Programs & Events
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Seasonal Saturdays!
New starting the fall of 2025, the Museum will be open most Saturdays (weather permitting). From 11:00am - 4:00pm (last tour at 3:00pm).
Solstice in the Cemetery: Night Walk Through Oak Hill
Grab a flashlight and journey through time on a guided stroll around Oak Hill Cemetery on the longest night of the year!
Annual Garrison event to feature Globe columnist Renée Graham
The Friends of William Lloyd Garrison will host a conversation with Boston Globe columnist
Renée Graham entitled “To Resist is to Exist” on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.
Free and open to the public.
Holiday Party for Members - Enjoy Music, Punch, & Good Cheer on December 7!
Join your fellow members of the Museum of Old Newbury for a special evening in the decorated1808 Cushing House and c.1810 Carriage House.
Holidays at the Cushing House - 2025
An annual tradition! Come enjoy the 1808 Cushing House decorated for the season by local garden clubs and volunteers.
Holidays at the Cushing House - 2025
An annual tradition! Come enjoy the 1808 Cushing House decorated for the season by local garden clubs and volunteers.
Secure the Shadow: Spirit & Post-mortem Photography in the 19th Century
This All Hallows Day, explore post-mortem & spirit photography in the 19th century and beyond —plus dark beer, wine & cider donut tasting.
Memento Mori Tour: Oddities from Old Newbury on All Hallows Day
Step into the shadows on All Hallows Day—bones, hair jewelry & shipwreck relics await at MOON. Special tours at 11, 1 & 3.
Architectural Walking Tours: Newburyport’s Fashionable Old Houses
Join us for walking tours of Newburyport’s architectural styles from the 18th and 19th centuries as found near the Cushing House.
The 1775 Quebec Expedition from Newburyport: Following Their Footsteps
Join Jack Santos as he recounts the stories of Newburyport’s patriots on this daring expedition through the wilderness!
Commemoration of the 1775 Quebec Expedition
September 19-21, 2025
Follow the footsteps of Revolutionary soldiers, research your Revolutionary roots, and tour historic sites
and burying grounds, join a voyage on the Merrimack River, and much more!
It's a Weekend Graves (Family) Digging Party!
We have thousands of letters from the Graves family from 1880-1940 to process. The hardest working interns around need your help!
The Miniature Painter Revealed: Amalia Kussner and the Gilded Age
Join us for a lecture by Kathleen Langone on Gilded Age miniaturist Amalia Kussner and her ties to Newburyport's Laura Coombs Hills!
New Acquisitions for Old Newbury: 2025 Member Reception and Annual Meeting
Join us for a celebration of the past year at the Museum of Old Newbury and be the first to "meet" new additions to the collection!
Party for Perkins! Grand (re)Opening, Ribbon-Cutting and Ice Cream Social!
Join us to toast and celebrate the completion of the Perkins Art & Research Center with your friends and neighbors.
New Orleans Meets Newburyport: Two Port Cities, One Musical Night
Let the good times roll—Newburyport style! This festive evening brings the musical soul of New Orleans to the heart of historic Newburyport.
Reading Frederick Douglass Together
Join us for Newburyport's 8th annual community reading of Frederick Douglass' powerful speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"
An in-person community reading of Frederick Douglass's impassioned 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” will take place on Sunday, July 6, at 10am. Lend your voice to this powerful participatory event.
We will gather near the Garrison statue in Brown Square, Newburyport. Seating is limited - please bring a chair or blanket to the reading.
The reading will be followed by a discussion led by project scholar and historian of the civil rights movement, Jason Sokol.
This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
In case of inclement weather, the reading will happen on the same date & time at a nearby indoor location. Registrants will be notified of any change in location. This year's event is being organized by the Friends of William Lloyd Garrison, Museum of Old Newbury and the First Religious Society UU.
About Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was born in 1818 and escaped from slavery in Maryland in 1838. He lived for many years in Massachusetts and at one time worked for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. He delivered the Fourth of July speech on July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, to the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. The most celebrated orator of his day, Douglass’ powerful language, resolute denunciations of slavery, and forceful examination of the Constitution challenge us to think about the histories we tell, the values they teach, and if our actions match our aspirations.
The speech being read can be found here: https://www.newburyhistory.org/frederick-douglass-speech-medium
Made possible with support from MassHumanities and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Burying Ground Tour 3: Sawyer Hill and Newburyport's Road to Revolution
Join us on a stroll through history as we explore Sawyer Hill Burying Ground and meet the people who shaped Newburyport's Revolution!
Newburyport's Road to Revolution Parade
Parade Route
The parade route is as follows:
Congregate at lower Federal St and Water St, and march up Federal to High St. Turn right on High and proceed to Bartlet Mall. Loop the pond and march down State St to the Review Stand at Market Square.
Musket volleys will fire at historically important locations.
Floats are relieved from the parade once they arrive at Market Square.
Singing of the National Anthem, Posting the Colors and Speeches take place at Market Square.
"Road to Revolution" Exhibition Opening at the Custom House
GRAND EXHIBITION OPENINGS
"Road to Revolution" exhibition. Funded in part by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, in partnership with Museum of Old Newbury, Newburyport Public Library, and Central Congregational Church.
Summer Solstice in the Cemetery: Evening Walk Through Oak Hill
What better time than the Summer Solstice to join us for a walk through historic Oak Hill Cemetery on the longest day of the year?
Newburyport's Road to Revolution Part VI - Bunker Hill: Heroes & Cowards
Come hear Alexander Cain's captivating talk on Newburyport in the early days of the Revolutionary War.
New Date! Burying Ground Tour 2: First Parish and Nbpt's Road to Revolution
Join us on a stroll through history at the First Parish Burying Ground, and meet the people who shaped Newbury(port)'s Revolution!
Walking Tour: The Road to Revolution in Downtown Newburyport
Join noted author and historian Ghlee Woodworth for a Saturday morning stroll through sites connected with Newburyport's Revolutionary past
Coombs & Blooms
Introducing Coombs & Blooms, a ticketed fundraiser event at Newburyport Art on June 7th, 6:00-8:00pm. This flower-filled fundraiser supports Newburyport Art’s programming, capital building improvements, and community outreach!
46th Annual Old Newbury Garden Tour, June 7 & 8, 2025
Enjoy two days of exclusive access to stunning gardens in greater Newburyport.
RESCHEDULED - Newburyport's Road to Revolution, Part V - Powder and Shot
Join Joel Bohy, early weapons expert, for an exploration of the muskets and swords carried during American Revolution.
Burying Ground Tour 2: First Parish and Newburyport's Road to Revolution
Join us on a stroll through history at the First Parish Burying Ground, and meet the people who shaped Newbury(port)'s Revolution!
Newburyport’s Road to Revolution, Part IV- Black Newburyporters
Join a panel of noted scholars for a discussion of how Newburyport grappled with the promise and paradox of liberty.
Cocktails in the Clink: Birthday Party at the Old Gaol
Come party with us at the Old Gaol, sip on cocktails, and enjoy a night to remember! This event is a fundraiser to support our archives.
Bridges & Boats, Trains & Planes: Local Innovations in Transportation
Join us on April 27, 2025, at 1:00 PM to explore cool Newbury(port) transportation innovations - from bridges to boats, trains to planes!