Upcoming Events
Virtual Talk - Natural Medicines of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans Tribe with Misty Cook
Thursday, November 13, 2025 6 PM
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Join Misty Cook —herbalist, cultural consultant, and author—for a free virtual talk on the traditional knowledge behind these natural plant medicines, including their history, methods of gathering, drying, preservation, and use.
Misty is the author of Medicine Generations: Natural Native American Medicines Traditional to the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans Tribe. This virtual talk is FREE, but registration is required to receive a Zoom link. |
Hybrid Talk- Keskeskick and the First Land Deals
Thursday, November 20, 2025 6 PM
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People have been living in our part of The Bronx for thousands of years but the oldest records we have about the area are from the 17th century, less than 400 years ago. For this reason, historic documents only reveal a limited amount of information about the history of local indigenous people. But despite this limitation, documents from the colonial period are one of the only sources of Lenape names for people and places in the neighborhood. And they also provide insights into the relationship between the colonists and the Native population even if they were written exclusively from a European perspective. Taking another look at these early records, we see that some of the stories often repeated by local historians are in need of revision.
Join us at Van Cortlandt House Museum for a presentation by local historian, Nick Dembowski, who will show and discuss the earliest written records related to Kingsbridge, Riverdale, and Spuyten Duyvil. The presentation will take place both in-person and on Zoom on November 20th at Van Cortlandt House Museum at 6:00 PM. Registration is NOT required to join us in person at the museum, but IS required for to receive a Zoom link for the online presentation. Register for the online presentation below! |
Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" with Red Monkey Theater Group's Sean Coffey
Friday, December 5th and Saturday, December 6th, 2025 6:30 PM
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Join us on Friday, December 5th or Saturday, December 6th for Red Monkey Theater Group's Sean Coffey performing his one-person adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ in the West Parlor of Van Cortlandt House Museum!
Experience Dickens’ classic story of love, compassion, and redemption in a whole new way. Ebenezer Scrooge and a whole host of characters discover what the spirit of Christmas is really about and delve into the magic of the holiday season. Tickets are $10/person. For ages 14 and up. Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 PM Performance at 7:00 PM. Advance ticketing is required as space is limited. Click below for more information and to get your tickets now before they sell out! |
Virtual Talk- Grand Forage 1778: the Battleground Around New York City
Thursday, December 11, 2025 6 PM
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Historian and author Todd W. Braisted presents a virtual talk on the events that inspired his book, Grand Forage 1778: The Battleground Around New York City, which focuses on a pivotal but often overlooked campaign of the Revolutionary War.
Drawing from letters, journals, newspapers, and archival sources from the United States, Canada, the UK, and Germany, Braisted reconstructs the full scope of this dramatic moment—where strategy and survival collided, and Washington and Sir Henry Clinton engaged in a chess match across the Hudson Valley that foreshadowed the war’s next great phase in the South. This engaging presentation will illuminate the human stories, battlefield tactics, and shifting political calculations that defined Grand Forage 1778, offering fresh insight into the Revolution’s northern theater. Admission is FREE, but registration is required to receive a Zoom link. Register below. |
Previous Events
Caribbean Connections: Tying History & Music Together
Saturday, November 1, 2025 1 - 4 PM
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Join Van Cortlandt House Museum and Van Cortlandt Park Alliance on Saturday, November 1st from 1-4 PM for an afternoon that brings together history, music, and flavor!
This unique program highlights the significant ties between early New York and the Caribbean and Latin America. Enjoy an interactive performance by Juan Usera and the Sambuco Tribe, sample Caribbean and Latin American flavors, then join VCHM's Site Historian for a focused guided tour of Van Cortlandt House Museum on early New York's ties to the Caribbean and Latin America. This event was FREE. |
Van Cortlandt Park Halloween: Wags to Witches!
Sunday, October 26, 2025 1 PM - 5 PM
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Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, Van Cortlandt House Museum, and the Urban Park Rangers invite you to a FREE fang-tastic afternoon of family and doggy fun. Get ready for creepy crafts, face painting, spine-chilling stories and more!
The event will be held on the lawn of the Van Cortlandt House Museum. Join us at 3pm for VCPA's Third Annual Pup Parade & Canine Costume Contest. Pup parade starts at 3:00 pm sharp! LINC (Literacy in Community) will be here with a Dia de los Muertos story time and activity! Join the Urban Park Rangers for Nocturnal Creatures and Wildlife Hike leaving the Nature Center at 6pm and returning at 7:30pm. |
Virtual Talk
Haunted Homes and Domestic Architecture, 1840s-1890s
Thursday, October 16, 2025 6 PM
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On Thursday, October 16th, 2025 at 6 PM Join Lawrence Lorraine Mullen, PhD, for a virtual lecture interrogating 19th-century notions of the “haunted house.”
Drawing on literary texts and archival sources, Dr. Mullen will examine how domestic spaces embodied cultural ideals of home and domesticity, and how intersecting forces of gender, race, and class shaped the Gothic trope’s enduring significance. This virtual talk was free. |
Virtual Talk
A Conversation About Slavery in the Hudson Valley: Two Linked Descendants Share Their Stories
Thursday, September 25, 2025 6 PM
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Join Debra Bruno and Eleanor Mire virtually on Thursday, September 25th at 6 PM as they discuss their journeys of discovery, connection, and friendship as descendants of those who enslaved people and those who were enslaved in New York's Hudson Valley.
Debra and Eleanor will tell this story accompanied by a brief presentation. The talk will include topics such as the friendship that has developed between the two of them, the research they've conducted together, and the additional joy of finding other descendants of Mary Vanderzee. Debra Bruno's book, A Hudson Valley Reckoning: Discovering the Forgotten History of Slaveholding in my Dutch American Family is out now (Cornell University Press). This virtual talk was free. |
Virtual Book Talk
Beyond Blue & White: The Hidden History of Delftware and the Women Behind the Iconic Ceramic
Thursday, September 18, 2025 6 PM
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Join us virtually on Thursday, September 18 at 6 PM for a special conversation with author and decorative arts advisor Genevieve Wheeler Brown as she introduces her new book, Beyond Blue and White: The Hidden History of Delftware and the Women Behind the Iconic Ceramic (Pegasus Books, releasing August 5).
This book talk was fully online with free admission. |
Between Enemy Lines: A Revolutionary War Hike Through Van Cortlandt
Saturday, September 13, 2025 11 AM
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Hosted by the Van Cortlandt House Museum and the Kingsbridge Historical Society, this free event explores the Revolutionary War history of Van Cortlandt Park with a guided walking tour and optional hike led by Nick Dembowski, President of the Kingsbridge Historical Society, and Margaret Holmes, Director of the Van Cortlandt House Museum.
First, enjoy a 1-mile guided walk through the museum and park. Then, for those ready to keep going, continue on a 1.5-mile hike exploring the area around the park to visit little-known places that played in a role in the Revolution. We will be hosting this popular hike again in Spring and Fall 2026. |
Heritage Trail: Tracing NYC's Foundations- Uptown & Bronx Historic House Shuttle Tour
Saturday, September 6, 2025 10 AM
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Join us for an exciting journey through history by shuttle service to historic sites in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx with a focus on early American roots including Dutch settlement. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to delve into the foundations of NYC!
Beginning at 10 am, four shuttle tours will be launching from the Morris-Jumel Mansion for a route that includes visits to the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum, the Van Cortlandt House Museum, and the enslaved African Burial Ground in Van Cortlandt Park. The fourth Extended Tour will include a stop for lunch at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum. Sponsored by the Historic House Trust of NYC and Dutch Culture USA FUTURE 400 . |
Revolutionary Spies: Music, Missions & More!
Sunday, July 13, 2025 12 PM - 4 PM
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Join us on Sunday, July 13 for a FREE, family-friendly day of music, mystery, and Revolutionary intrigue on the Van Cortlandt House Lawn!
🎶 At 1 PM, enjoy This Man’s a Spy!, a live musical performance by Carla & Keyes about Benedict Arnold’s infamous plot to sell the plans to West Point to the British during the American Revolution. 🔍 Before and after the show, kids can take on a secret mission with spy-themed crafts, games, and activities inspired by Revolutionary War espionage. Visitors are welcome to come in disguise—if they dare! 📍 Van Cortlandt House Museum Lawn 🕛 Event: 12–4PM 🎟️ Free admission |
Between Enemy Lines: A Revolutionary War Hike Through Van Cortlandt
Saturday, June 28, 2025 1 PM
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Hosted by the Van Cortlandt House Museum and the Kingsbridge Historical Society, this free event explores the Revolutionary War history of Van Cortlandt Park with a guided walking tour and optional hike led by Nick Dembowski, President of the Kingsbridge Historical Society, and Margaret Holmes, Director of the Van Cortlandt House Museum.
First, enjoy a 1-mile guided walk through the museum and park. Then, for those ready to keep going, continue on a 1.5-mile hike exploring the area around the park to visit little-known places that played in a role in the Revolution. This popular hike will be offered again in Fall 2025. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on museum events, exhibits, and programs! |
Virtual Book Talk- Washington's Gay General: the Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben
with authors Josh Trujillo and Levi Hastings
Thursday, June 5, 2025 6 PM
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Celebrate Pride and join authors Josh Trujillo and Levi Hastings online at 6 PM on Thursday, June 5th as they discuss their graphic novel Washington's Gay General: the Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben.
"A graphic novel biography of Baron von Steuben, the soldier, immigrant, and flamboyant homosexual who influenced the course of US history during the Revolutionary War despite being omitted from our textbooks. Author Josh Trujillo and illustrator Levi Hastings tell the true story of one of the most important—but largely forgotten—military leaders of the American Revolution, Baron von Steuben, who brought much-needed knowledge to the inexperienced and ill-prepared Continental Army. As its first Inspector General, von Steuben created an organizational framework for the US military, which included writing the Blue Book guide that became the standard for training American soldiers for more than a century. Von Steuben was also, by all accounts, a flamboyant homosexual in an era when the term didn’t even exist. In Washington’s Gay General, Trujillo and Hastings impart both the intricacies of queer history and the importance of telling stories that highlight queer experiences." (Abrams Books) This event was fully online with free admission. |
History Stitched Together: Bronx Bicentennial Quilts
On View at VCHM through June 6, 2025
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Starting in 1976, Bronx women came together to sew three intricate patchwork quilts honoring the U.S. Bicentennial. Each square tells a story—depicting Bronx landmarks, national icons, and personal memories stitched in cloth. Some of the quilters were experienced, others had never sewn before, but all were united in capturing the spirit of their borough.
Today, nearly 50 years later, they’re on display together for the first time—starting right here at the Van Cortlandt House Museum. This is a traveling exhibition, and we were honored to host its debut! Next stop: Kingsbridge Historical Society – Opening June 8th RSS Center for Ageless Living – Dates TBA Come see how Bronxites stitched their pride and history into every thread! |
Pinkster: New York’s First African American Celebration
Saturday, May 3, 2025 12 PM - 4 PM
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Join us on our picturesque lawn on Saturday, May 3rd for
Pinkster: New York's First African American Celebration! Bring family and friends for a day filled with vibrant festivities, live music, engaging performances, and immersive experiences:
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Through Their Hands: Women's Work and Daily Life in Early New York
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 1 PM
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Join VCHM Director Margaret Holmes for a talk about the lives of women in New York from the 1600s to the 1800s. Using the museum’s collection and historic spaces, we’ll look at how women shaped both daily life and the larger social world around them.
This talk dives into the roles women played in their families, workplaces, and communities, along with the challenges they faced under legal and social restrictions. We’ll share stories of women from different backgrounds who lived, worked, or had ties to the historic house. By exploring household items and personal belongings, we’ll get a glimpse into their everyday lives, struggles, and successes. We’ll also discuss how race, class, and gender shaped their opportunities in a city that was constantly changing. Admission was free. This talk was both in person at RSS and streamed online via Zoom. |
The Barbados-New York Connection: Enslavement and Exchange in the 17th and 18th Centuries
Thursday, April 10, 2025 6 PM
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This online presentation by Dr. Seth Kamil delved into the nature of the inter-colonial exchange and the shared places that define the Barbados-New York connection.
The historical connection between Barbados and New York is one of enslavement and exchange that shaped the colonial landscape in the 17th and 18th centuries. Barbadian planters were central to the establishment of provisioning plantations in mid-seventeenth century New York and New Jersey. These wealthy landholders, in the attempt to feed and supply their Barbados sugar plantations, brought with them the practice of matrilineal enslavement to the region. Previously regarded as migrants to the Middle Colonies these planters, along with merchants and traders, maintained family and property ties to Barbados and beyond. Understanding the bond with Barbados and the role of African slavery is crucial to comprehending the centuries-long ties between these colonial spaces. |
She-Merchants, Sachems, and Slaves: Women in Colonial New York
Thursday, March 27, 2025 6 PM
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New York was one of the most diverse of the thirteen colonies, thanks to its Dutch colonial roots. Religious and racial diversity meant that colliding cultures had different ideas of how to treat women. In this talk by historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson, you will learn about women’s rights (or lack thereof) in Munsee, Iroquois, African, Dutch, and English culture, and how enslaved women’s rights changed over time. Learn about women’s roles in everyday life, uprisings, and war. Meet individual women like Dutch she-merchant Margaret Hardenbroeck De Vries Philipse, Esopus sachem Mamanuchqua, Jewish merchant Rebecca Gomez, Revolutionary War soldier Deborah Sampson, and more.
Sarah Wassberg Johnson is the education and programs manager at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. She has an MA in public history from the University at Albany. This talk was offered both in-person and online. |
Through Their Hands: Three Centuries of Women's Work and Daily Life in New York
Saturday, March 22, 2025 1 PM
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Join VCHM Director Margaret Holmes for a special guided tour exploring the lives of women in New York from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Using objects from the museum’s collection and the historic domestic spaces of the house, this tour examines how women shaped both home life and the broader social fabric of their time.
Tour Highlights:
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Free Pop-Up Craft: Mimosa Flowers for International Women's Day
Saturday, March 8, 2025 11 AM - 4 PM
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Celebrate International Women’s Day with a special free craft activity on Saturday, March 8th! Stop by during museum hours and create your own beautiful mimosa flowers, a symbol of strength, resilience, and appreciation.
Drop in, get creative, and take home a handmade tribute to the amazing women in your life! 💛✨ No registration needed—just stop by between 11 AM - 4 PM and enjoy crafting! |
The Legacy of Former "Colored" School No. 4
Thursday, February 13, 2025 6 PM
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This illustrated talk by historian Eric K. Washington visits an unassuming building in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood that, in shedding light on 19th-century Gotham’s forgotten past, has excited wide media attention. Hidden in plain sight on West 17th Street is the former “Colored” School No. 4, the last of a network of racial-caste public schoolhouses that once were relegated to New York’s African American teachers and students. Built in 1849-50, the city-owned building’s decades-long use spanned the eras of the Antebellum Period, the Civil War, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age. Washington spearheaded the collaborative community preservation effort that culminated in 2023 with both the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designating the curiously idle building a historic landmark and the city’s mayor pledging $6 million towards its rehabilitation. His talk will highlight many of the notable teachers, students and events once associated with this remarkably surviving Black heritage site.
Eric K. Washington is an independent historian and author, and was the preeminent advocate of Manhattan's (Former) Colored School No. 4, where one of the school’s pupils in the 1880s-90s was the protagonist of his book, Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal. His book won the Herbert H. Lehman Prize for Distinguished Scholarship of New York History, the Guides Association of New York City’s GANYC Apple Award and a special recognition from the Municipal Art Society’s Brendan Gill Prize selection committee. Washington was awarded the Historic District Council’s 2023 Grassroots Preservation Award, and the Victorian Society of New York's 2022 Preservation Award. In March he is to receive the 2025 GANYC Lifetime Achievement Award. |
Black Landowners in the Bronx in the Early 1800s
Tuesday, February 11th 4:30 PM
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Van Cortlandt House Museum is pleased to be co-sponsoring historian Keith Doherty's talk on Black Landowners in the Bronx in in the Early 1800s along with the Kingsbridge Historical Society and the RSS Center for Ageless Living on Tuesday, February 11th at 4:30 PM both in person and on Zoom.
This talk by historian Keith Doherty will focus on a number of early farms in the Bronx that were owned by free Black men during the era of Gradual Emancipation, when slavery was slowly being abolished (1799-1827). Though several Black-owned farms existed in the rural environs of the city at the time, nearly all have been forgotten by history. This talk is an attempt to shed light on a long-buried chapter in our local history when Black men—many of whom had been enslaved in their youth—rose to become successful businessmen. In addition to being one of the only ways of gaining genuine financial independence, land ownership was critical for Black men as the sole means of acquiring suffrage, due to a racist mandate in the state constitution that required them to possess at least $250 worth of property to vote. |
Heartfelt History: Valentine Card-Making Workshop
Saturday, February 8, 2025 10 AM
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Join us on Saturday, February 8, 2025 from 10- 11:30 am for a special historic Valentine-making workshop, where creativity meets tradition! Step back in time and explore the art of crafting hand-made Valentines, inspired by the intricate designs of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
You'll learn how to make your own historic-style cards using classic techniques such as paper folding, cutouts, and paper “scrap” decoration. Discover the history of Valentine's Day through the ages and how this beloved tradition has evolved. Whether you're a history enthusiast, crafter, or simply looking for a unique way to celebrate the season of love, this workshop promises a fun and educational experience for ages 5 and up. Don't miss this chance to create a timeless keepsake while celebrating the artistry of the past! |
Van Cortlandt Connections to the Caribbean and Latin America
Saturday, January 25, 2025 1 PM
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What does the Van Cortlandt House, built in rural New York in 1748, have to do with the Caribbean and Latin America? It turns out quite a lot. The people who lived there, the wealth of its inhabitants, and the wars that were fought here all had important ties to the southern hemisphere.
Join VCHM Site Historian Nick Dembowski for this special one-hour tour to learn about an often overlooked aspect of New York's history that was crucial to its development. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on when this popular tour will be offered again! |
Black-Owned Farms in the Bronx in the Early 1800s
Thursday, January 9, 2025 6 PM
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This talk by historian Keith Doherty will focus on a number of early farms in the Bronx that were owned by free Black men during the era of Gradual Emancipation, when slavery was slowly being abolished (1799-1827). Though several Black-owned farms existed in the rural environs of the city at the time, nearly all have been forgotten by history. This talk is an attempt to shed light on a long-buried chapter in our local history when Black men—many of whom had been enslaved in their youth—rose to become successful businessmen. In addition to being one of the only ways of gaining genuine financial independence, land ownership was critical for Black men as the sole means of acquiring suffrage, due to a racist mandate in the state constitution that required them to possess at least $250 worth of property to vote.
J. Keith Doherty is a former Professor of History and Art History at Boston University, where he earned his doctorate and taught for 14 years. Since returning to his native New York in 2012, he has authored several articles and a short book on the early history of the Bronx and Westchester, with a special focus on Black-owned farms in the area at the turn of the nineteenth century (1799-1850). In addition to his academic work, he is a researcher and educator at the Philipse Manor Hall, the VCHM’s architectural “twin” in Yonkers, and leads tours of various parts of Manhattan for the Big Onion touring company. This talk was offered both in-person and online. |
Van Cortlandt by Candlelight
Saturday, December 14 & Saturday, December 21, 2024 4 - 7 PM
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Join us this December for self-guided tours of the museum by candlelight with games, crafts, light seasonally-inspired refreshments, and insight into the celebration of winter holidays past and present.
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How the Earth Answers: Poems about Bronx Slavery by David Mills
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 6 PM
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David Mills will read from a new, yet-to-be-published poetry collection, How the Earth Answers, focused on slavery in the Bronx. The reading will be held on the third floor of the Van Cortlandt House Museum (accessible via stairs only), adjacent to an area identified as the quarters inhabited by the enslaved people who toiled and lived on the plantation.
Van Cortlandt House Museum is co-sponsoring this event with the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance as both organizations work to educate the community about the Enslaved People of Van Cortlandt Plantation. |
The Allerton Coops: An Interracial Utopia?
Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 6 PM
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In this lecture, Director of The Bronx County Historical Society Dr. Steven Payne will discuss some little-known aspects of the history of the United Workers Cooperative Colony—better known as the Allerton Coops—in The Bronx. Along with Amalgamated Houses, Sholem Aleichem Houses, and the Farband Houses, the Allerton Coops are one of four co-operative housing complexes built in The Bronx in the late 1920s by working-class Eastern European Jews. The Coops was an outlier at the time for being one of the first interracial housing complexes in The Bronx, with evidence of African-American residents as early as 1930, almost four decades before this was the case in many other housing developments in The Bronx. (Parkchester, for instance, was almost entirely white in its tenancy until 1968, when New York State intervened.) Dr. Payne's talk will analyze the reasons for this unique yet complex history at the Allerton Coops while recovering the lives of some of the earliest African-American and multiracial residents during the 1930s–1960s, drawing on oral histories, documents, photographs, and other items from the collections of the Historical Society.
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Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" with Red Monkey Theater Group's Sean Coffey
Tuesday, December 3rd and Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 7PM
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Red Monkey Theater Group's Sean Coffey performs his one-person adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Experience Dickens’ classic story of love, compassion, and redemption in a whole new way. Ebenezer Scrooge and a whole host of characters discover what the spirit of Christmas is really about and delve into the magic of the holiday season. The show's running time is 70 minutes, and it is performed without an intermission.
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Van Cortlandt Connections to the Caribbean and Latin America
Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1 PM
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What does the Van Cortlandt House, built in rural New York in 1748, have to do with the Caribbean and Latin America? It turns out quite a lot. The people who lived there, the wealth of its inhabitants, and the wars that were fought here all had important ties to the southern hemisphere.
Join VCHM Site Historian Nick Dembowski for this special one-hour tour to learn about an often overlooked aspect of New York's history that was crucial to its development. |
Halloween: Wags to Witches
Sunday, October 27th, 2024 from 12 PM - 4 PM
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Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and Van Cortlandt House Museum invite you to a FREE fang-tastic afternoon of family and doggy fun. Get ready for creepy crafts, face painting, spine-chilling stories and more!
This event included VCPA's Second Annual Canine Costume Contest. All proceeds benefitted Van Cortlandt Park's Canine Court dog run. |
Music and Muse: A Celebration of Phillis Wheatley Peters with Cornelius Eady and Charlie Rauh
Sunday, October 20th, 2024 at 3 PM
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Join us for an autumnal afternoon of music, poetry, and conversation on the lawn at Van Cortlandt House Museum for this debut collaboration of National Book Award-winning poet and musician Cornelius Eady and composer and musician Charlie Rauh as they celebrate the life and writing of Phillis Wheatley Peters.
"The subject of the Mercy poetry cycle is Phillis Wheatley Peters, the first enslaved person in the American Colonies to publish a full-length volume of poems. She was captured when she was 7 or 8 years old, and the poems seek to capture the feeling of a young girl. Losing her native language and slipping on the language and customs of her owners, the struggle, the joy of achievement, and the contradictions we all still float inside today as a culture." - Cornelius Eady "My lullaby cycle, A Hymn To The Morning (Destiny Records), seeks to translate the dynamic beauty of Phillis Wheatley Peters’ poetry into music. Taking note of the nuanced language, symbolism, tone, and layered messaging within the literature - the music attempts to interpret rather than merely react. In this program that includes both solo guitar performances as well as open discussion, the focus is meant to remain on the essence of Wheatley Peters’ writing and how music can assist in sharing her singular voice." - Charlie Rauh |
The Underground Railroad in New York City:
David Ruggles and the New York Committee of Vigilance
Thursday, October 10th, 2024 at 6 PM
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When many Americans think about antislavery activists, we think of a few famous heroes, like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and William Lloyd Garrison. But antislavery work was done by thousands of people who are now largely forgotten: enslaved people who freed themselves and the people who helped them in their journeys. This talk by Isaac Kolding focuses on the life of one extraordinary man, David Ruggles, the founder of the New York Committee of Vigilance, which helped ferry freedom seekers to safety. Audiences will learn about the gritty, dangerous world of antislavery activism in 1830s New York City through stories of Ruggles’ daring exploits.
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Outdoor Reading Adventures with LINC (Literacy in Community)
Friday, August 23rd & Friday, August 30th, 2024 at 11 AM
Friday, August 23rd & Friday, August 30th, 2024 at 11 AM
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It's time to celebrate nature with some of our favorite stories! We'll read together, share learning tips, and help your family continue the fun all season long. This program is designed for children ages 0-5, but all ages are welcome.
For more information, contact Araceli Farciert at [email protected] Registration is suggested for this event. Register here. |
Solo Acoustic Guitar Concert with Carlos Pavan
Friday, August 9th, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Friday, August 9th, 2024 at 6:30 PM
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Van Cortlandt House Museum is pleased to present a solo acoustic guitar performance with Carlos Pavan on Friday, August 9th at 6:30 PM.
Born in Argentina and living in New York since 2000, composer Carlos Pavan combines tango/folklore rhythms with jazz & classical concepts. He studied with maestros Jorge Morel, Dave Smey (Brooklyn Conservatory) and Pablo Ziegler (A. Piazzolla's pianist). Carlos has recorded four albums with his works including string quartet, chamber ensemble and trio concertante. |
Story Time & Art Activity with the New York Public Library (NYPL)
Friday, August 16th, 2024 from 10 AM - 12 PM
Friday, August 16th, 2024 from 10 AM - 12 PM
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Van Cortlandt House Museum has partnered with the New York Public Library (NYPL) for a free kids story time and art activity day! Join us on the museum lawn on Friday, August 16th from 10 AM - 12 PM to read a story, make some art to take home, and discover the many resources, programs, and services that the NYPL has to offer for New Yorkers of all ages.
This is a FREE walk-up event - registration is not required. |
Free Family Activity Days
Saturday, July 13th, Saturday, July 27th, and Saturday, August 10th, 2024 11 AM- 1 PM
Saturday, July 13th, Saturday, July 27th, and Saturday, August 10th, 2024 11 AM- 1 PM
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Join us for free family activity days at Van Cortlandt House Museum this summer!
Make corn husk dolls, beeswax candles, thaumatropes, or herb sachets to take home. Each participant can create two (2) crafts.
Dates:
Saturday July 20
Saturday July 27
Saturday Aug 10
Time:
11 AM - 1 PM
This is a walk-up event, registration is not required. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Make corn husk dolls, beeswax candles, thaumatropes, or herb sachets to take home. Each participant can create two (2) crafts.
Dates:
Saturday July 20
Saturday July 27
Saturday Aug 10
Time:
11 AM - 1 PM
This is a walk-up event, registration is not required. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Artist Talk: Edwin Pagán on his "Los Inocentes" photoessay
Thursday, July 11th, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Thursday, July 11th, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Join us for an artist talk with Edwin Pagán, who will be discussing Los Inocentes (The Innocents), his documentary photoessay that focuses on the resiliency of children who live in urban communities in less-than-ideal circumstances, but who prevail and thrive beyond their environments in the South Bronx, Spanish Harlem (El Barrio), and the Lower East Side (Loisaida).
The images compiled in this photographic showcase reveal the untainted splendor of children just being themselves in everyday situations. Individually they present fleeting tableaux of precise personal incidents. Taken together, they provide a wider understanding of how universal youth resiliency really is. If from the mouth of babes comes the truth, then this metaphoric photo album speaks to the will and tenacity of human beings.
The exhibit is installed in Van Cortlandt Park at the basketball court on Broadway until August 1, 2024. The exhibit's producer is Photoville, the project sponsor is The Bronx County Historical Society, and it is regionally supported by Van Cortlandt House Museum and the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance.
Juneteenth Celebration (Produced by Van Cortlandt Park Alliance)
Wednesday, June 19th, 2024 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
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Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and Bronx Arts Ensemble invite you to an evening celebration of Juneteenth at the Van Cortlandt House Museum.
The program will begin on the lawn of the Van Cortlandt House Museum with performances, including music and spoken word. Then join us for a procession with drums to the Enslaved African Burial Ground for a libation ceremony, honoring the memory of the enslaved people. Guest artists include renowned drummer Baba Don Babatunde, actress Ashley Hart Adams, violist Judith Insell, mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford and the NYC All City High School Chorus, poet David Mills and West African drummer Yahaya Kamate. RSVP suggested: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/juneteenth-celebration-tickets-887716001457 This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. |
Cornelius Eady Group:
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National Book Award winner and Pulitzer prize nominated poet Cornelius Eady has set his poetry to song with the Cornelius Eady Group. Eady's songs tell the story of passing time, the Black American experience, and the blues in the style of Folk & Americana music.
Guitarists Charlie Rauh & Lisa Liu join Eady to create layered and graceful arrangements to bolster Eady's adept craftsmanship as a songwriter, lyricist, & poet. Join us for a free evening of poetry and music on the lawn of Van Cortlandt House Museum on Friday, June 6th at 6:30 PM. |
Archaeology & History at Van Cortlandt Park
Saturday, October 28th, 2023 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Van Cortlandt Park has a rich Indigenous, colonial, and Revolutionary history. Numerous archaeological excavations near the Van Cortlandt House Museum have turned up thousands of artifacts spanning the centuries. But some discoveries have raised more questions than answers. Come witness archaeology in action as we look for clues to understand Van Cortlandt Park’s complex historical timeline.
Tours will start from the museum’s welcome center at 2:00 and 2:30 and will last about 90 minutes. Van Cortlandt House Museum is located at 6036 Broadway, in Van Cortlandt Park. Free parking is available at the Van Cortlandt Park parking lot (near the golf course entrance) and the museum is a few minute walk from the 242nd Street stop on the #1 train. RSVP and tickets on Eventbrite. |
Delft Tile Tour
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
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Led by longtime docent Paul Herther, take the chance to learn about the finely crafted Dutch tiles that graced early American fireplaces.
This tour includes an informational talk and a behind-the-scenes look at unseen tiles in the museum’s collection. Tickets are $10 and available for purchase on Eventbrite. |