History meets hands-on fun—all season long!
From gardens and grains to bees and barn cats, every Saturday at Philipsburg Manor from July 11 to September 5 is a new chance to explore history through fun activities for all ages. All included with your ticket!
Members get in free—join today and unlock a season full of adventure.
July 11: Barnyard Bash
Kick off summer with a Barnyard Bash! Learn about the summer wheat harvest, use a block and tackle to help get our grain delivery up to the attic of the mill, create a miniature Dutch barn to take home, and take part in a live animal meet and greet.
July 18: Fabric & Fashion
Come dressed in all your finery for a fashion show of the ages! Discover how fabric was made in colonial times, from spinning to dyeing. Hear about how “runaway ads” provided historians with some of the only descriptions of what enslaved people of the time period wore. Kids can create their own Dutch block-printed fabric or bogolan cloth wall hangings to take home.
July 25: Hive & Honey
Learn how bees shape our world, help bake honey gingerbread in our bake oven, dip a candle the colonial way, and sample delicious local honey from Nyack Pollinator Pathway.
August 1: Wonderful Waterways (NEW!)
Learn about the importance of local waterways in colonial New York through this fun and refreshing program. Draw water from our colonial well on-site and see our water-powered gristmill in action before designing, building, and testing your own waterwheel. Visitors of all ages can make their own watercolor paintings inspired by the nearby Pocantico River.
August 8: Clay & Creation
From pots to plates, learn how ceramics were made by the different people who inhabited the area around Philipsburg Manor. Create your own coil or pinch pots, design a bead necklace that will be fired in our beehive oven, and learn about Dutch Delftware pottery through a fun tile-painting activity. And for this day only, see ceramics by Thomas Commeraw, a free Black potter from colonial New York, on display in the Manor House.
August 15: The Big Play Date
Step back into a simpler time and play like it’s 1750! Try your hand at colonial games like ninepins, make your own whirligigs and clay marbles, or play historic games like hoop and stick, stilts, cornhole, and bubbles. There will also be a special drumming workshop.
August 22: Seeds & Sprouts
Enjoy guided garden tours, learn about native plants, mix up your own colonial medicine bottle, or ‘simple,’ pot your own marigolds, and make herbal sun tea.
August 29: Pickles & Preserves
Harvest season is coming! Discover different food preservation techniques and learn how different groups of the past used drying, canning, and smoking to preserve their food. Pickle radishes, create a fragrant scent sachet, and learn about home composting.
September 5: Global Grains
Wrap up the summer with a feast of cultures and flavors! Watch cooking demonstrations of grain-based staple foods from around the world. Kids can create their own grain collage, paint with flour paste, and hear stories about bread from around the world.