On Tuesday, I went with my wife and son to Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) in Sturbridge, MA. For those who do not know, it is a recreation of a rural, New England town during the 1830s. The Revolution and War of 1812 are in the past, the Civil War is in the future, and the Industrial Revolution is underway.

I had not been there in probably 30 years and my memories were vague.
The normal admission is $20 for adults, $7 for kids. We had a $2 off coupon for our son, and we has another "discount" that allowed my wife and I greatly reduced admission (...um, free).

The facility is set up over many acres of woodlands, farm area, and town areas, plus some more modern parts. The place is populated with "cast members" who play roles of people living in the 1830s. Many of the buildings were moved from other parts of New England and are generally the "real thing" - that is a real Meeting House, Blacksmith shop, etc. So these make the Cannonball look new!

The people we spoke with (a shoemaker, a parson, a soldier, a farmer, a schoolteacher, a housewife, and several others) did a good job filling their roles. They spoke as if it were 1830 and they had little knowledge of the world we live in.

Some demonstrations of local crafts and daily routines were being done (dying wool, herding ox, writing sermons, loading and firing muskets - real cool!) and my son participated in some as well as making candles.

Food is offered in several locations such as a tavern, but we had brought a picnic lunch and only has drinks and ice cream (not too bad). The gift shop has a great bookstore and some pretty cool things (my son bought a puddlejumper, me a book on the Quabbin).

Overall, if you are looking for a good way to escape some of the 21st century's travails, I would recommend a trip to OSV.

sounds like a intresting place.

that place reminds me of that south park episode where there at the old time place and they dont break character no matter what lol

How is this place compared to the Pilgrim Village in Plymouth? There were signs all over the Mass Pike for it and it looked nice!

I have not been to Plimouth plantation since I was a kid (30 years ago :( )

We hope to go in a few weeks and I will compare it then.

OSV seems to be a bigger place, but some of my friends said they like Plimouth better.

I heard Old Sturbridge Village still has some of the original Shaker architecture, not replica buildings. Is that true?

Most of the buildings are authentic, but not from the site itself
"A trip to Old Sturbridge Village, the largest outdoor history museum in the Northeast, is a journey through time to a rural New England town of the 1830s. Visitors are invited into more than 40 original buildings, each carefully researched, restored, and brought to the museum site from towns throughout New England. These include homes, meetinghouses, a district school, country store, bank, law office, printing office, carding mill, sawmill, gristmill, pottery, blacksmith shop, shoe shop, and cooper shop. "
(from the osv.org website)

I am not sure if they are considered Shaker... I think most (if not all) are not.

I think the town of Hancock, MA has a Shaker museum with Shaker buildings...

http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/accounts/28/homepage/

Oh, for some reason I thought Old Sturbridge Village was Shaker...