Somers, a rural town in Westchester County surrounded by many lake communities, is well known for the Museum of the Early American Circus. The museum run by the Somers Historical Society, is situated on the third floor of the circa 1825 Elephant Hotel, a National Historic Landmark, located at 335 Route 202.

The Museum of the Early American Circus exhibits material related to both local
history and to the development of the early 19th century American circus. The collection consists of permanent and changing exhibits.

The museum is open to the public every Thursday, including Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, from 2pm – 4pm. For more information, please call 914-277-4977.

Muscoot Farm, an early 20^th century interpretative farm museum, is located one and half miles south of the intersection between Route 35 and Route 100 in the town of Somers (at 51 Route 100 in Katonah).

The farm museum demonstrates a working dairy farm in 1880 and provides some of the history of Muscoot Farm. “Playtime and Farm Tools” is one of the many areas of interest.  It illustrates the many toys and games played when the family had leisure time, which for farm families was usually on Sundays. “The Rhythm of the Day” demonstrates the daily chores that comprised a day at Muscoot Farm including hand milking at 6:30 am, before breakfast. Muscoot Farm also offers seven miles of diverse hiking trails.

On February 24 and March 3, 10, 16, and 17, families are invited for a small fee, to experience the process of making maple sugar, and then enjoy the final product during a pancake breakfast.  For more information, please call 914-864-7282.

Monroe, a lovely picturesque town in Orange County, is just 1 hour from Manhattan. Named after the 5^th president of the United States, James Monroe, it contains three villages: Monroe, Kiryas Joel, and the majority of Harriman.

Museum Village, located at 1010 Route 17M in Monroe, is a 19th century open-air museum that houses thousands of historic artifacts in 20 buildings. Our exhibits illustrate the transition from a rural to an industrial culture and economy in America.

Through educational programs, hands-on-exhibits, and special events, Museum Village explores and interprets 19th century rural life and how industry and technology in America evolved.

Visitors can shop in a 130 year old general store, view a real mastodont skeleton, dip a candle, step inside a 200 year old log cabin, sit in a one room schoolhouse, or watch how a broom or coverlet is made.

The Museum Village schoolhouse is a replica of the 1805 Monroe Stone Schoolhouse where students of all grades were taught together for only 12 weeks per year. The log cabin dates from the last quarter of the 18th century. Visitors can discover how a family of five lived in a small one-room building. At the candle shop, you can learn the process of creating a candle with different materials as you dip your own candle to take home. An exhibit on the evolution of lighting devices from the oil lamp to the electric light bulb will be shown.

The museum will be open on weekends from 10am – 2pm in the spring for school and tour groups. For more information, please call 845-782-8247.