1880's Halloween

Taking a short break from our party preparations and painting our basement, we had a fun Sunday visiting a restored village here on Long Island in Old Bethpage. Old Bethpage Village was established in 1970; they created a village of historic houses from different parts of Long Island that were going to be destroyed :(  There are houses and shops and barns from all over Nassau and Suffolk County all brought to dwell in one happy place and be restored and appreciated. We have gone here many, many  times. Our schools even do field trips here and everyone enjoys the re-enactments of civil war, the demonstrations of pottery and broom making, etc.  I saw a beautful Shaker basket made before my eyes yesterday!

Throughout the year they do different events--in July it's the 1800's 4th of July, for Thanksgiving they do hearth cooking and for Christmas it is a beautiful walk at night through the village with lanterns to see the homes how that would have been decorated back in the 1800's for Christmas. Such a cool place and EXACTLY what I love. We went for the 1800's Halloween yesterday, and I was so excited to hear the music playing in the town square was a fiddle and hammered dulcimer! I love hammered dulcimer!It's an ancient instrument but plays that old timey music you love! If you have never heard Alisa Jones, you must google her album Home Sweet Home and you will love it too! She has so many great cds but this is my favorite. SO I was treated to hear that lovely music as we walked! What a bonus!

They had a fun activity that Caitlin loved--a monster hunt! As you walked the village you had to be on the lookout for a monster (witch, dracula, frankenstein, etc) peering out at you from a second floor window. If you found all six and wrote the name of the building you saw it in, you got a goody bag!

The employees are period dressed and told us stories about life in 1880 and Halloween and how many of the Long Island owners of these homes still roam the hallways! They are always friendly, we were told :)

One such ghost enjoys sitting in this rocker in the early morning hours and when staff comes in, they feel him brush past them as he leaves his chair.....

Another young ghost  woman named Esther, who never married,  enjoys sewing. Her dress dummy is in the corner of the room and staff says there have been times when they find it moved or shifted! Spooky!

Outside in the barn, men were building wooden coffins.

Of course my husband took a picture of himself in it which I didn't really like too much! But whatever!

I much preferred hearing about the mischief in town from the little kids and pumpkins left on their steps for decoration! 

It was a fun afternoon! 

When we went to see the animals I was thrilled that they even decorated the barn! Our coop at home is decorated for Halloween too!  We were shadowed by a rooster who kept chastising us! He was sitting up high and kept shoo-ing us out! See him on top? 

 Perhaps he was protecting his friend who was hanging below! 

Have a great day!