Explore the Culinary Arts!
From meals cooking over open hearth fires, to exclusive historic dining experiences, there’s always something to see, smell, or even taste, in the Historic Village.
Historic Kitchens
On your visit to the Historic Village, you’ll encounter costumed historic interpreters trained in the culinary arts of the 19th-century. Each buildings’ era and original location, the socio-economic status of the owners, and the season vary your experience. Step inside to immerse yourself in the sounds and smells of historic foodways!
Early Settlement
Early rural settlers were limited to eating what they could grow – usually corn, beans, squash, and some root vegetables – as they were self-sufficient with limited cash income. Store-bought goods are limited to molasses, spices, and very small quantities of items like good tea and coffee. Early on, even wheat and rye could not be grown on the newly cleared ground! (Early settlement cooking will resume in 2026.)
Jones Farm
Visit Jones Farm to learn about 1850s farmhouse life, where meals are prepared from the garden, fields, and pastures, either fresh or preserved. Step out the back door to see the kitchen garden and visit the farm’s chickens and oxen! The Jones Farm family might be making cheese or a midday soup with fresh bread on the new and improved cook stove.
Livingston-Backus House Kitchen
In the Livingston-Backus kitchen, complete with brick fireplace and spacious brick oven, the hired cook would have had access to the Public Market after the Erie Canal was built. With shelves stocked with spices and equipment, the kitchen is an excellent representation of the changes brought about by three decades of economic growth in the Genesee Country.
Taste & Experience History
GCV&M offers year-round opportunities to experience historic foodways with all your senses and to take a piece of history home!
Adult & Family Workshops
Foodways workshops are offered from September to April as half- or full-day classes with hands-on learning. Participants take home what they’ve made and sometimes something extra like an earthenware pie plate or springerle mold.
Hosmer & MacKay Dinners
Experience a meal you’ll never forget! Join our historical cooks as they serve an authentic 19th-century meal in one of our charming historic buildings in the quaint Historic Village. Guests will play parlor games, enjoy a full seven-course dinner (served family style), and enjoy a choice of historically-inspired cider, coffee, or tea. Guests are welcome to bring one bottle of wine of their choice!
Hosmer Taprooms
Serving fresh-made, savory hand pies and historic drinks like shrub and hot cocoa (varies by season), Hosmer Taprooms are open most event weekends with counter service and plenty of seating. Step into the past to fill your belly and your senses!
Confectionary
Open weekends and during special events and staffed with a costumed interpreter, the D.B. Munger & Co. Confectionery offers historic, made-on-site treats like 1-2-3-4 cakes, springerles, and sweet hand pies. Stop in for a snack or take a selection of cookies and candies home to share.
Taste of History
For a full week, the Historic Village turns its eyes and taste buds toward historic foodways. Programming includes kitchen demonstrations and interpretation, an exploration of cookbooks and receipts, discussions about the social and civic impact and power of food, dining customs, multiple tastings, and more.