SPECIAL TOURS | Witches & Tombstones Tour October 24
2026-10-24 10:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Oct 24 | Witches & Tombstones Tour Tickets
Member tickets on sale July 1-9. General Admission tickets go on sale July 10.

Witches & Tombstones Tour **Saturday, October 24 Tickets**
An up-close and creepy examination of all things funereal, our popular Witches & Tombstones tour returns on Saturday, October 24th, and October 31st.
Start at the Isaac Stevens House as an attendee at an early-nineteenth-century wake and learn about mourning practices, how illnesses were treated, and how the living dealt with fears of being buried alive. Then visit Wethersfield’s Ancient Burying Ground. See the graves, hear stories of those who met their end during Connecticut’s first mass murder, and learn how gravestones warned the living of their own impending peril. The final stop on the tour is the Buttolph-Williams House (ca. 1711), the setting for the Newbery-winning children’s novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. Hear stories about the notorious Wethersfield Witch Trials, which preceded the Salem Witch Trials by 30 years. The Buttolph-Williams House is a property of Connecticut Landmarks operated by the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.
Tour times: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, and 2:30PM.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE for SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 DATE: Members: $35 | General Admission: $40
Tours are limited to groups of 16, so reserve your tickets before they sell out!
*Please note: The Witches & Tombstones tour includes climbing stairs and walking on uneven ground. It is not recommended for youth under age 12.

SPECIAL TOURS | Witches & Tombstones Tour October 31
2026-10-31 10:30 - 14:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Oct 31 | Witches & Tombstones Tour Tickets
Member tickets on sale July 1-9. General Admission tickets go on sale July 10.
Witches & Tombstones Tour **Saturday, October 31 Tickets**
An up-close and creepy examination of all things funereal, our popular Witches & Tombstones tour returns on Saturday, October 24th, and October 31st.
Start at the Isaac Stevens House as an attendee at an early-nineteenth-century wake and learn about mourning practices, how illnesses were treated, and how the living dealt with fears of being buried alive. Then visit Wethersfield’s Ancient Burying Ground. See the graves, hear stories of those who met their end during Connecticut’s first mass murder, and learn how gravestones warned the living of their own impending peril. The final stop on the tour is the Buttolph-Williams House (ca. 1711), the setting for the Newbery-winning children’s novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. Hear stories about the notorious Wethersfield Witch Trials, which preceded the Salem Witch Trials by 30 years. The Buttolph-Williams House is a property of Connecticut Landmarks operated by the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.
Tour times: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, and 2:30 PM.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE for SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 DATE: Members $35; General Admission $40 per person.
Tours are limited to groups of 16, so reserve your tickets before they sell out!
*Please note: The Witches & Tombstones tour includes climbing stairs and walking on uneven ground. It is not recommended for youth under age 12.

SPECIAL EVENT | Witches and Tombstones Spooktacular
2026-10-31 18:30 - 20:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Spooktacular Tickets

Member tickets on sale July 1-9. General Admission tickets go on sale July 10.
SPECIAL EVENT | Witches and Tombstones Spooktacular | Oct 31, 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM
Join us on a special Halloween night as we descend into the witching hour. Our Halloween Spooktacular is an immersive experience that will transport you through our haunted history.
A Spirit Guide – arisen for one night only – will escort you to the Isaac Stevens house where you will meet our weeping widow and discover the macabre funerary practices of the 19th century – an unfortunate regular occurrence for the Stevens family. As you follow your Spirit Guide, you will pass through the Ancient Burial Ground where they will delight you with tales of some of Wethersfield’s longest serving ghouls.
At the Buttolph-Williams House you will partake in the trial of an accused witch and witness first-hand the hysteria that overtook 17 th -century Connecticut Puritans and led neighbors to condemn neighbors to the hangman’s noose. Your final stop on this journey through haunted history is the Silas Deane House. Unfortunately, you will have arrived just a bit too late for poor Mrs. Deane, but her ghost may tell you of the dark history of 18 th -century medicine that sealed her fate. If you dare to linger, your obliging guide will invite you to toast her soul with a spirited drink in the old house. The only tour to be given after dark, this extended Witches and Tombstones tour will haunt you long after you’ve departed.
Tickets: Members: $50 | General Admission: $60
Tours: Saturday, October 31, 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Each tour is limited to 20 souls.
You must be 18 years or older to participate in this tour. Valid I.D. is required for all attendees.
Please note that this program lasts approximately 1.5 hours and requires the ability to walk some
distances over unpaved and uneven ground as well as standing for periods of time.

FEUDING FOUNDERS COLLECTIVE | Stratford Hall & Menokin, VA: The Lee—Deane Conflict and the Political "Bloodbath" of 1778
2026-11-08 10:00 - 18:00 | Stratford Hall, 483 Great House Road, Stratford, VA, 22558
This event takes place at Stratford Hall and Menokin in Virginia. Attend the full day in person, or purchase a virtual ticket for the roundtable discussion.
Presented in partnership with Jay Heritage Center (NY), Friends of John Jay Homestead, and Menokin and Stratford Hall (VA), this series destabilizes the one-dimensional portraits we’ve inherited and invites audiences to sit with the full complexity of these lives: the ambition and the insecurity, the idealism and the grudges, the smear campaigns and the shared cause.
How did a diplomatic dispute become one of the first political media storms in American history?
Join us at Stratford Hall in Montross, VA for a Semiquincentennial conversation on the aftermath of the Lee—Deane Conflict. In 1776, Silas Deane of Connecticut was sent to France to secure crucial wartime support. He came under fire when Arthur Lee, a Virginian also posted in Europe, accused Deane of profiteering and fraud. The matter exploded into the public sphere when Deane fired back, charging Arthur Lee with spying for the British and sharing information with them. Virginia congressmen Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee found themselves defending their family’s reputation amid a fierce smear campaign that played out in the pages of newspapers up and down the Eastern seaboard. John Jay, then president of Congress, was drawn into the dispute as well, with consequences that would shadow his diplomatic career for years. As accusations and defenses spilled from private correspondence into newspapers, the reputations of all four men were tested before a watching public.
This is a day for people who want to see how the Revolution unfolded not only in congresses and courts, but in print and in public opinion. Begin the morning with a tour of Menokin, Francis Lightfoot Lee’s home, before traveling to nearby Stratford Hall to walk the grounds and tour the house where the Lee brothers grew up. Share lunch and conversation, then hear from scholars representing all four partner sites—Menokin, Stratford Hall, the Webb Deane Stevens Museum, and the John Jay Historic Site—as they examine how the Deane controversy reverberated through the early republic. This Affair affected the reputations of other “feuding fathers” including Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin, and John Adams. It offers a window into the rough-and-tumble politics of the 1770s—and a reminder that the tensions between press, politics, and personal reputation are as old as the republic itself.
SCHEDULE (subject to updates)
10:00 AM-11:30 AM: Tour Menokin house and grounds, Warsaw, VA
12:00 PM-1:00 PM: Lunch at Stratford Hall, Montross VA
1:00 PM-2:30 PM: Hour long round table discussion plus Q&A on the Lee—Deane Conflict with representatives from the historic homes of John Jay (NY), Silas Deane (CT), Richard Henry Lee (VA) and Francis Lightfoot Lee (VA).
3:00-4:30 PM: Tour of Stratford Hall
5:00-6:00 PM: Wrap-up Reception and NNK Symposium Kick off, Stratford Hall
6:30-7:30 PM: Talk | NNK Symposium Keynote [add-on $10]
Pricing:
$30 | Sun, 11/8 Day Pass: Includes Menokin tour, Stratford tour, Roundtable, Reception
$10 | Add-on: NNK symposium keynote on 11/8 and NNK Symposium ticket for 11/9
$15 | Roundtable only
$5 | Virtual admission only to Roundtable
Special: $60: Pass to 11/8 Feuding Founders Symposium + Pass to 11/9 NNK Symposium
For more information or to register interest, email Connie Rosemont at crosemont@menokin.org or Hunter Peal at hunterp@stratfordhall.org

Attend All Three!
Each roundtable discussion will be livestreamed on Zoom. Attend all events onsite, online, or a combination!
Webb Deane Stevens Museum | The Making of Silas Deane: May 16, Connecticut
Jay Heritage Center | John Jay, Diplomat and Spymaster: September 26, New York
Stratford Hall & Menokin | The Lee—Deane Conflict and the Political “Bloodbath” of 1778: November 8, Virginia

About Stratford Hall
Stratford Hall brings together people from around the world to experience two-thousand acres of natural and human history, preserved and presented so that we can all learn from the courageous struggles of our ancestors, taking inspiration both from what they endured and what they accomplished. There are few places in America where people can travel down small, rural roads to arrive at a vast site that preserves so many aspects of early-American life, from the Great House where the influential Lee family helped to forge a new nation, to the fields worked by enslaved Africans, to the waters of the rivers that fueled trade, to the ground, which still yields secrets about the people and animals that lived before. Come experience this extraordinary place and learn about a layered history that began millions of years ago—a history that continues to educate, inspire, and influence Americans to the present day.
About Menokin
The Menokin Foundation uses the historic ruin of Francis Lightfoot Lee’s 18th-century home — and the surrounding built and natural environments — as a living laboratory for preservation and public engagement. Rather than recreating the past, Menokin employs contemporary methods to invite visitors into an active exploration of how America was built and what that history means today. One of the most distinctive historic sites in Virginia, Menokin reimagines what a house museum can be — and what honest, provocative engagement with our nation’s founding ideals and realities looks like on the ground.

TEA | Veterans Day Afternoon Tea
2026-11-11 14:00 - 15:30 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Veterans Day Afternoon Tea
At a site where Washington himself once walked, join us for an elegant afternoon tea honoring the men and women who have carried the spirit of that revolutionary generation forward.
Tickets: $65 | $55 Members | $40 Veterans and Active-Duty Military

SPECIAL EVENT | Thanksgiving Dinner
2026-11-15 14:00 - 17:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Save the date for our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner.
A beloved annual tradition returns: an intimate journey through centuries of American culinary heritage, from the landmark houses to a family-style feast in the Webb Barn, in support of preservation that keeps this history alive.
Come share a table, a toast, and a tradition at our annual Thanksgiving Dinner in the historic Webb Barn, supporting the preservation and education mission of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum.

WORKSHOP | Winter Decor with Foraged Plants
2026-11-21 14:00 - 15:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
Head Gardener Peter Winne shows you how to transform seasonal greens, berries, and dried flowers into stunning natural décor—a hands-on afternoon for getting into the holiday spirit the old-fashioned way.
Tickets: $25 | $20 Members | Children 6-12 FREE
Peter Winne | Hartford-based horticulturist Peter Winne designs and cares for gardens in public parks and on unique and historic residential properties in Connecticut and New York. He is Head Gardener for the Amy Cogswell Colonial Revival Garden at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum. He founded Peter Winne Gardens in 2021 after four years as Head Gardener at Elizabeth Park, home of the nation’s oldest public rose garden. Pete apprenticed under rosarian Stephen Scanniello, curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at New York Botanical Garden, and has received additional mentoring from Michael Shoup of the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas and Gregg Lowery of The Friends of Vintage Roses in Sebastopol, California. He holds a BA in Urban Planning from Vassar College, an MA from the Gallatin School at NYU, and a Landscape Design Certificate from Naugatuck Valley Community College. Prior to going into horticulture full-time, he performed in the US and Europe as a touring bluegrass musician. He currently lives in his hometown of Hartford where he still occasionally performs.

WDS BOOK CLUB | Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution
2026-12-08 18:00 - 20:00 | WDS Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT, 06109
This month we’re reading:
Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution
By Eric Jay Dolin
(Available on Audible)
Tuesday, December 8, 6 pm | In Person and Virtual
Moderated by TR Revella-Hamilton, WDS Director of Preservation & Collections
Meet fellow history enthusiasts in person as we discuss thought-provoking books by acclaimed authors. Our carefully curated monthly selections delve into the rich tapestry of American and European history, featuring compelling works about revolutionary figures, historic preservation, decorative arts, and stories that shaped our cultural landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, preservation enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories behind our built heritage, there’s a place for you in our community of learners.
JOIN BOOK CLUB

How it Works: Book Club meets bimonthly at the Museum and via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each designated month, unless otherwise noted. Book Club members will receive the newest book title via email two months prior to the book club date. You may join Book Club at any point during the year. Come when you can – there is no penalty for missing a session.
Book Club 2026 “Library Card” Annual Fee*: $25 General | $20 Museum Members | $15 Students
Your Book Club Library Card entitles you to in-person and virtual Book Club sessions, as well as discounted admission to the accompanying Book Talks lecture series held on Thursdays at the Museum.

Holiday Candlelight Tours
2026-12-11 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-12-12 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-12-18 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-12-19 18:00 - 21:00 | CT
Experience three centuries of Christmas in our historic houses, beautifully lit by candlelight for two weekends in December. Delight in a charming array of holiday decor spanning the 18th-21st centuries, including Christmas trees, greenery, handmade treasures, antique toys, enchanting period ornaments, and modern holiday design. Discover how the roots of modern family traditions have grown over hundreds of years in an enchanting evening stroll.
Feel the tingle and excitement of this most wonderful time of the year as you explore rooms transformed by interior designers and decorators showcasing both traditional and fanciful decor. Immerse yourself in celebrations spanning centuries and witness how holiday traditions evolved and flourished across the generations.
The Museum Gift Shop will also be open both evenings. Shop a wide array of fabulous holiday treasures, including books, ornaments, candles, children’s toys, handcrafted treasures, and hostess gifts.
Tours will be held at 6, 7, and 8 P.M. on each date. Groups are limited to 12. Tours include walking and stair climbing, and are appropriate for adults and children 13+. NSCDA-CT and WDS Museum members: $30 / General Public: $35. Pre-registration is required. Tickets for this event are non-refundable.
Tickets: On Sale October 1
