find directions here.

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Support Us


The Amherst History Museum accepts donations of any size at any time of the year. We hold our Annual Appeal in late November and renew all memberships in the Spring.

A gift to the Amherst History Museum, whether in memory of a loved one or in honor of a special accomplishment, is always a unique way to help the Amherst Community and recognize an extraordinary individual.

BECOME A MEMBER

Amherst A to Z

Want to know where Amherst’s Cold War bunker is located? Or where the “curragh” district of Amherst was? Or learn about a local factory that made “collapsing skirts!”

These are all entries under the letter “C” in the book Amherst A to Z, written by Elizabeth Sharpe. The book is illustrated with pictures of artifacts from the Amherst History Museum, historic images from the Jones Library’s Special Collections, as well as photographs of our town and the folks who live here.

BUY THE BOOK