Living History in a Cemetery?

St. Paul's Church hosts several special events during the year for visitors to experience history firsthand. Colonial fairs, military encampments and candlelight tours all help recreate the past for visitors of all ages. Schools and day camps may also arrange for costumed interpretive programs or musket firing demonstrations. Guided tours, costumed demonstrations and special events explore the site's rich history.

Program Schedule Through June 2012

Guided tours of the site, Monday to Friday, 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM. Join us for a memorable walking tour of this National Historic Site, encompassing an orientation program, museum exhibitions, the 18th century stone and brick church that served as a Revolutionary War hospital, and one of the nation's oldest cemeteries. 

Winter Weekly History & Music at St. Paul's.  

Weekly History & Music Programs, December 2011- June 2012: 

Sat., Dec. 10, open from Noon to 4 PM
Holiday Opera Program & The Holiday of Christmas
Join us for a 2 PM Holiday performance by the Bronx Opera Company, featuring favorite excerpts from classic operas as well as performances, and sing-along, of some traditional seasonal carols and Holiday favorites. Early birds who arrive at 1 PM can catch a presentation about the historical development of Christmas as a holiday in America.  

Thursday, Dec. 15, 10 AM - Noon
Bill of Rights Program
An educational program marking the 220 ^th anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights. 

Sun., Dec. 18, 2 PM
Christmas Organ Concert
A recital by acclaimed organist Kathryn Jones featuring classical music on the historic 1833 pipe organ, including some traditional carols and Holiday favorites. Refreshments served. 

Dec. 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 10 AM to 4 PM
Family Holiday Program
Historic games, activities, music and demonstrations, designed for children on vacation from school, as well as parents, adults, and others.

Sat., Jan. 14, open from Noon to 4 PM
Shakespeare in the church: Hamlet
At 1:30 PM, enjoy a performance by the Red Monkey Theatre Group of William Shakespeare 's classic drama about the tragedy of the Prince of Denmark, performed in the historic church.  Also view the site's feature exhibition, "A Clash of Cultures: Anne Hutchinson's Brief Life near St. Paul's Church."        

Sat., Feb. 11, open from Noon to 4 PM
President's Day & Black History Month
Please join us for talks and re-enactments commemorating President's Day and February as Black History Month, including appearances by Presidents Washington, Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and underground railroad icon Harriet Tubman  --    historic activities for children.  Program includes a special talk by a Yale historian about emancipation during the Civil War, and a consideration of Presidential leadership across the generations by Professor Andrew Robertson of Lehman College.    

Sat., March 10, open from Noon to 4 PM
Women's History Month Event: Abigail Adams & Ballet
In recognition of March as Women's History Month, at 1:00 enjoy a dramatic presentation by Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, who lived near St. Paul's in the   1790s.    At 2:00, the world renowned Ajkun Ballet Theatre presents a special dance sequence evoking the lives of three prominent women from American history associated with St. Paul's  --   Anne Hutchinson, Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt.   

Sat., April 14, 2 PM; open from noon to 4 PM
Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown and the coming of the Civil War.
Recognizing the 150 th anniversary of the Civil War , acclaimed historian and author David S. Reynolds, a Distinguished Professor at the Graduate Center of The City University of New York, explores roles of Harriet Beecher Stowe's landmark novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and  John Brown's 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry in the origins of the Civil War., delivering the annual Aronson Memorial Lecture.  Among Professor Reynolds' publications are, Mightier Than the Sword:  "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and the Battle for America and John Brown, Abolitionist:  The Man Who Sparked the Civil War, Killed Slavery, Seeded Civil Rights.     

Fri., April 20, 3 PM
Church Tower Walk
Join us for a hike up the wooden staircase in the Church tower, leading to the historic, 250-year-old metal bell, one of the oldest in the country.  (Note: This program is repeated, every other Friday, weather permitting --  May 4, May 18, June 1, June 15, June 29.)

Sat., May 12
We're open for regular tours of the site, from noon to 4 PM.
St. Paul's Historic Dinner, will be held from 5 to 9 PM:
The Historic Dinner event commemorates the 100 th anniversary of the landmark Presidential election of 1912, energetically contested by four candidates  --  Woodrow Wilson, Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt and Eugene Debs.  The event features a historical talk, period meal, music, and a glimpse at the Mt. Vernon area in 1912.  Contact the site at 914-667-4116 for ticket reservations and details.

Monday, May 28, Memorial Day
Soldiers' Stories & Songs
The site will be open, regular hours, 9 AM to 5 PM, with walking tours recalling the lives and stories of soldiers interred in the historic cemetery. There will also be talks, music, and  living history demonstrations.      

Sat., June 9, open from Noon to 4 PM
Colonial Day
Join us for Colonial era style music, dancing, crafts, games and arms.  There's also special tours of the Church Bell Tower and of the colonial section of the historic cemetery, and a recital on the historic pipe organ.     

Schedule is Subject to Change.

For More Information: (914) 667-4116; www.nps.gov/sapa 

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