Festivities on June 9 will help build awareness of cultural and tourism assets in West Hartford and throughout the state.

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The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society in West Hartford today announced plans to participate in the 13th Annual Connecticut Open House Day – a unified celebration of the state’s fascinating world of art, history, and tourism – on June 9, 2018. During this one-day event, the Noah Webster House, along with more than 200 other organizations and attractions throughout the state, will open its doors and offer special incentives to visitors, including discounts, free admission, and more.

This exciting statewide event, sponsored by the Connecticut Office of Tourism (COT), is designed to broaden awareness among residents of Connecticut’s exceptional cultural and tourism assets and encourage them to become ambassadors who share their newfound discoveries with visiting family and friends.

During Connecticut Open House Day on June 9, 2018, the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society will offer free admission from 12-4 p.m. Stroll through the historic birthplace of founding father, educator, author, and lexicographer, Noah Webster. Bring the kids and let them feel what it was like to grow up during the 18^th century by playing in the museum’s interactive Noah’s Discovery Learning Center play space. Two exhibits will be on display, including, “Noah Webster: Defining American,” and “Defining the Dictionary: Discovering the Story Behind Words.”

This year, Noah’s New Americans will demonstrate hearth cooking, spinning, and weaving throughout the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society. Noah’s New Americans are young adults ages 10-15. They assume the identity of a Connecticut colonist and dress in period costume. Through social interaction and education, the club introduces young adults to colonial life, inspiring them to continue these genteel ways throughout their adulthood. Through activities like spinning, weaving, woodworking, hearth cooking, candle making, and participating in an annual sleepover, they work toward Noah Webster’s idea that, “Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country.”

Visitors on Connecticut Open House Day will be transported back to 1775. The news of skirmishes in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, has just made its way to the West Division of Hartford. The strong, determined women of what is now known as “West Hartford” have responded by gathering at Noah Webster’s house for a work day in order to provide much needed supplies to the Patriots.

To qualify for any Open House Day special, at least one person in each visiting group must show a valid Connecticut driver’s license.

Connecticut Open House Day also includes opportunities to become a Connecticut Ambassador as part of COT’s Ambassador Program, an ongoing initiative designed to cultivate pride among residents in the state’s many diverse historic, arts, tourism and entertainment treasures. For more information about Connecticut Open House Day, visit www.CTvisit.com or call 1-888-CTvisit.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is a cultural destination where citizens can learn to understand and appreciate the past. The museum preserves the birthplace of Noah Webster, the founding father, educator, author, and lexicographer who taught generations of Americans what it means to be American. This National Historic Landmark is also a repository for West Hartford’s history, the community that molded Noah Webster’s future, and is still thriving over 250 years later. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open daily  from 1 until 4 p.m. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, please visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362. The museum would like to thank the Greater Hartford Arts Council and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for their ongoing support.

The Connecticut Office of Tourism brings together tourism, historic preservation, history, and the arts. Its mission is to preserve and promote Connecticut’s cultural and tourism assets in order to enhance the quality of life and economic vitality of the state. For more information on how to become a part of Connecticut Open House Day, log onto www.cultureandtourism.org.

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