Get into the fall spirit!
Don your witchy season finest and join us for a spooky Saturday at Genesee Country Village & Museum!
See the Historic Village in all of its fall splendor, attend a frighteningly fascinating talk on the history of rural cemeteries in America, visit our new exhibit Everybody’s Going to be There! The American Rural Cemetery Movement, snack on a funeral bun from the D.B. Munger & Co. Confectionery, see the Village bedecked in autumnal hues, and more.
Attend frighteningly fascinating programs
“My Eternal Away Message: Grave Iconography & Epitaphs of 19th-Century America”
Talk hosted by curator Brandon W. Brooks at 12 p.m. (location to be determined)
“The Art of Mourning: Girlhood Memorial Samplers”
Talk hosted by collections manager Jill Johnson at 1 p.m. in the John L. Wehle Gallery Lobby
Delve into the world of girlhood embroidery with an emphasis on mourning samplers. Learn why young girls created samplers and the symbolism of the designs. Discover the stories of the girls who created the needlework pieces in the GCV&M collections.
“Exploring Victorian Hairwork Jewelry”
Talk hosted by guest speaker Ruthann Williams at 2:30 p.m. (location to be determined)
The mid 1800’s saw a rise in mourning practices due to its popularity through Queen Victoria. Please join us in finding a form of carrying one’s sentiments for the deceased.
"Everybody's Going to be There: The American Rural Cemetery Movement"
This new exhibit explores how 19th-century Americans managed public health concerns, developed a new appreciation for green space and wildlife, and ensured their memorialization in a newly established public space: the rural cemetery. “Everybody’s Going to be There” presents a wide variety of fine wildlife art, maps, memorial art, natural animal and geological specimens, mourning jewelry and stationery, and cemetery tourism ephemera of the 19th-century.
Learn about mourning traditions in Foster House
Pay your respects as you enter historic Foster House (built ca. 1836), with black ribbons tied to the fence posts and mirrors covered. Learn about how a family would have laid out a body and donned the home with mourning ephemera.
Shop Spooky Goods in the Gallery Lobby
Find local maker RocBlock Prints in the John L. Wehle Gallery selling a wide variety of spooky-themed hand pressed prints and seasonal items.
Frightening favorites in the Flint Hill Store
Visit the Flint Hill Store to find frighteningly fun products for sale: spooky season rustic decor, plushies, kids toys, heirloom variety seeds, and more.
Perhaps even bring home with you your own broom, handcrafted right here in the Historic Village.
Experience seasonal historical cooking
Make your way through our historic kitchens to see, smell, and taste the flavors of the season. Apples – pumpkins – squash – fall goodies are plentiful in the Genesee Valley Region!
Savor an eerie treat
Visit the D.B. Munger & Co. Confectionery located in our Historic Village (open 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.) to purchase a historical treat! Find 1-2-3-4 cakes, hand pies, historical cookies and sweets, and more.
Don’t miss today’s spooky special – funeral biscuits! From the cookbook A Whole New Art of Confectionery, (1828), this pastry was popular to serve during 19th-century funerals. Often wrapped in paper printed with a commemorative poem verse, these treats were handed out as guests departed the funeral as a memento. Funeral biscuits might sometimes be stamped with symbolic imagery such as cherubs, hourglasses, or hearts.
Enjoy fall colors in the Village
Wander the Historic Village and enjoy the exuberant fall colors as you smell fires burning in historic hearths, watch the last of the summer harvest in our fields, explore in and out of historic buildings, and learn about how the change of seasons affected life in 19th-century New York.
Ticket Information
Museum Members: FREE
Adults: $16
Seniors (62+): $14
Students (13 – 18): $14
Youth (3 – 10): $10
Children Under 3: FREE
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 through the Admissions tunnel at the front of the Museum.
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. The Museum will only cancel in case of a severe weather emergency.
Please dress for the predicted weather conditions and wear comfortable footwear for walking. Paths through the Historic Village are made of crushed gravel or bricks and can be uneven.
Yes! Leashed service animals are welcome with proper identification.
Yes! The Flint Hill Gift Shop will be open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Peruse village-made goods, GCV&M apparel, and so much more!
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.
