It’s 1886 and the competition to electrify the US is on! Genius inventors George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison each believe their electric current is superior and are battling to convince the world that their work is the future. But, what does Schenectady have to do with it? Join George Wise, historian and author, to take a closer look at this important moment in technology and American history.   This is an in-person program hosted at 32 Washington Ave.  Admission is free for members, otherwise $8 the day of the program. No advanced tickets.  

Please join us for the opening of a new exhibit! As part of the opening reception, city historian Chris Leonard will present his recent research, "When the Frontier Moved West: Schenectady at the Turn of the 19th Century." Schenectadians of the early American Republic (1798-1830) lived through defining years of the nation’s history. They were part of a growing city in a new nation, which would have to shape diverse peoples, religions, and geographical spaces into a free and prosperous republic. At the same time, Schenectady is chartered as a city, and seeks to define its own local identity. How do you set up a new city government? Is Schenectady a quiet country town or a bustling riverfront hub? What is the proper role of women in this new society? And how do Schenectadians respond to the growing shift from village farmers and craftsmen to urban factory workers? Through a carefully curated collection of historical artifacts and accounts, you'll discover daily life in Schenectady, and how ordinary Schenectadians -- a motley collection of folk -- responded to and shaped the social and cultural shifts of America's Early Republic period. Refreshments served, of course!    

The Mabees knew how to brew and you can too! In this program we’ll warm up the Mabee Inn and show you how throughout American history, people crafted the beers and spirits that sustained their society. A simple malt beer and some classic Mohawk valley moonshine are on the menu!

Schenectady has long been home to peoples of many faiths. The various churches of the Schenectady Stockade stand out for their beauty and storied history. In this tour, we’ll explore these spaces and hear their stories from the people who keep them sacred today. Members are free, but please RSVP below. Admission otherwise is $13.

Daniel Mazeau and Aaron Gore, archaeologists with Beverwyck Archaeology, recently completed field investigations and research for the Yates house and property in Glenville, once home to the family of Joseph Yates, NY governor from 1823-1824. The excavations, conducted in 2019 and 2020, provided information on when the house was built, activities occurring on-site, and a variety of other topics. They will discuss their findings.   This is an in-person program hosted at 32 Washington Ave.  Admission is free for members, otherwise $8 the day of the program. No advanced tickets.  

Earth Night is an evening celebration of sustainability and living in harmony with the planet. Gather together with friends and neighbors as we present down-to-earth music, art, and workshops that honor Mother Earth and our natural surroundings. The fun starts at 4pm, and we’ll be on site until 8, finishing the evening with a campfire and stories from the Earth. These times are subject to change. Raptors of the Northeast (5-7pm): Meet the birds of prey! Three to four live hawks, owls and falcons will be here for a face-to-face exploration of what it takes to be a raptor. Presented by the Vermont Museum of Natural History. Forest Bathing (6-7pm): Walk our trails with Diane Kavanagh-Black and experience the healing and wellness-promoting effects of forest bathing! Awaken your senses and reconnect with nature during this mindful walk. Together, we’ll experience a series of guided, gentle invitations to open the senses, cultivate presence, and invite healing interactions between people and the natural world. Music by Earth's Children (5-8pm): Refined toned plucked from raw land, Earth's Children is an experimental rock collective with members in Greene and Schenectady counties. Their new album, "Get Right" comes out this spring. Composting Workshop (5pm): Have you ever wanted to dive into the word of compost? Join Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Composting Educator to learn the ins and outs of home composting and how you can get started yourself! Aquatic Life (4-7pm): Come explore the mysterious organisms living in a pond near you! Educator George Steele has brought various aquatic samples for young biologists to study. The Secret Lives of Herbs with Cornell Cooperative Extension (4pm-7pm): Mabee’s herb garden sprang back to life in the last few years, thanks to the help of Cornell Master Gardeners, who welcomed the idea of sprucing up the long-neglected area. Over the course of a year, they cleared the area of weeds, exposing a lovely stone border and path through the garden. There, they found inspiration for their herb garden design, and planted herbs and flowers common to the 1700s. Master Gardeners will be on site to discuss herbs in the garden, including betony, borage, calendula, chamomile, dill, mountain mint, penstemon, sage, sweet woodruff, tansy and wild quinine, answer gardening questions, and do free soil testing. Farm Management (4-7pm): Meet Farmer John, who will introduce the farm animals, talk about compost, and then tour the fields and orchards, pointing out his sustainability tips. Kids Crafts (4-7pm): Explore our educational raised bed garden and help us get it ready for this season. Search around for signs of spring, and meet the new additions to our goat and sheep family while saying hello to old friends like our chickens and cats. Help us harvest rocks from the field, and then get creative with painting a rock craft to take home! Campfire (7-8pm): Savor the pinks and purples of Mabee’s twilight while enjoying a beverage around the campfire. Our educator will spin stories of the Earth, and participants are encouraged to bring their own tall tales.

Building a barn is one of the biggest jobs on a colonial farm. In this workshop, kids will have to roll up their sleeves and work together to build a giant model of our Dutch Barn. We’ll learn period woodworking techniques, basic timber framing, and timeless teamwork skills. Family-level members are free. Just let us know you're coming below. Not a member? Admission is $10 for kids 5+.  

After a brief business meeting, Dr. Lucianne Lavin will present on Dutch-Native American Relationships in Eastern New Netherland. Refreshments will be served. Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D. is an anthropologist & archaeologist who has over 50 years of research and field experience in Northeastern archaeology and anthropology. She has written over 200 professional publications and technical reports on the archaeology and ethnohistory of the Northeast. Dr. Lavin is a founding member of the state’s Native American Heritage Advisory Council (a government agency whose appointed members advise the Office of State Archaeology and the State Historic Preservation Office on Native American graves/burials and sacred sites), and retired editor of the journal of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut, a position she held for 30 years. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from New York University. Her award-winning book, Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples: What Archaeology, History, and Oral Traditions Teach Us about their Communities and Cultures (Yale University Press, 2013) won Second Place in the books category in the 2014 New England Museum Association Publication Award Competition, an Award of Merit from the Connecticut League of History Organizations, and was selected as a Choice Magazine (American Library Association) “Outstanding Academic Title for 2013 in the North America Category”. Her latest book, Dutch and Indigenous Communities in Seventeenth-Century Northeastern North America (SUNY Press, 2021), is an edited volume rated by BookAuthority as one of the “16 Best New Archaeology eBooks to Read in 2021.” Dr. Lavin recently received a Certificate of Award for Women in American History from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is a Connecticut-born resident and has lived much of her life in the lower Housatonic River Valley.   This is an in-person program hosted at Mabee Farm Historic Site. Light refreshments and coffee will be served. Admission is free for members, otherwise $15 for non-members.