Historic New England Patron members enjoy exclusive invitations to events
and behind-the-scenes tours.

For more information, please contact the Events Office at (617) 994-5934 or Events@HistoricNewEngland.org.

PRESERVATION AND ARCHITECTURE

Haverhill Center: The Big Reveal

Experience the exclusive unveiling of the Haverhill Welcome and Exhibition Center—a transformational milestone in Historic New England’s future. Celebrate the dramatic adaptation of a monumental industrial space, now reimagined as a vibrant, dynamic cultural hub.

Be among a select group to experience the inaugural exhibition Shoe Stories: Past, Present, Future—an immersive exploration of footwear’s profound influence on New England’s innovation, industrial heritage, and identity. Enjoy access to this landmark moment and mingle with fellow supporters and leaders while exploring the scale, ambition, and extraordinary promise of this new visitor destination.

The Power of Preservation Easements

Ensure your home stands the test of time. Discover how Historic New England partners with property owners to protect historic houses and landscapes through preservation easements, safeguarding architectural features, open space, and designed landscapes from insensitive alteration or neglect.

Join us and our host, Kevin Cradock Builders, for practical insights and inspiration for anyone passionate about preservation.

FASHION AND DESIGN

Fashion at the Turn of the Century: A Peek into Historic New England’s Clothing Collection

Join curators and historians Nora Carleson and Michelle Finamore for an intimate virtual exploration of Historic New England’s clothing collection. Guided by their expertise, step inside a transformative era of dress—from bustles worn in Boston’s grand ballrooms to imported French fashions and suffragist suits that shaped the streets of New England.

This special program offers fashion and history enthusiasts a rare opportunity to encounter seldom-seen collection treasures and the stories they reveal through the eyes of the scholars who know them best.

Cocktails with the Curators

Celebrate the opening of Shoe Stories: Past, Present, Future, Historic New England’s dynamic new exhibition at the Haverhill Center, in the company of the curators who brought it to life: Lorna Condon, Michelle Finamore, and Nora Carleson. Enjoy an intimate, up-close look at extraordinary footwear spanning 400 years of New England history.

Sip playful, shoe-themed cocktails alongside fellow fashion and history enthusiasts as you explore how timeless craftsmanship, innovation and design from the past continue to influence contemporary fashion.

HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND LANDSCAPES

Wonderland Walks

Enjoy an exclusive opportunity to step behind the scenes with President and CEO Vin Cipolla for a captivating walk at some of New England’s most remarkable historic sites. Joined by a property expert, you’ll explore the rich intersection of history, design, conservation, and the arts—all set against the backdrop of the region’s extraordinary cultural and architectural legacy. Start each tour with delicious pastries and coffee and join us for lunch as our guest to keep the conversation going. This intimate experience offers rare insights and fascinating history—you won’t want to miss it.

• Library and Archives Reading Room
  In honor of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, experience Beacon Hill’s rich past through the insight of a distinguished historian. Join Bob Allison, acclaimed author and professor of history at Suffolk University, for a captivating walk from the West End to Beacon Hill. Beginning at Historic New England’s Library and Archives Reading Room, explore historic architecture and the stories of residents who shaped this iconic neighborhood.
• Merwin House
  Visit this summer retreat overlooking the Housatonic River with Site Manager Laurie Masciandaro. View significant sites on your way to the Main Street Historic District, made famous by Norman Rockwell’s painting, Main Street, Stockbridge at Christmas.

COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES

Myth and Memory Opening Reception

Be among the first to experience Myth and Memory: Stories of the American Revolution. Join President and CEO Vin Cipolla and curators Lorna Condon and Erica Lome for an exclusive opening of this immersive exhibition, presented in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Through powerful objects, evocative storytelling, and fresh scholarship, the exhibition brings history vividly to life, revealing the personal stories of individuals young and old, patriot and loyalist, enslaved and free, whose lives were irrevocably shaped by war and its enduring legacy.

Myth & Memory Curator Tours

Join curator Erica Lome for an exclusive curator-led tour of Myth and Memory: Stories of the American Revolution. Engage closely with remarkable objects and uncover the myths that surround them, alongside the personal stories of everyday people whose lives were interwined by the shared experience of revolution.

Through intimate discussion and close looking, explore how memory and mythology embedded in the collection continue to shape how we understand the American Revolution, and how we reckon with its lasting legacy today.

For more information, please contact the Events Office at (617) 994-5934 or Events@HistoricNewEngland.org.

Special Events