Memento Mori: Oddities from Old Newbury on All Hallows Day
On All Hallows Day—a time set aside for remembering the dead—the Museum of Old Newbury invites members to a rare, behind-the-scenes experience. For this one-day-only event, the museum will offer three special guided tours of the Cushing House and Perkins Archive and Research Center at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM.
Led by our knowledgeable guides, each tour will introduce a curated selection of seldom-seen artifacts from the museum’s vast collections, including:
Victorian memento mori, such as intricately woven hair jewelry, reflecting love, loss, and remembrance
Bones, preserved plants, and food relics, linked to war and the daily perils of life in earlier centuries
A rare object from the Old Gaol, bearing witness to incarceration across time
Unsettling yet fascinating medical implements used by practitioners of the past
Shipwreck salvage from the hazardous New England coast
And other curiosities that illuminate how past generations faced death, survival, and memory
Each tour reveals unusual stories and hidden treasures, offering a haunting yet compelling window into Newburyport’s past.
Exclusive Keepsake
Every guest will receive a frameable print of the 19th-century image from our collection of Lunt Undertakers & Embalmers on State Street—a memento perfectly suited to the day’s theme.
Event Details
📅 Saturday, November 1
📍 Museum of Old Newbury, 98 High Street, Newburyport, MA
🕰 Tours at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM only
🎟 $15 for MOON members, $25 for non-members
Capacity is limited—reserve early to secure your place on this rare All Hallows Day exploration of Newburyport’s most curious and haunting relics.