Massachusetts - Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield
Massachusetts
Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield — Come see this perfectly restored 200-year-old historic village and look at Shaker life, but don’t stir your drinks!
Hancock Shaker Village, Inc., is a private, not-for-profit educational organization. Our mission is to bring the Shaker story to life and preserve it for future generations. The Shaker Central Ministry closed the Hancock community in 1960 and sold the buildings and surrounding acreage to a group of Shaker enthusiasts, collectors and scholars who formed the not-for-profit corporation that eventually became Hancock Shaker Village. The museum opened to the public on July 1, 1961.
Over its history, the Village has restored the site and buildings, assembled and cared for the premier Shaker collection, and added innovative educational programs for the public. The Village was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968 and is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
April 11-May 3, 2009 - Expanded from '08!
7th Annual Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm
Welcome spring with the newest barnyard babies! Greet the lambs, piglets, calves and chicks filling our Round Stone Barn. Visitors can pet the new arrivals and explore the surrounding farmyard, historic buildings, and blossoming gardens. Open 10am - 4pm daily.
Click here to read more or Schedule a class field trip!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Organic Gardening and Sustainable Farming Workshop
What's old is new again! Dig in with this hands-on day of composting, weed eradication and bug control. Whether you're starting fresh on a small Berkshire farm or maintaining an urban window box garden, you can reap the rewards of this workshop. Tools and materials provided, students may bring their own.
Memorial Day - Labor Day
Gather Up the Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection
Pioneers in the field of Shaker studies, Faith and Edward Deming Andrews collected directly from the Shakers themselves from the 1920s through the 1960s. The Andrews show features many never before exhibited pieces and a fascinating tale of intrigue, ethics, passion and art scholarship. Gather Up the Fragments will be traveling nationally in 2010, don't miss it at Hancock Shaker Village!
Sunday, June 28 ♦ Shaker Shalom
A gala event celebrating similarities between Shaker and Jewish cultures, featuring a music program, dinner, live and silent auctions. Proceeds to benefit both Hancock Shaker Village and Knesset Israel. Purchase tickets online or call 413.443.0188 x115.
Sunday, May 31 ♦ free lecture at Knesset Israel
"Common Ground Between Shakers and Jews" with scholars Stephen Paterwic, Dr. M. Stephen Miller, and Rabbi Steve Fuchs. Free & open to the public, RSVP required.
Saturday, July 11, 2009 ♦ 2pm in the Visitors Center
Mr. Lincoln's Chair--The Shakers and Their Quest for Peace
Lecture and book signing with author Anita Sanchez
Mr. Lincoln's Chair presents the Shakers against the backdrop of the Civil War, contrasting their peaceful lives with the carnage of America's bloodiest battles. The Shakers' struggle to obtain conscientious objector status led them all the way to the White House for an audience with President Abraham Lincoln.
Mr. Lincoln's Chair is for anyone interested in the Shakers and their unique way of life or for anyone fascinated by the life of Lincoln. It takes a look at Lincoln from a different point of view: the Commander-in-Chief of America's bloodiest war as seen through the eyes of America's early conscientious objectors.
Program offered as part of The Lincoln Trail in the Berkshires
July 22-26, 2009
35th Annual Shaker Seminar
This summer, Shaker Seminar will travel to Enfield and Canterbury, New Hampshire, for five days of tours, lectures and camraderie. Novices and Shaker enthusiasts alike will enjoy this excellent opportunity to be immersed in Shaker history as well as Shaker landscapes. Click here to read more!
August 8 & 9, 2009
Oval Box Workshop
Students will make a nest of 4 boxes and learn to carve swallow tails, bend the box and install tops and bottoms. Students will also examine samples of fine Shaker craftsmanship from the HSV collection. This is a chance for woodworking beginnings to get a great start, and for more experienced woodworkers to develop a new skill. No previous experience required.
Tuition: HSV Members $190 ♦ Non-members $210
August 15 & 16, 2009
16th Annual Age of Iron Weekend
Come see the iron men and women demonstrate the art of blacksmithing and metal work. Forges and workshops are set up around the historic Village grounds for family activities and demonstrations. Try your hand at being the Village 'Smithy!
Co-sponsored with the Berkshire Blacksmiths' Association
September 23-27, 2009
Timber Framing Workshop
Learn the craft of timber frame construction using 18th and 19th century tools and techniques. The class will complete the parts and assemble the frame of a small building. Instructional demonstrations and discussions supplement the hands-on learning activities. Tools and materials are provided, and students can bring their own as well.
Participants must register directly with instructors Jack Sobon & Dave Carlon. Please call 413.684.3223 or 413.684.3612
Tuition: HSV Members $430, Non-Members $475
September 26&27, 2009
12th Annual Country Fair
Celebrate the bounty of the Harvest at the Country Fair! A Kid's Tent,a Pie Contest, samples of heirloom vegetables to taste, vendors of old-time farm-related crafts and trades, local purveyors of the region's best food. Wagon rides and demonstrations of traditional games and trades offer hands-on fun for the whole family!There's something for everyone at the Country Fair. Click here to read more!
October 10 and 11, November 7 and 28, 2009
Shaker Supper
Be a part of the fall family tradition by coming to the Village for a Shaker-inspired candlelight dinner in the historic Brick Dwelling. Traditional seasonal fare followed by a Shaker music program makes this a perfect evening for family and friends to share. Contact HSV to reserve your place at the table: 413.443.0188 x213. Learn More!
October 4-10, 2009
Spinning & Weaving Week
As part of National Spinning and Weaving Week, Hancock Shaker Village highlights Shaker textiles. See and participate in activities related to making cloth - flax processing, spinning, dying and weaving. See Shaker textiles from our collection that will change your notion of what the Shakers wore and made.
XC Skiing and Snowshoeing at the Village!
Enjoy the peace and beauty of the Village in a whole new way. Tour the Farm & Forest 1-mile trail and the inspiring grounds of the Shaker Village. Purchase Ski passes at the Village Store for $7.50. (Skiers and Snowshoers also get discounts on Guided Tours). HSV Members ski the Village for free! Questions? Call 800.817.1137 x213