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Old Sturbridge Village In Winter
Maria Deneault of Thompson, Conn., left, and daughter Grace, 11, have a sledding race at Old Sturbridge Village in
Sturbridge, Mass. Sunday Jan. 10, 2009. (BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
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Old Sturbridge Village Winter
Youths Get In Free At
Sturbridge Village
Through January, all children 17 and younger
get free admission to Old Sturbridge Village
when accompanied by an adult. The village is
open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and all Monday holidays.
There will be outdoor skating as long as
temperatures stay cold enough. Jan. 30 is
"Fire and Ice Day," when visitors can
participate in the ancient trade of ice
harvesting, which involved cutting blocks of
ice from New England ponds and shipping
them to warmer climates around the world
before refrigeration. For more information and
directions, visit www.osv.org, or call 1-800733-1830.
Story and Photos By BETTINA HANSEN|
January 16, 2010
In the days before electricity and Zambonis, New Englanders used to strap skates of
maple and steel to their boots and venture out on frozen ponds for wintertime fun.
The skates may have changed, but the fun of gliding along in the pristine outdoors
remains the same.
Old Sturbridge Village, off Route 20 in Sturbridge, Mass., may be associated mostly
with school field trips, but the village also has been sponsoring outdoor skating for
several years. By flooding a corner of the green, organizers are able to provide a
safe patch of ice, where the only danger is falling down and not in.
Skaters even may catch curator Tom Kelleher, 51, of Warren, Mass., scooting along
on some handmade skates similar to the ones used in the 1800s. Kelleher, who was
born and raised in Norwalk, is a curator of historic trades and mechanical arts at Old
Sturbridge Village. He's got a pair of authentic skates of yore on display, like the
ones mass-produced in New Haven in the 1800s. He said the New Haven Fire
Department started flooding a corner of the Elm City's green for skating back in 1861.
No skates? Try riding one of the handmade 1830s-style sleds on the hill behind the
Cooper's House in the village. Many visitors say they're much faster than modern
sleds. After that, take a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh, or visit with the interpreters
practicing old trades inside the village. There's also maple coffee and hot cocoa in
the café.
New Englanders in the 1800s had more leisure time in the winter than in the warmer
seasons, with the harvest being over, and found it easier to get around in a sleigh
than in a bumpy carriage. Take their cue, and get out into the brisk air for some
winter fun.
Skating at Old Sturbridge Village
( BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010 )
Tom Kelleher, 51, of Warren Mass., left, glides along the ice with Olivia Harry, 10, of Higganum, and her sister Bridget at Old
Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass. Old Sturbridge Village is a 200-acre living history museum right off Interstate 84, complete
with 59 historic buildings and historians to inform and demonstrate antique ways of life. Patrons to the village should bring skates,
as there are none available for rental.
Tom Kelleher Glides Along The Ice
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
Tom Kelleher, 51, of Warren Mass. glides along the ice with his own handmade skates at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge,
Mass. Kelleher said that skates in this style used to be manufactured in New Haven in the 1830's and that the New Haven Fire
Dept. used to flood the green for public skating in the 1860's. Pond skating used to be a great danger for those who fell through
the ice, but flooding a shallow part of the green became a safe alternative.
Handmade Skates at Old Sturbridge Village
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
Tom Kelleher, 51, of Warren Mass. glides along the ice with handmade skates at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass.
Kelleher is a curator of historic trades and mechanical arts for the village and is a native of Norwalk, Conn.
Sledding Race at Old Sturbridge Village
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
Maria Deneault of Thompson, Conn., left, and daughter Grace, 11, have a sledding race at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge,
Mass. Sunday Jan. 10, 2009.
Old Sturbridge Village Sledding
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass. provides visitors with these handmade 1830's-style sleds for sledding down the hill
behind the Cooper's Shop.
Sledding Race
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
The Deneault family of Thompson, Conn. from left, Maria, and children Johnathon (cq) 12, Sarah, 14, and Grace, 11, have a
sledding race at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass. Sunday Jan. 10, 2009. Maria homeschools the kids and said that the
living history village is a great way for the family to learn and spend time together.
Flying Down the Hill
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
Meilin Goldman, 7, of Bellingham, Mass. flies down the hill while sledding behind the Cooper's Shop at Old Sturbridge Village in
Sturbridge, Mass. Many visitors say the 1830's-style wooden sleds travel much faster than modern sleds.
Horse-Drawn Sleigh
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
The horse-drawn sleigh makes the rounds at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass. Sunday Jan. 10, 2009.
Enjoying Hot Cocoa
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
Maria Deneault of Thompson, Conn., left, and children Sarah, 14, and Grace, 11, enjoy hot cocoa and coffee at Old Sturbridge
Village in Sturbridge, Mass. Sunday Jan. 10, 2009 after a day of sledding and walking around the living history village.
Olivia Harry, 10, of Higganum, carries her skates.
(BETTINA HANSEN/HARTFORD COURANT / January 10, 2010)
Olivia Harry, 10, of Higganum, carries her skates into Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass. for a day of outdoor skating on
their rink. Old Sturbridge Village is a 200-acre living history museum right off Interstate 84, complete with 59 historic buildings and
historians to inform and demonstrate antique ways of life.