Historic Stonington

The Custom House: Tour with Elizabeth Wood
2024-09-30 17:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York)
Join Executive Director Elizabeth Wood on Monday, September 30th for an exclusive look inside the Stonington Custom House. Starting at 5pm, Elizabeth Wood will present a short history of the building and the prominent people who made it all possible, before visitors will be allowed to explore the interior of the building. This is a rare opportunity made possible by owners Damon and Sally Ball. No registration is required – come join us!

Memory and Forgiveness: A Conversation about the Pequot Experience in America
2024-10-20 17:00 - 18:30 | The La Grua Center, 32 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Join journalist and Historic Stonington Board President Adi Ignatius for an in depth interview with Pequot Tribal Member and Museum Educator, Nakai Northup. This event is free and open to the public and will take place on Sunday, October 20th at 5pm at the La Grua Center.
Adi Ignatius is Editor in Chief of the Harvard Business Review. Before joining HBR, he was the No. 2 editor at Time magazine, based in New York. Prior to that, he worked as a foreign correspondent for more than two decades.
Nakai Northup is a Tribal Educator with 10+ years’ experience in teaching in eastern woodland tribal history. He is an avid hunter and fisherman and has recently founded his own business, RezLife Outdoors. As an activist for native rights, Nakai has traveled around the country, and participated in the protest at Standing Rock. Nakai has spent his entire life on his reservations and has a strong love for his Pequot and Narragansett communities and preserving ancient traditions for the younger generations.

Let's Build It: Historic Stonington
2024-11-02 13:00 - 17:00 | Stonington Community Center, 28 Cutler Street, Stonington, Connecticut, 06378
The Stonington COMO and Historic Stonington are proud to partner on a fun and family-friendly event, Saturday, November 2nd. Create teams of up to four people and build replicas of the historic structures of Stonington out of building blocks! You and your team will choose one of more than 50 historic buildings from Stonington Borough to recreate and then place on a to-scale map on the floor of the COMO gymnasium. All materials are provided on the day of the build and the cost is just $25 per team. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and celebrate the beautiful architecture of our town. Scan the QR code on the flyer to get started.

Book Club Discussion with Stuart Vyse: The Steamboat Hotel
2024-11-13 17:00 - 18:30
From 1837 to 1900 Stonington, Connecticut was a major transportation hub on the route between New York and Boston. Steamboats leaving Manhattan followed Long Island Sound to Stonington Harbor where passengers boarded trains for the rest of the journey to Providence or Boston.
Stonington’s Steamboat Hotel, built in 1838 near the piers and railroad yard, was home to saloons, restaurants, a pool hall, a cigar shop, a tailor, and a barber shop. Merchants, hotel keepers, and saloon workers passed through the building, each with their own unique story. Many of them were immigrants or first-generation Americans, and they are a window onto a late 19th-century class of merchants and service workers.
Join local author Stuart Vyse for a discussion of his recent foray into local history, The Steamboat Hotel.
Participants should be familiar with book and come prepared with questions or comments. Refreshments will be served. This program is free and open to all.
Books are available at the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House in Stonington

Deck the Walls Preview Party
2024-12-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Captain Palmer House
Historic Stonington is happy to announce that we are once again partnering with the Stonington Garden Club for this year’s Deck the Walls which will be held at the Captain Palmer House at 40 Palmer Street in Stonington and will run from November 29th through December 1st. Deck the Walls is an annual event whereby local businesses and individuals create holiday wreaths and tabletop décor for a festive preview party and online auction. This will be the 17th consecutive year that the two organizations have partnered to produce this community event.
All proceeds from Deck the Walls benefit Historic Stonington’s mission to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the history of Stonington and are earmarked for the maintenance of the grounds and gardens at the Lighthouse Museum on Stonington Point and the Palmer House Museum at 40 Palmer Street in Stonington. Contributions from previous Deck the Walls have allowed Historic Stonington to maintain the lovely seaside garden behind the lighthouse museum and to preserve the outer grounds at the Captain Palmer House including a charming woodland walking path bordering Quanaduck Cove which is open to the public.
The Deck the Walls weekend will kick off with a festive ticketed preview party on December 5 from 6 – 8 PM, followed by an open house on Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7 between 10 AM and 4 PM.
Please contact Renee Petruzelli at 860-535-8445 ×11 or at development@historicstonington.org if you have any questions.

Deck the Walls Open House & Online Auction
2024-12-06 10:00 - 16:00
Browse the fantastic selection of artisan-made wreaths, tabletop decor, and gift certificates for Grota Solna Salt Cave and the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, holiday cookie platters, and decor to celebrate the season and benefit a great cause. Visit the Palmer House today and tomorrow to see the selections in person or visit the auction website HERE!
All proceeds from Deck the Walls benefit Historic Stonington’s mission to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the history of Stonington and are earmarked for the maintenance of the grounds and gardens at the Lighthouse Museum on Stonington Point and the Palmer House Museum at 40 Palmer Street in Stonington. Contributions from previous Deck the Walls have allowed Historic Stonington to maintain the lovely seaside garden behind the lighthouse museum and to preserve the outer grounds at the Captain Palmer House including a charming woodland walking path bordering Quanaduck Cove which is open to the public.
The open house is Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th between 10 AM and 4 PM.
Please contact Renee Petruzelli at 860-535-8445 ×11 or at development@historicstonington.org if you have any questions.

Deck the Walls Open House & Online Auction
2024-12-07 10:00 - 16:00 | Captain Palmer House
Browse the fantastic selection of artisan-made wreaths, tabletop decor, and gift certificates to Grota Solna Salt Cave and the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, holiday cookie platters, and decor to celebrate the season and benefit a great cause. Visit the Palmer House today to see the selections in person or visit the auction website HERE!
All proceeds from Deck the Walls benefit Historic Stonington’s mission to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the history of Stonington and are earmarked for the maintenance of the grounds and gardens at the Lighthouse Museum on Stonington Point and the Palmer House Museum at 40 Palmer Street in Stonington. Contributions from previous Deck the Walls have allowed Historic Stonington to maintain the lovely seaside garden behind the lighthouse museum and to preserve the outer grounds at the Captain Palmer House including a charming woodland walking path bordering Quanaduck Cove which is open to the public.
The open house is Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th between 10 AM and 4 PM.
Please contact Renee Petruzelli at 860-535-8445 ×11 or at development@historicstonington.org if you have any questions.

The Nightcap Before Christmas
2024-12-12 17:00 - 19:00 | Captain Palmer House
Join us at the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House for our newest holiday tradition – The Nightcap Before Christmas, a holiday cocktail tasting. Each year features a different theme, and this year we are tasting drinks inspired by classic Christmas songs. We are also sharing a new format – so if you’ve attended before – this year will be something new! Bring your friends and enjoy a great evening out, in support of your favorite history-focused non-profit. Tickets are $25, but they are limited so be sure to get yours before they sell out!
Click here to buy your tickets.
Have questions? Call 860-535-1131 to speak to Chelsea, or email library@historicstonington.org.

Victorian Valentines
2025-02-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Captain Palmer House
Join us for a heartwarming celebration of love and creativity at our family Valentine card workshop. During this fun, hands-on program, families will design and craft unique Victorian-inspired Valentine cards. We’ll provide all the materials and inspiration you need to create beautiful cards to share with your loved ones.
Bring your creativity and your family for a memorable morning of art and connection. The cost is $15 per family, and space is limited.
Click here to purchase tickets. https://www.historicstonington.org/product/victorian-valentines-family-ticket/

Dear Valentine: The Art of Writing Love Letters
2025-02-09 16:00 - 18:00 | Captain Palmer House
This event has been canceled.

The Band of Steady Habits: The Irish in Connecticut
2025-03-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Saint Michael’s Church, 60 Liberty St, Pawcatuck, CT, 06379
Join Historic Stonington at St. Michael’s Parish Hall on Thursday, March 13th beginning at 6pm for a special concert presented by the Band of Steady Habits. The program is a three-century overview of life for the Irish in Connecticut from the 1640s to the present. An amazing story of struggle, perseverance, acceptance, and success, accompanied by both rousing and heart-rending music. The band describes themselves on their website: “The acoustic Band of Steady Habits came together in 2014 to share their love of music, and to use their talents to help create a new kind of public history presentation. Rachel Smith, Teagan Smith, Jeremy Teitelbaum, Walt Woodward, and Duke York use banjo, guitars, violin, recorders, bass, percussion, and beautiful harmonies to perform songs – some old, some original, and some contemporary – to accompany visually rich and evocative historical stories. This is definitely a celebration of Irish culture and heritage that you don’t want to miss!

Fields of Gold Flower Show with the Stonington Garden Club
2025-04-11 10:00 - 16:00 | Captain Palmer House
Open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm on Friday, April 11th, Fields of Gold is a club flower show presented by members of the Stonington Garden Club, in celebration of the joyful harbinger of spring, the daffodil. The show’s schedule includes several classes each in floral design, horticulture, and photography. Noted gardener Ian Cooke will give a presentation at 2 PM that is open to all. Your visit won’t be complete until you take a walk through the cove side campus where Stonington Garden Club planted more than 3,000 daffodils in 2024.
This event is free and open to the public, but if you’d like to make a donation, please click here.

The Spring Fever of the Daffodil
2025-04-11 14:00 - 16:00 | The R. W. Woolworth Library & Research Center, 40 Palmer Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Join us on Friday, April 11th at 2pm in the RW Woolworth Library & Research Center for a presentation by world renowned English Horticulturalist, Ian Cooke as part of the Fields of Gold flower show, presented by Historic Stonington and the Stonington Garden Club.
Daffodils are the harbinger of spring for many, and their emergence is the sign of nature’s unrelenting optimism. In this presentation, Ian Cooke will explore the genus narcissus from early cultivation by the Romans to modern day cultural practices, and lots of stops along the way to uncover this remarkable plant.
Mr. Cooke’s work has taken from the vast estates of Connecticut’s Gold Coast to the greenhouses of Monrovia nurseries in California. He travels the world as a horticultural lecturer, and his Youtube channel Planted with Ian Cooke, features the world of plants and planting.
This program is free with admission to the Fields of Gold event, and the Captain Palmer House.

Pressed Petals: A Flower Pressing Workshop
2025-04-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Captain Palmer House
Discover the delicate art of preserving nature’s beauty in our Pressed Petals workshop.
Whether you are a nature lover, a crafting enthusiast, or just looking for a fun, relaxing experience at the museum, this workshop offers the perfect opportunity to connect with nature, friends, and families in a creative way.
Materials will be included.

Rollie McKenna Community Photo Contest
2025-04-17 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-18 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-19 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-24 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-25 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-26 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-04-27 13:00 - 16:00 | Lighthouse Museum, 7 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
In an effort to preserve and celebrate the town’s artistic legacy, we are proud to present a community-wide photography contest. Named for portrait-photographer Rosalie “Rollie” McKenna, this annual photography contest is held to inspire new generations of photographers, as well as to continuously document our changing town by the people who live in it. We also hold this contest in memory of Rollie McKenna, who left a photographic legacy to Stonington and the world through her determination, creativity and passion for photography. May we always remember the path she forged for women in the arts.
The theme for 2025 is “Aging Gracefully”. Rollie was best known for her portrait photography, and her images of Stonington residents are some of our most requested materials in the archives of Historic Stonington. Before her death, Rollie McKenna was working on a project about aging artists called “Gleanings”, and this year’s theme is in honor of her unfinished work. Submitted photographs will be on display at the Lighthouse Museum in Stonington Borough from April 17th to the 27th, 2025. The museum will be open Thursday through Sunday from 1pm to 4pm. Admission is free, and winners are chosen by popular vote.

Historic Stonington and Beer'd Brewing Co. Trivia Night
2025-04-30 18:00 - 20:00 | The Velvet Mill, 22 Bayview Ave, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
Historic Stonington and Beer’d Brewing Co. are partnering for a Trivia night! Tickets are $10.00 per person and $15.00 per person at the door. Trivia starts at 6:00 PM at the Velvet Mill! Don’t miss the chance to challenge yourself and have a great time with friends!

Traditional American Food and Its 19th Century New England Influencers
2025-05-08 18:00 - 19:30 | The La Grua Center, 32 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States
In the first half of the nineteenth century, New England made a concerted effort to assert cultural leadership in the new American nation. Cookery wasn’t neglected in this campaign. New Englanders sought to encourage refinement of American manners and taste, and New England cookbooks played a big part in that effort. Connecticut had already led the way a few years earlier with Amelia Simmons’s publication in Hartford of American Cookery (1796), the first American cookbook. A number of American recipes and food terms made their print debut in American Cookery: pumpkin pie, squash pudding, cranberry sauce, molasses, Indian pudding, Johny cake, shortening, cookie, and the precursor of baking soda, called pearlash. Many of the dishes that first appeared in American Cookery are still enjoyed today.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, in response to industrialization and the arrival of the immigrant work force that industrialists recruited, regional leaders flipped the cultural coin and began to sentimentalize rustic rather than refined foods, thinking they were more emblematic of the colonial past. Although these “Colonial Revival” dishes were altered from the originals, often with the addition of lots of molasses, sugar, butter and cream, many of them also remain American favorites.
In their illustrated talk at the La Grua Center on May 8, 2025 at 6pm, Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald will offer a guided tour of the once-celebrated dishes and culinary ideas that have influenced American cuisine. Their talk will be followed by a sample item from the Colonial Revival.

Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald are the authors of America’s Founding Food (2004), Northern Hospitality (2011), and United Tastes (2017), which have become standard works in the field of food studies. They have contributed to the Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, and the noted British food history journal Petits Propos Culinaires. They have frequently spoken on New England and American foodways at historical societies, museums, libraries, and conferences, here and abroad. They live in Jamestown, Rhode Island.

Printmaking Workshop
2025-05-24 10:00 - 11:00 | Captain Palmer House
Monotype magic is happening at the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House, Saturday, May 24 at 10AM.
Come make one-of-a-kind prints where oops turns into art—no experience needed, just curiosity and a sense of fun.

We bring the ink, paper, and rollers.
You bring yourself (and maybe an apron).
You’ll leave with frame-worthy prints and ink-stained bragging rights.
Warning: Side effects may include sudden bursts of inspiration and a newfound love for rollers.

Limited spots—because even creativity needs a headcount.

Cook the Book at the Palmer House
2025-05-28 18:00 - 19:30 | Captain Palmer House
This month, the group will enjoy simple and delicious meals from celebrity chef Antoni Porowski’s Let’s Do Dinner. The gathering will be hosted by Historic Stonington at the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House in Stonington—40 Palmer Street, Stonington.

Cannon Ball Online Auction is Live!
2025-06-13 08:00 - 17:00
We got some real hotsy-totsy items in this year’s online auction in support of the 2025 Cannon Ball. From giggle water to a night in Manhattan with a private chauffeur – there’s surely something that will strike you as the cat’s pajamas! No glad rags required – just an internet connection and the will to win. Support Historic Stonington and win something nice for yourself in the process.
Our auction is new live – click the link below to join in on the fun!
cannonball2025.givesmart.com

Please note – the auction will remain live until Monday, June 30th.

Patterned Past: A decorative tile painting workshop
2025-06-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Captain Palmer House
Step into the past and create your own masterpiece! At Patterned Past, you will explore the beauty of historic ceramic designs – then make your own hand-painted tile to take home. You can use it as a coaster, trivet, keepsake, or a mini work of art!

The Cannon Ball!
2025-06-28 17:00 - 22:00 | Captain Palmer House
This year, we are excited to celebrate the 26th anniversary of our Cannon Ball Gala! Our theme, “Let’s Misbehave,” celebrates the roaring 20s, a time in history famous for its architecture, music, fashion, economic prosperity, and optimism. The 1920s saw the emergence of new artistic and cultural movements, leading to innovations in art, film, and music. In addition to advancements in medicine, science, and social work, the 1920s nurtured remarkable talent in the arts, literature, and sports.

For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms. Between 1920 and 1929, the nation’s total wealth more than doubled, and the gross national product (GNP) expanded by 40 percent. This economic growth propelled many Americans into an affluent “consumer culture,” where people across the country were exposed to the same advertisements, purchased the same products, listened to the same music, and danced to the same styles. However, many Americans felt uneasy about this lively urban lifestyle, and the era of Prohibition led to more conflict than celebration. Nonetheless, for some, the Jazz Age of the 1920s was a time of excitement and joy.

In the words of the legendary Cole Porter, Let’s Misbehave!
Click Here for Tickets

Historic Stonington's Annual Meeting with Professor Seth Rockman
2025-07-13 16:00 - 18:00 | The La Grua Center, 32 Water Street, Stonington, CT, 06378, United States

Captain N.B. Palmer House and Woolworth Library Closed
2025-08-08 00:00 - 23:59 | Captain Palmer House
Due to a private event, the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House and the Woolworth Library will be closed on Friday, August 8th.
