There’s snow place like Wistariahurst during the holiday season! Wistariahurst’s upcoming Holiday Open House and Festive market is perfect for those pine-ing for some holiday cheer, gifts from local businesses and artists, and family fun. The museum will be open December 6th and 7th from 11:00am-2:30pm for this joyous event.

There’s snow place like Wistariahurst during the holiday season!Wistatiahurst’s upcoming Holiday Open House and Festive market is perfect for those pine-ing for some holiday cheer, gifts from local businesses and artists, and family fun. The museum will be open December 6th and 7th from 11:00am-2:30pm for this joyous event.

Learn about symbolism found in tattoos, their cultural significance and more at this talk with Donnabelle Casis.

Stop by Wistariahurst Museum for a unique chance to connect with the rich tapestry of Dia de Los Muertos and contribute to a vibrant, communal ofrenda. Dia de Los Muertos is a special tradition that allows people to celebrate and remember deceased loved ones by decorating an ofrenda, a communal altar dedicated to those dearly departed.

Stop by Wistariahurst Museum for a unique chance to connect with the rich tapestry of Dia de Los Muertos and contribute to a vibrant, communal ofrenda. Dia de Los Muertos is a special tradition that allows people to celebrate and remember deceased loved ones by decorating an ofrenda, a communal altar dedicated to those dearly departed.

Stop by Wistariahurst Museum for a unique chance to connect with the rich tapestry of Dia de Los Muertos and contribute to a vibrant, communal ofrenda. Dia de Los Muertos is a special tradition that allows people to celebrate and remember deceased loved ones by decorating an ofrenda, a communal altar dedicated to those dearly departed.

Wistariahurst Museum is delighted to bring another fang-tastic and ghoulishly delightful sensory-friendly event into our halls for the Halloween season! Our bewitching trick-or-treat event will let you and your little goblins enjoy an adventure in our haunted halls designed for families with sensory. Monsters of all ages will have a chance to collect six spook-tacular items through gentle exploration throughout the museum and choose from prizes ranging from candy to fidget toys. Guests are welcome and encouraged to wear their fun, festive costumes throughout their journey through the museum.

Get ready for another amazing Dia de Los Muertos celebration with Attack Bear Press and Wistariahurst Museum with a special calaveras (skull) painting event. Dia de Los Muertos is a special tradition that allows people to celebrate and remember deceased loved ones by decorating an ofrenda, a communal altar dedicated to those dearly departed. On October 19th, we invite you to paint your clay calaveras to add to the annual ofrenda hosted at the museum again this year

Wistariahurst Museum is delighted to welcome guests for our Darkened Hallways Tours this fall. Immerse yourself in an evening of spine-tingling discovery and feel the lingering energy of past inhabitants and workers that once occupied these haunted halls. As our docent leads you through the home by candlelight, you will uncover stories of the Skinner family, the tragedy that moved their home and business to Holyoke, and other chilling tales from the mansion's history.

Step past the cemetery gates and peer behind the veil with Wistariahurst as our volunteers channel the spirits of Holyoke's ancestors, leading you through the meandering paths of Forestdale Cemetery. Established in 1860, Forestdale Cemetery is a serene yet beautiful landscape and the final resting place for many of Holyoke's founding families, politicians, and other notables who helped breathe life into the city. Guests will walk amongst the monuments, markers, crypts, and crosses to discover the mystique of Holyoke's vibrant heritage.

Wistariahurst Museum is thrilled to announce our upcoming exhibit this October, Identity in Ink: The Art of Tattooing. Despite its more modern surge in interest, the art of tattooing is one of the ancient traditions in human history.

Join Jeanne Douillard as she presents a unique approach to a relatively unknown tale. In her talk, “Silent Presence The French in New England,” she weaves together her personal narrative with the historical story, attempting in its essence to get at the heart of a people. The results of her research and personal reflections offer unique insights into the story of an “invisible” people. With compassion and understanding, she unravels a long and complex history in an attempt to make it understandable for all.

Part concert, part puppet show, part ghost story. This 50-minute multimedia performance reimagines classic literary monsters through queer, musical shadow theater and features a world premiere video. Join ensemble Shadow, Sound, Spectacle for a fresh perspective on the works of Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, Emily Dickinson, Anne Rice, and others, told through live music, shadow puppetry, video, and narrative. All are welcome, but recommended for adults and teens. Q&A to follow. This program is funded in part by a grant from the Holyoke Local Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Learn about Lora Barrett's artistic practice and her current exhibit at Wistariahurst Museum during this free artist talk!

Join artist lora Barrett as she paints in Wistariahurst’s Gardens. Bring your art supplies and join in on this serene, artistic afternoon, or come to watch Barrett paint live. Ask the artist questions and learn about her craft!

A limited number of easels will be available to use. Artists must bring their own art supplies.

This event is weather dependent. If the event must be canceled due to inclement weather, attendees will be notified.

During the month of September Wistariahurst Museum’s great hall will be filled with florals as we welcome in “Blooms”, an art exhibit by painter Lora Barrett. This exhibit will feature 99 vibrant paintings of flowers of varying sizes. An avid gardener, Lora Barrett maintains her gardens as a reference and muse for her highly colored paintings, pushing the vibrancy of the flowers to the limit. Wistariahurst Museum will be hosting a solo show of 99 of her floral paintings from September 2-25, 2025.

Wistariahurst Museum is excited to welcome senior artists into the gallery for “Creating COA Artists” this August 2025. This exhibition features artists involved in Holyoke’s senior center and Council on Aging. Participating artists have anywhere from months to decades of experience, and this exhibition celebrates artists at all stages. A variety of mediums are featured in this exhibition from watercolor, to acrylic, to ceramics and textiles. This diverse selection of artwork shows both a range of experience and mediums, coming together to form a truly unique exhibit.

Join fellow readers for the next book discussion group at Wistariahurst beginning June 10th, 2025. Readers will dive into “We Do This 'Til We Free Us- Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice” by Mariame Kaba. This powerful collection of essays and interviews, woven together by Kaba covers topics including abolition, liberation, and political struggle.

Join fellow readers for the next book discussion group at Wistariahurst beginning June 10th, 2025. Readers will dive into “We Do This 'Til We Free Us- Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice” by Mariame Kaba. This powerful collection of essays and interviews, woven together by Kaba covers topics including abolition, liberation, and political struggle.

Get ready to soak up the sun and get creative with our Summer Bling & Beads workshop happening on August 2nd at Wistariahurst Museum! This hands-on event is being hosted by Trudy Monson of Gem's Creations and she's inviting guests of all skill levels to explore the art of jewelry with a fun, summer theme!

Join fellow readers for the next book discussion group at Wistariahurst beginning June 10th, 2025. Readers will dive into “We Do This 'Til We Free Us- Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice” by Mariame Kaba. This powerful collection of essays and interviews, woven together by Kaba covers topics including abolition, liberation, and political struggle.

Visit Wistariahurst Museum to experience Dinosaurs in the Driveway with Sarah Doyle. Doyle dives into the history of the dinosaur tracks leading up to Wistariahurst. In 1927, when Belle Skinner had slabs of sandstone with dinosaur footprints laid as a driveway to Wistariahurst, it may have seemed an idiosyncratic choice. Although the tracks were well known locally, dinosaurs had not yet made the big mark on pop culture we see today. It is only in recent years that scientific interest in the footprints has been revived, yet their discovery in the valley in 1835 made our local small towns and people well known to scientists in Britain and Europe. How the Connecticut River Valley became part of international dialogue over identifying what had made the footprints -- if they even were footprints! -- makes a fascinating trip into another little slice of local history.

Spice up your summer with our Sizzling Summer with the Skinner Servants tour. Explore the first and second floors of the mansion while being escorted by one of the former housemaids. Beat the heat with this special ticketed event that will educate guests on the lives of the servants and workers who helped maintain and keep the household running back in the day. Guests will encounter the family nurse, housekeeper, chauffeurs, butlers, and private secretary, whose tales are documented in the Skinner Family archive.

Wistariahurst Museum has a new, fun dino-themed scavenger hunt to celebrate DINO DAYS! Follow alongside Patty the Dinosaur and learn all about Massachussett's state dinosaur, Podokesaurus holyokensis. Best of all, there is no time limit to this scavenger hunt, so all can enjoy this activity at their own pace. At the end of your hunt, stop by the front desk to show your answers and win a fun prize!

Join fellow readers for the next book discussion group at Wistariahurst beginning June 10th, 2025. Readers will dive into “We Do This 'Til We Free Us- Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice” by Mariame Kaba. This powerful collection of essays and interviews, woven together by Kaba covers topics including abolition, liberation, and political struggle.

Get ready to soak up the sun and get creative with our Summer Bling & Bead's workshop happening on June 28th at Wistariahurst Museum! This hands-on event is being hosted by Trudy Monson of Gem's Creations and she's inviting guests of all skill levels to explore the art of jewelry with a fun, summer theme!

Join fellow readers for the next book discussion group at Wistariahurst beginning June 10th, 2025. Readers will dive into “We Do This 'Til We Free Us- Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice” by Mariame Kaba. This powerful collection of essays and interviews, woven together by Kaba covers topics including abolition, liberation, and political struggle.

On June 19th, join Wistariahurst Museum and Genuine Culture in the gardens as we host our annual Juneteenth event, Celebrate Juneteenth! This event commemorates freedom and the country’s second independence day through community and celebration.

Join fellow readers for the next book discussion group at Wistariahurst beginning June 10th, 2025. Readers will dive into “We Do This 'Til We Free Us- Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice” by Mariame Kaba. This powerful collection of essays and interviews, woven together by Kaba covers topics including abolition, liberation, and political struggle.

Visit Wistariahurst for their second annual celebration event for the LGBTQ+ community: Celebrate Pride during their Sensory-Friendly Sunday Funday Passport Series this summer!