Celebrating Innovation from 1776 to 1876:
America’s First 100 Years
Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26, 2026
10:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.
An expo for the ages! Explore what was brand new, cutting edge, and mind-blowing in America’s first hundred years, who came and went through the Genesee Valley, the shift from craft to commerce, and innovation’s impact on everyday life.
Event Sponsors
ASL interpreters are available Saturday, July 25 from 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Ticket Information
Become a Museum Member to enjoy discounted festival admission plus FREE daily admission May – November.
| Museum Members | Purchased Online in Advance | Purchased at the Door |
|---|---|---|
|
Members |
FREE |
FREE |
Buy online and save $1!
| General Admission | Purchased Online in Advance | Purchased at the Door |
|---|---|---|
|
Adult (18+) |
$24 |
$25 |
|
Students (13 – 17) & Seniors (62+) |
$21 |
$22 |
|
Youth (4 – 12) |
$18 |
$19 |
|
Child (3 & under) |
FREE |
|
Notice something new? We have a new ticketing system! We hope you’ll find this easy to navigate and appreciate your patience as we roll it out. If you are having issues or have questions, please email info@gcv.org. Museum Members will need to login to received discounted Member pricing and more information on how to do that is available here. Thank you, as always, for your support of the Museum!
250 Years of Community & Innovation
From magic lantern displays and a tent of wonders to talks exploring the impact of industry in the 19th Century, learn about America’s first 100 years! Program include:
- Meet with Debbie & Jeff Blood, relatives of Harry Houdini! Walk through the MacKay house to view objects from his personal collection, and hear about how they are honoring this year – the 100th anniversary of his death.
- Talks by historian Perry Ground (Onondaga, Turtle Clan)
- Saturday: “250 Years of Haudenosaunee History
- Sunday: “Haudenosaunee Women: From SkyWoman to Suffrage”
- “Pulling the Thread: A Clara Barton Story”
- Listen to historian Glenn McClure about the master logistician, strategist, and creator of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton of Dansville, NY. (research supported by The Community Foundation, America 250, Dansville Artworks, The National Endowment for the Arts, and Genesee Valley Council on the Arts)
- Head on over to our Carriage Museum to view rarely seen carriages, sleighs, and wagons, and omnibuses. Plus, visit with Equestrian Sidesaddle rider, Gael, to view her collection of antique carriages and listen to a talk on the history of riding.
- “The Sky’s The Limit”
- A hot air balloon was mankind’s first experience of Aviation, in 1783. Visit with the Liberty Balloon Company inside the Exhibition Barn at 11am & 1pm on Saturday to hear about the history of ballooning, watch the expansion of the balloon and crawl inside, and then head out to the Great Meadow at 11:40 & 1:40 to see, hear, and feel the burners rocket to life!
Historic Village Highlights
Take a walk through our Historic Village, visit with costumed interpreters, join a Toward Freedom & Fairness tour, visit the farm, and so much more. Spread over five garden-filled acres, learn about each unique building and the lives of Western New Yorkers in the 19th Century.
Special Centennial Celebration programming includes:
- New collection items! Stop by the upstairs of Town Hall to view our new acquisitions on display
- Head to the Eastman House to watch the science of metal & silver nitrate come to life with Tin Type photographer Ben! Plus, sit real still for a photo you can take home ($)
- Join Professor Rich Newman to hear about how Rochesterians reacted to the 1876 Centennial hoopla!
- Meet with Dr. Carroll of RIT to learn about the women’s suffrage movement and participate in an interactive reading of Susan B Anthony’s 1876 Expo speech “Declaration of Rights of the Women of the United States”
- Thanks to our partnership with the Monroe County Board of Elections you can try your hand at using the new voting machines.
- Visit our heritage Leicester longwool sheep and hear from Kate Pelkey of Otter Lake Farm & Fiber to learn about her new innovation with taking fiber and making fertilizer you can use on your plants
- Join the Port-A-Globe Puppet Theatre for a traditional English Punch and Judy puppet show
- Learn about Aaron Montgomery Ward and the first mail order catalogues
- Explore 100 years of fashion from the beginning of the Revolution to the end of the Civil War
- Learn about 19th century inventors and their inventions in Eastman House
- Watch a mash-up of 19th-century printing and 3D printing in Davis Hall, and take home a printed Expo souvenir
- Stop by the Telegraph office to create a postage stamp, write your name in Morse code, and explore how information travelled in the 19th century
- Play historic games at Thomson Tavern
- Step right up and see the greatest show in the Genesee Valley as we take you inside the tent of wonders
- Watch our cooks bake their way through the centuries as they take inspiration from historic centennial cookbooks
- Take a spin with the Flint Hill Dance Troupe on Village Square
- Catch a Vintage Base Ball game Sunday at Silver Ball Park!
Share the Museum Days
All current Members can bring two free guests to Share-the-Museum Days during the Centennial Expo. If your guest(s) choose to become members, they’ll receive a one-time 10% discount on a new membership.
Genesee Country Nature Center
Meet with mead maker Jonny of Merikan Meadery and learn about the process from Hive to Highball! (tasting available to those with a valid 21+ ID only)
The Genesee Country Nature Center is a fantastic place to explore the flora and fauna of the Genesee Valley Region. Take a hike on a nature trail (ranging from .5 – 1.3 miles), learn from a resident naturalist, meet animals up close and personal, and so much more.
John L. Wehle Gallery
Come to the Gallery to learn about magic lanterns and see a display of projectors and slides!
Home to an extensive collection of 19th-century clothing and sporting and wildlife art, the John L. Wehle Gallery includes three rotating exhibits and serveral smaller displays. Exhibits include:
- An Extraordinary Attraction: 50 Years of History, Art, and Nature [NEW in 2026)
- Color Me Calico: A Taste for Prints and Parties
- Perceived Realities: Wildlife, Land, & Myth
Food & Beverage
Stop into these locations for a bite to eat or something to drink!
- Depot Restaurant
- Open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (grill closes at 3)
- Grab a wrap or burger and a drink.
- Freight House Pub
- Open from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Grab a small bite and a craft beer or cider.
- D.B. Munger Confectionery
- Open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Located on the Square in the Historic Village
- Stop in for Village-made cookies, candy, hand pies, and more!
- Pavilion Garden Restaurant
- Located in the Historic Village
- Ice cream, hearty sandwiches and more!
Shopping at the Flint Hill Store
Be sure to stop in the Flint Hill Store, where you’ll find a variety of our Village-made goods, fudge, GCV&M merch, and more.
FAQs
Parking is free and plentiful! Park in any of the main lots at the front of the Museum, but please leave the first two bays available for handicap parking.
You will check in for this event in the Meeting Center Lounge. When facing the front of the Museum, look to your right – you’ll see a set of white double doors. Go through those, and you will be in the Meeting Center Lounge.
We recommend either printing out OR taking a screenshot of your ticket(s) or invoice. WIFI is very spotty at the front of the Museum.
Yes! This event is rain or shine. The Museum will only cancel in case of travel ban or by order of Monroe County.
Certified, leashed service animals are welcome.
We’re sorry to hear that you’re not able to attend! Tickets may be refunded only up to 7 days prior to the event date and are strictly non-transferable by date, entry time, or program.