Category: Woodbury

This August Step Into the 18th Century at Glebe House Hands-on History brings Colonial Life to Kids.

In a time when children are surrounded by screens, packed schedules, and digital distractions, the summer programs at the Glebe House Museum in Woodbury offers something refreshingly different: a chance to slow down, step into history, and learn through experience.

For more than 36 years, the Glebe House Museum’s Summer Experience programs have invited children to discover the past in a way that is both educational and memorable. Designed for children ages 6–12, these programs go far beyond traditional classroom learning. Instead of simply reading about colonial life, campers get to live it.

Two Unique August Programs

This August, the museum is offering two special camp opportunities.The first program runs August 3–7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. During this week, children will explore the treasures of the Glebe House Museum through colonial crafts, candle making, butter churning, historic games, and nature-based activities. Children will also visit the Gertrude Jekyll Garden, learn about herbal remedies and kitchen gardens, and create nature-inspired art.

A second, newly expanded program will take place August 10–12, from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. In partnership with Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust, this immersive experience places children in the daily lives of people who lived during the American Revolutionary War. In a year when the nation is commemorating its 250th birthday, the program offers a timely and engaging way for young people to understand the realities of colonial life.

Set in the historic Glebe House, built in 1750, these programs focus on the practical skills needed for survival and comfort in the colonial era. Under the guidance of historical interpreters, children will use period-appropriate tools and techniques to better understand how people worked, lived, and adapted in a very different world.

Beyond the historical learning, these programs provide something equally important: a safe, enriching environment where children can build confidence, creativity, and independence.

With support from the Ion Bank Foundation, the Glebe House continues to offer programs that nurture both minds and imaginations. The museum’s approach combines education with play, making the summer experience valuable for children and reassuring for families.

For parents looking for a program that blends history, nature, creativity, and hands-on discovery, the Glebe House camp offers a compelling option. It is a chance for children to step away from the noise of modern life and into another world—one filled with learning, exploration, and wonder.

Registration Information

For details or to register, visit http://www.glebehousemuseum.org, or contact the museum at 203-263-2855 or office @glebehousemuseum.org Early Bird pricing through June 30.

About the Glebe House & Garden
Nestled in the scenic Litchfield Hills in the heart of historic Woodbury, the Glebe House Museum offers a unique look at Revolutionary War-era Connecticut. The restored 18th-century farmhouse, once home to Reverend John Rutgers Marshall and his family, is furnished to reflect daily life during the American War for Independence. Opened to the public in 1925, the Glebe House is one of the nation’s earliest historic house museums and has welcomed visitors for over a century. Its restoration was led by Henry Watson Kent, a leading figure in American decorative arts. Gertrude Jekyll, one of the most influential garden designers of the 20th century, designed the museum’s garden in 1926. This classic English-style garden features 350 feet of vibrant mixed borders and is the only surviving example of Jekyll’s work in the United States. The garden is now in its fourth year of full restoration.

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16th Annual Colonial Fair at Woodbury CT’s Glebe House Sept. 18

Woodbury, whose name means a dwelling place in the woods was settled by 17 colonists in 1659 making it one of Connecticut’s oldest western inland towns. In 1673, Woodbury was purchased from Chief Pomperaug of the Pootatuck Indians. The present day Main Street (Rte. 6) was laid out in the 1670’s along an old Indian trail where Chief Pomperaug is buried.

Woodbury was always a prosperous town. By the end of the 18th century, it was a thriving center of agricultural trade. In the early 19th century, industrial growth led to a building boom and many of the houses and four of the five churches along Rte. 6 date from this period.

One of Woodbury’s architectural gems is The Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden dating from the 1740’s. The Glebe House became a minister’s farm or glebe for Woodbury’s first Episcopal minister, John Rutgers Marshall. Only weeks after American Independence was secure, a group of clergy met secretly at the Glebe House, to elect the Reverend Dr. Samuel Seabury as the first Bishop in the new nation, a decision that assumed the separation of church and state, and religious tolerance in the new nation. This event established the Glebe House as the birthplace of the Episcopal Church in America.

On September 18th the Glebe House is gearing up for its 16th annual Colonial Fair & Muster Day in the Hollow on Sunday, September 18 from 1:00-5:00.

The Pisgah Mountain Primitives will return to demonstrate blacksmithing, rope making and colonial cooking. Other colonial craft demonstrations will include spinning, quilting, wood working and basket making.

Children will have the chance to make candles, practice quill writing and churn butter. Colonial stories will be told by professional storyteller Joyce Marie Rayno and Sandi Eustace from Double D Pony will hitch up Dixie and Diego to their cart for pony rides.

The museum has special tours planned along with food, music and much more colonial era fun for the entire family. The Fair is free for children under 18 and $5 for adults.

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Wine & Roses Celebrates The Jekyll Garden in Woodbury CT

It is hard to resist a glass of wine in a beautiful garden on a perfect summer evening. That is what you can expect at the Glebe House Museum on Hollow Road in Woodbury, at its festive lawn party, WINE & ROSES, in the Gertrude Jekyll Garden from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 16. Surrounded by bursts of summer flowers in the garden and bouquets of roses, guests can sample Gertrude’s Garden, a white wine named for Gertrude Jekyll and bottled by Walker Road Vineyards in Woodbury.

Hors d’oeuvres and other wines will also be served. There will be a silent auction and special items for sale including rose bushes for your home garden. The museum will be open for the evening. Tickets for the garden party are $20.00 per person and all proceeds for the event will support the renovation and preservation of the Gertrude Jekyll Garden.

Set in the picturesque Litchfield Hills in historic Woodbury’s village center, the museum welcomes visitors for a glimpse of Revolutionary War era Connecticut. The simple but elegant 18th century farmhouse is furnished as the home of the Reverend John Rutgers Marshall, his wife Sarah, their nine children and three slaves who lived in the “glebe” during the turmoil of the American War for Independence. The Glebe House was restored in 1923 under the direction of William Henry Kent, pioneer of early American decorative arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. One of the early historic house museums in the country, The Glebe House opened its doors to the public in 1925.

In 1926, the famed English horticultural designer and writer was commissioned to plan an “old fashioned” garden to enhance the newly created museum. This year we celebrate the 85th anniversary of the garden design. Gertrude Jekyll had a profound influence on modern garden design and is widely considered the greatest gardener of the 20th century. Although a small garden, when compared with the 400 more elaborate designs she completed in England and on the Continent, the Glebe House garden includes 600 feet of classic English style mixed border with sweeps of red, yellow and gold and cool waves of lavender and blue hues, and foundation plantings. It is the only remaining example of her work in the United States today. The garden is open during daylight hours and the museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 1-4 pm or by appointment.

To reserve tickets for WINE AND ROSES please call the Museum Director at 203-263-2855.

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