Storrowton Village reopens museum tours

Feb. 23, 2021 | Ryan Feyre
rfeyre@thewestfieldnewsgroup.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Storrowton Village Museum has officially announced that museum tours are open to the public under limited operation.

General museum tours, as well as Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) tours will be available to the community every Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3.pm. According to Jessica Fontaine, director of Storrowton Village Museum, the tours will follow all social-distancing and mask-wearing guidelines, and tickets must be purchased in advance on the museum’s website.

Even with the added guidelines, Fontaine said that the general tours themselves have not changed too much since they last hosted tours, which was in early December.

“Our buildings are small, so the best way to invite people is in small groups,” said Fontaine. “So from that aspect, it hasn’t changed too much, because what we do best is small group interactions.”

In addition to the general museum tours at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays, which focus on 18th and 19th century New England history, the STEAM tours will be geared more towards children between the ages of 6 to 12. These will occur at 3 p.m. most Tuesdays through Fridays, and 1 p.m. on those days during April vacation for students.

Visitors for the STEAM tours will be able to learn New England history through other different disciplines and fields, according to Fontaine. People will learn about the different New England innovations and participate in three hands-on activities while on the STEAM tour. Activities may vary depending on availability of supplies.

“STEAM tours are a new way in which we frame activities,” said Fontaine. “We wanted to make sure there was something for kids and families. We were able to pre-package hands-on activities while maintaining some semblance of social distancing.”

For the general museum tours, residents will learn about the average way of living during the 18th and 19th century, particularly through the lens of housing and schooling. They will also learn about peoples’ different professions during that time period, as well as how their way of living affects our way of living today.

“The way we bring people through our buildings is starting with our farmhouse,” said Fontaine. “For a lot of people, that’s their favorite stop, because it’s the place that really feels like home, because it was an average family home.”

Back in December 2020, Storrowton hosted museum tours in similar fashion. Once the statewide capacity limit for indoor facilities was reduced to 25 percent however, there was no feasible way to invite people in for tours, according to Fontaine.

“Once the occupancy went back up to 40 percent, then we can put appropriate numbers that meet the guidelines,” said Fontaine. “So right now we’re at a maximum of seven people per tour.”

Storrowton is currently operating with just Fontaine and one other staff person, so anyone who wants to book a tour time, must do so by 4 p.m. the day before the tour. Tour times and dates are posted up until May though, so people can book whenever for the coming months.

“There’s life that’s supposed to be in this village that hasn’t been here in a year,” said Fontaine. “History is a huge piece that the community values, so there’s hope that we have that truly coming back soon.”

To book a tour, visit https://www.storrowtonvillage.com/tickets. General museum tours are $8 per person. STEAM tours are $12 per person with a discounted rate of $6 for parents and/or chaperones. Parent and chaperone admission does not include activities. There is no charge for children under the age of 6. 

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