Celebrate Black history and culture
Please join us during our open Winter Weekends when we will celebrate Black history and culture in Western New York:
Saturdays and Sunday, February 8, 9, & 15
Event partner:
Saturday February 8 - Sunday February 9
Highlights:
- After Emancipation: The Black Community in Rochester, 1830-1860 Enslavement in New York State officially ended on July 4, 1827, but what did freedom look like to these new citizens? Philip K. Wehrheim Curator of Collections Peter Wisbey presents research from city directories, newspapers and written accounts that offer a snapshot of Rochester’s pre-Civil War history. (Saturday only)
- Connecting the Dots: the Civil War and You. This interactive mapping exhibit connects the impact of enslavement and the Civil War to redlining, civil rights, and inequity today. Created by our partners at “Our Local History”.
- One of Rochester’s first Black business owners, Austin Steward, faced many challenges; learn more about his story at the Altay Store,
- Malinda Russel published the first known cookbook by a free African-American woman and Abby Fisher, a formerly enslaved woman, the second known. Livingston-Backus House will be open to learn more about Russel and Fisher.
- Toward Freedom and Fairness Walking Tour, a guided 45-minute to one hour tour led by GCV&M staff as part of a larger program to interpret enslavement in the Historic Village (see below for more information).
Saturday February 15
Highlights:
- The Swann Queen: Roots of Drag in 19th-Century America by Brandon Brooks, Curator of the John L. Wehle Gallery. Through the story of William Dorsey Swann, America’s first self-proclaimed Drag Queen, this talk delves into the world of minstrelsy and racial and gender-bending impersonation. (Saturday only)
- Connecting the Dots: the Civil War and You. This interactive mapping exhibit connects the impact of enslavement and the Civil War to redlining, civil rights, and inequity today. Created by our partners at “Our Local History”.
- Local acclaimed theater director, David Shakes, will provide rolling interpretation on notable Black entrepreneurs and trades people William Wells Brown, Frederick Douglass, George Washington Carver, and more.
- Vanessa Ryland-Bluntely and Tippy Hood, orators and educators, share their favorite poems by Black poets. Try your hand at creating your own joyous poem!
- Artist and historical interpreter Ben Rosiek will demonstrate tin type photography, a new technology that was integral in how soldiers were documented during the Civil War.
- Talented leather smith, Geoffrey Hopkins, highlights Black shoemakers and leather smiths from the 17th – 19th-Centuries
- Toward Freedom and Fairness Walking Tour, a guided 45-minute to one hour tour led by GCV&M staff as part of a larger program to interpret enslavement in the Historic Village (see below for more information).
Toward Freedom & Fairness Walking Tour
This guided 45-minute – one hour tour will be led by GCV&M educators beginning at 11:30 a.m. on February 8, 9, and15. Part of a larger program to interpret enslavement in the Historic Village, the soft open of this tour during Black History Month is open to guest feedback.
Beginning at the Tollhouse and visiting the Towar Land Office, Quaker Meeting House, Livingston-Backus House, and Nathaniel Rochester House, all of which were an integral part of the story of enslavement and freedom in the Genesee Valley in the 19th-century, guests will:
- Expand learning about enslavement and freedom beyond Frederick Douglass.
- Interact with the stories of real individuals in Western New York using primary source accounts, building an understanding of how we learn and know about the past, and engage in critical thinking related to history.
- Make connections between the past and the present and forge personal connections to the stories that we share.
- Become familiar with the current terminology and language used to talk about enslavement in the United States.
Consider the connection between enslavement in the 19th-century and our lives today.
This tour is included in Daily Admission and is a “timed” activity; there is no additional cost or sign-up process. Guests who wish to participate should be at the Toll House no later than 11:30 a.m.
Visit Nathaniel Rochester's House
The Nathaniel Rochester House is the first of four Historic Village buildings to include an exhibit about enslavement in New York State and the historic significance of enslaved individuals, freedom-seekers, and abolitionists in Western New York.
At least ten of the people who accompanied Rochester during his move to New York from Maryland were individuals he enslaved. Rochester was a businessman, soldier, and politician who profited from the labor and sale of enslaved people for most of his life, and for as long as it was legal in New York.
Enslavement is a challenging topic for many individuals and communities, whether one benefited from the institution of slavery, is a descendant of those who were enslaved, or feels no connection at all. GCV&M is working to make the history of enslavement accessible to all people regardless of race, gender, political persuasion, socio-economic status, or other defining characteristic.
Ticket Information
Buy online and save $1 per ticket! Prices shown are online pricing.
Museum Members – FREE
Adults (ages 13+) – $10
Youth (age 3-12) – $7
Under 3 – FREE
Museum Members are guaranteed free admission and don’t need to purchase tickets in advance!
FAQs
Parking is free and plentiful! Park in any of the main lots at the front of the Museum. Please leave the first two bays available for handicapped parking.
Check-in will be at the front of the Museum. You can also purchase tickets for this event in the Flint Hill Store.
Please have your ticket(s) either printed out OR pulled up on your phone screen and ready for scanning for quick and easy check-in. Pro-tip: take a screenshot of each of your tickets to have ready and pulled up on your phone screen! Please note: Wifi can sometimes be spotty at the front of the Museum.
Yes – this event is rain or shine! Please dress accordingly for the predicted weather conditions. We will cancel only in the case of thunderstorms or severe weather.
Please dress accordingly for the predicted weather conditions.
We recommend wearing a good pair of walking shoes – there is a lot to see and do, and surfaces in the Historic Village (brick paths, cobblestone, grass), can be uneven.
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.
The Meeting Center Lounge will be offering a limited menu from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.!
