Closed since the last evening of the wonderful Holiday Nights event on December 28th, 2025, Greenfield Village reopened its gates on April 10 for those who pay extra for the Membership card, and the next day, April 11, for the general public. And now it will remain open, for the most part, through the end of this Semiquincentennial year of 2026. It's always like a "Welcome Home" celebration for so many of us.
As is what seems to be the norm, the weather wasn't fully cooperative. In fact, we had a soaking rain all morning. Only in the afternoon did it lighten up.
But we persevered. Even while wearing period clothing.
Yep, we had a small group of us living historians who hung out together . And there were others not part of our group who also took part in immersing themselves.
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| As we began our journey, you can see the rain was a-pourin' down, hence the umbrella. |
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| Main Street is definitely a replication of the turn-of-the-20th Century. |
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| We took the first of a couple group photos in front of the Logan County Courthouse. Though it was built in the 1840s, it still has the feel of a much earlier time. |
In previous years we've had small groups dressed period - one year I recall I was the only one, then other times, like this year, we get a decent-size group.
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| Theresa covered her youngest, Abigail, with her cloak to keep her dry. |
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| For the first hour, we had pouring rain. |
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| Charlotte saved a toad from the middle of the street and placed him into the grass. |
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| Inside the Cotswold Cottage, Theresa replicated a photograph she had taken quite a while back. |
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| A new floor was put in the cottage, replicating the old floor. |
The rain just seemed to not want to let up while we waited inside Cotswold, so, I could wait no longer and we made our way down the road just a short ways to my favorite house - the Daggett House.
Theresa and her brood made it to the Daggett House - the kids had to make a pit stop (lol) so they could enjoy the rest of their time there.
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| There it is! Even in the soggy weather it looks grand! |
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| Pumpkin was being chopped up for a pie. Pumpkin? In April?? Why, yes---it stayed well in the cellar over the winter. Why not use it~ |
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| Theresa and her kids made it to Daggett shortly after we did, but while we were there (and she wasn't) there were guests there who mentioned to the presenters how nice it would be to have children around to add more life to the home. I wish they would've stuck around a few minutes longer... In fact, that's sorta what today's posting is about. |
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| Little Abigail certainly enjoyed looking out the window at the falling rain! |
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| It made me think of one of the Daggett daughters - Asenath or Talitha - doing the exact same thing on a rainy day 260 years ago~~~ |
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| Ruth and Charlotte in the midst of a cooking conversation. |
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| I luckily was able to get a shot of Anne O. as she left to go on break. Wait---could this be Anna Daggett herself, perhaps delivering a few small items to a neighbor? Sometimes something as simple as seeing a presenter leaving a house can bring life to it. It was just so good to be back visiting my favorite house again!! And it looks like the rain stopped~~~ |
The Eagle Tavern was next:
Normally I order the beef stew, but since being diagnosed with colitis, I need to watch my eating a little closer, so I got a baked chicken.
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| Norm, who represents the 18th century minister, Reverend Henry Muhlenberg, gave us a wonderful grace before we ate our meal. |
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| Well! With all of us all dressed in our period clothing, we had to go to the Tavern to have a meal! |
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| Friend Knute showed up wearing his Redcoat. He looks pretty snappy there - - - - |
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| The building Charlotte and I are near is now the Pottery Shop, but at one time it housed the threshers, grindstones, shafts, and pulleys needed for the miller to do his job of threshing the grains of rice. It was built in 1787. |
We also spent some time at the printers:
I live about an hour away from the Plymouth Historical Museum, so it is not always feasible for me to make it there for such events, but, if I have no other event or family gathering, I certainly do try to participate because it is always a very good time.
Liam is majorly into video games, but he didn't miss them at all on this day. And he was so good and didn't even bring them up.
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| There is the Printing Office. |
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| Bruce was printing copies of the annual Opening Day print. |
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| I enjoy watching the set up and the actual process of printing on this 19th century press. |
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| My friend, Melissa, who worked at Daggett often last year, was working at Firestone Farm on Opening Day. She will be back at Daggett later in the year. |
Well, this is only day one of what I expect to be many in 2026. I do hope to see some special celebratory activities for America 250 - the Semiquincentennial.
By the way, there are plenty more Greenfield Village photos still coming up in this posting. If you can't wait, scroll down a bit. If you are enjoying my writing and photos, I think you'll enjoy what we have in between the two Greenfield Village sections~~~
Then the very next day - the next evening, rather - I took part in Plymouth Historical Museum's A Night at the Museum event.
It's at the Night at the Museum event at Plymouth Historical Museum where children can experience a birthday party they will never forget. Museum staff, inspired by the movies of the same name, created this special evening, where children discover that the characters within the Museum come alive after hours.
Kids begin the evening in the lower level meeting room, where they gather and socialize before sitting down for a dinner of pizza or subs and drinks while watching one of the "Night at the Museum" movies. When the movie ends, the real fun begins. The kids are greeted and told they get to tour the museum, but when presented with a personalized "Tablet of Akmenrah" (like in the movie), they discover that not all is as it seems. This tablet is a recreation of the Egyptian tablet used in the movies that brings the Museum characters to life, which the children soon realize seemingly works in this Museum as well.
The Museum is filled with reenactors silently waiting for the kids to bring them to life with the tablet. Kids could discover a Roman soldier dressed in full battle gear or Civil War soldiers preparing for war, or women wearing big hoop skirts and fancy dresses. There may even be a teenager from the 1950s hanging about, waiting to be awakened so she can dance and sing to her favorite rock and roll music. Any historical figure can be discovered at the Museum, and the kids will enjoy the stories they tell. Each character chats with the kids about a slice of history so children might learn a thing or two while they are having fun at the party.
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| A Night At The Museum characters in history~the past comes to life! Here we have Teddy Roosevelt, Paul Revere, Betsy Ross, Mary Todd Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Rosie the Riveter, and Mark Twain. |
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| My friend, Sue Marie, portrayed Betsy Ross and told the story of how what is considered to be the first stars n stripes came about. |
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| On the flipside of her flag Sue Marie showed which colony each star represented...in order. |
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| Here I am as Paul Revere speaking to a group of 9 & 10 year olds. Looks like I have their attention! |
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| Thomas Edison relates to the youngsters by using a then and now approach. |
So, then, the day following A Night At The Museum, my wife and I took grandchildren numbers two (Addy-10) and three (Liam-8) to the colonial cabin (Waterloo Cabin at Waterloo Farm Museum). We purchased period clothing for each for them because they've been showing interest in that period. They absolutely love their colonial clothing so, since their oldest sibling (Ben-11) is helping their father out of town, we asked Addy and Liam if they wanted to come with us to the cabin---they did---and, so, well, here ya go:
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| Liam scampered joyfully out to the far end to do a bit of exploring while Nonna and Addy checked out the remnants of last year's kitchen garden. |
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| Grandson Liam absolutely could not wait for the opportunity to come to the cabin |
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| I pulled out the shaving horse and then Liam and I went into the nearby woods and found a nice large stick to shave and shape. |
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| Then it was Liam's turn. I showed him how the shaving horse works a year earlier and he remembered so up on the seat he climbed and began the task for himself. |
He told me he "felt like a real colonial boy."
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| My wife and our granddaughter, Addy, were at the wheel. Nonna (Italian for grandmother) taught Addy how to spin, though the spinning wheel was acting up. |
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| But Addy got the hang of it after some trial and error. The main thing for her was keeping a steady rhythm with the foot peddle. |
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| Patty/Nonna got the wheel working. Just as she did, Liam put his tricorn/cocked hat on her head and ran off giggling as she feined shock and surprise. |
For weeks before we'd had a cooler and rainier spell than normal.
And on our cabin Sunday, the morning began the same way: the weather began very soggy and in the 40s. It rained, and at times it down-poured on our journey as we drove to the cabin. But then, it slowed greatly to an eventual stop. By our arrival, the weather was actually pretty nice and the temps were beginning to warm. The clouds thinned more and more. By the end of the day it reached 81 degrees!
And sun!
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| So Nonna set up a lunch outside! |
The kids very much enjoyed the quiet, natural sounds of birds and frogs n toads. During the course of the time we were there, I would ask them just to stop and listen...for we were out in the middle of rural Michigan, and though we were next to a paved road, motorized vehicles drove past every-so-often. It was funny when they did because they would look out and see these colonial people ---I can imagine what they thought!
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| What cool and rainy spell? Our weather was wonderful, especially for mid-April in Michigan! Picnics at this time were mainly for the upper class. But we, as farmers, decided to "act rich" - and our grandkids loved it! |
Inside the cabin is a large bear skin with fur. All of us cabin folk have tried it on previously - it is very warm. So Addy wanted to give it a try.
I think she liked it.
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| Addy tried on the bear skin. She said it was very warm, which it is! |
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| The two found, then lost, a toad and were looking for it. |
Neither did Addy.
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| What's up the ladder you ask? That's the loft where the kids would sleep. |
It was wonderful to have the kids enjoy life in the past without modern conveniences.
This was my 36th time utilizing the cabin in this manner (see links for the other 35 at the bottom of this post) - that's quite a few hours spent in the 18th century past. And each time is different. I simply cannot get enough.
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| As is our tradition, we had a group photo taken of us. Grandparents and grandchildren~ |
My wife mentioned that we should stop at Greenfield Village on the way home and perhaps enjoy a custard.
So we did. In fact, we left a little earlier than I originally intended so the kids could enjoy the treat (albeit a bit modern treat for our 18th century time, lol, but it's okay for today).
However---with my grandkids dressed the way they were, my thoughts went straight to a very cool opportunity: getting photos with them at my favorite house (the Daggett House). I mean, I'm always at Greenfield Village and at the Daggett House while dressed in my colonial clothing. Here's my chance to take that to another level.
Can I not be any prouder (using a Chandler Bing voice lol)?
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| Could this be Isaiah (born 1759) and Talitha (born 1757) Daggett looking through the front window of the Daggett House? Well, if this was 1767, it very well could be, for my grandson Liam is eight years old and his sister, Addy, is ten. I have little doubt siblings Isaiah and Talitha Daggett were somewhat close and most probably did look out this very same window! |
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| Same window from the inside. There's the wool yarn dyed last fall using natural dyes. |
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| Looking out the side window from the great hall. |
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| Watching a Daggett presenter spin on a great wheel. My wife also spins on the great wheel we have at our own home, but she prefers her much smaller saxony wheel. |
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| Liam asked the presenters a ton of "colonial questions" - some of which he already knew the answers to, thanks to yours' truly (lol), but he asked anyway. His questions were pretty well thought out. |
When we left the Daggett House, just a short jaunt down the road is the Plympton House - a house with a Paul Revere connection (click HERE).
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| Except for a bed that's out of the picture frame on the right, here is pretty much the entire Plympton House, all set up for perhaps a gathering of friends. Or maybe even ready for a visit with the minister. Most of what you see in this photo are original 17th and 18th century antiques. This house is another of my favorites. I wish they had period presenters here as well. |
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| Liam came along with me to see the inside of the house, so I was able to line him up for this photo where the plexiglass cannot be seen, nor anything reflecting off it. |
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| Though covered bridges were not around in the colonies in the 18th century, I still took the picture because I like how it looked.. The first documented covered bridge in America was the "Permanent Bridge" completed over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia in January 1805 - nearly 30+ years after the time we are representing. |
By the way, there were numerous visitors who very much enjoyed seeing us at the Village all dressed up in our period clothing, and even thanked us.
That added so much to our time, for this second weekend in April was quite the time-traveling weekend for us, and me in particular. It was just filled with history - my kind of weekend.
When young kids are first getting involved in living history, we must be a bit gentle in garnering their interests; we mustn't be too overwhelmingly strict on them. Improvements will come in time. But we work toward improvements constantly, taking a step at a time. My number one rule for my grandson Liam, who is a gamer, is no video game talk. And he really did do a wonderful job keeping it at bay. My wife and I are working on getting them reenacting shoes next, just something basic while they're still growing.
So...a little at a time.
One thing, however, until kids are involved, you do not realize just how much they can complete the picture. It is my hope that my grandkids, and the children of some of the other living historians, will take part and help us to continue to add to the realism of our time travel hobby. As I've read elsewhere, "Living history children enhance events by adding authenticity, relatability, and energy, transforming static displays into immersive, multi-generational experiences. They demonstrate daily chores, engage in period games, and wear authentic attire, helping visitors visualize the past and connect with historical contexts. Including children provides a realistic look at historical communities, which is crucial for portraying accurately populated, sustainable settlements. "
So, with that, until next time, see you in time.
To learn more about the history of Greenfield Village and its beginnings, please click HERE
To learn more about Greenfield Village's historic structures, please click HERE
To learn more about the Revolutionary/18th century Houses inside Greenfield Village, please click HERE
To see posts about our other colonial cabin excursions, please click any of the links below:
~To read about our 2020 autumn harvest excursion - our first time at the cabin - click HERE
~To read about our 2021 wintertime excursion at the cabin - click HERE
~To read about our 2021 springtime excursion at the cabin - click HERE~To read about our 2021 summertime excursion at the cabin - click HERE
~To read about our 2021 summer harvesting of the flax at the cabin - click HERE
~To read about our 2021 autumn excursion - click HERE
~To read about our 2022 winter excursion at the cabin - please click HERE
~To read about our 2022 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE
~To read about our 2022 summer excursion at the cabin - please click HERE
~To read about our 2022 autumn excursion at the cabin (Pioneer Day) - please click HERE
~To read about our 2023 winter excursion at the cabin (Candlemas) - please click HERE
~To read about our 2023 spring excursion at the cabin (Rogation Sunday) - please click HERE
~To read about our 2023 late spring at the cabin - click HERE
~To read about the 2023 early summer - please click HERE
~To read about the 2023 summer (Lammas Day) - please click HERE
~To read about the 2023 autumn Pioneer Day - please click HERE
~To read about our 2023 Thanksgiving harvest celebration - please click HERE
~To read about our 2024 Winter experience at the cabin - please click HERE
~To read about our 2024 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE
~To read about our 2024 late spring with just Patty & I - click HERE
~To read about our 2024 summer (Lammas Day) - please click HERE
~To read about our 2024 mid-and-late-summer - please click HERE
~To read about our 2024 mid-September - click HERE
~To read about our 2024 autumn Pioneer Day Celebration - please click HERE
~To read about our 2024 Thanksgiving Harvest - please click HERE
~To read about our 2024 Christmas at the Farm Cabin presentation - please click HERE
~To read about our 2025 winter & Candlemas Day - please click HERE
~To read about our 2025 spring/early May Rogation Sunday excursion - please click HERE
~To read about our 2025 Memorial Day/Late May visit, please click HERE
~To read about our 2025 (Lammas Day) Celebration, please click HERE
~To read about our 2025 September visit with my grandson experiencing living history, click HERE
~To read about our 2025 Pioneer Day event, please click HERE
~To read about our 2025 Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration (including my grandson!), click HERE
~To read about our 2026 Early March/Late Winter time at the cabin, please click HERE
So...adding this current visit, that makes 36 days spent in the 18th century at this cabin.
And, God willing, these adventures will continue for a long time to come.
Thank you to Charlotte Bauer, Marty Kerstens and my wife, Patty, for allowing the useage of some of their pictures.
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