Connecticut Open House Day

Join us for Connecticut Open House Day on Saturday, June 10th for free guided historic house and garden tours beginning at 12:00 pm with the last tour leaving at 3:00 pm.

The tavern kitchen will be a must stop during your visit to Stanley-Whitman House in Farmington. The historic structure dating back over three hundred years will be open from noon to 4:00 p.m.

In the Whitman Tavern's kitchen visitors can hear about the evolution of kitchens, cooking techniques and fireplaces from Dennis Picard, history interpreter. Picard will present several styles of cooking demonstrated throughout the day. The dishes featured will include such Early American fare as braised cabbage, spring greens with a hot dressing, vegetables braised in cider and potato soup.

Volunteers from the museums's Dooryard Garden Society will be onsite in the museum's historic gardens to talk about the living collection of indigenous and colonial plants that were grown for medicinal, culinary and utilitarian plants that were grown on site, a garden tradition that started since the founding of the museum in 1935.

And of course, it being CT Open House Day, our history docents will be in costume and offer guided tours throughout the rooms of our c. 1720 National Historic Landmark.

In 1935, Stanley-Whitman House was established as Farmington's first museum. It is a nationally recognized historic house museum and living history center that teaches through the collection, preservation, research, and dynamic interpretation of the history and culture of early Farmington, Connecticut. Programs, events, classes, and exhibits encourage visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in history by doing, acting, questioning, and engaging in colonial life and the ideas that formed the foundation of that culture.

Located in the historic village of Farmington, the museum facility centers on a circa 1720 National Historic Landmark house furnished with period antiques to reflect the everyday activities of Colonial life in Connecticut. Surrounding the house are period-raised bed gardens, an apple orchard, and heritage stone walls.

The public service areas of the museum, constructed in 2004, include a modern classroom, a period tavern room, a post-and-beam Welcome Center, a research library, an exhibit gallery, the Nancy Conklin History Gallery, and a collection storage area.

In addition to managing Memento Mori, Farmington’s ancient cemetery on Main Street, and the Village Green, located at the intersection of Routes 4 and 10, the museum also oversees the Scott Swamp Cemetery on Route 6. The Stanley-Whitman House is supported in part by the Farmington Village Green and Library Association.

At Stanley Whitman House, our commitment to accessibility is paramount. While not all of our programs are free, we strive to offer as many as possible at no cost, thanks to the generous support of our underwriters. If you wish to assist us in this mission, we welcome donations, which help us to expand further and diversify our range of activities. Your contributions play a crucial role in maintaining and increasing the accessibility of our programs.

Host or Publisher Stanley-Whitman House