Old Sturbridge Village, Part 5

In late September 2025, I enabled my mild obsession with Old Sturbridge Village (OSV), a living history museum in Sturbridge, MA. In this five-part series, I will cover the forty antique buildings depicting rural New England life during the 1830s, exhibits showcasing artifacts from the period, and an art installation featuring cows decorated by local artists. In Part 1, I visited two meetinghouses, a country store, a tavern, a tin shop, and a pair of homes, along with watching costumed interpreters. In Part 2, I explored a school, workshops, mills, a covered bridge, heritage breed animals, costumed interpreters, and houses. In Part 3, I continued my visit to The Countryside by visiting the barn and a pair of workshops before returning to the Common & Center Village. In Part 4, I stopped in shops around the Common & Center Village, learn about plants, and visited exhibits. In Part 5, I discuss the CowParade art exhibit and conclude my visit with information about open times, ticket costs, and accessibility features.

A cow sculpture with a pointillism map of the United States A cow painted with 19th century blue floral wallpaper A cow sculpture decorated with Chilean-inspired motifs like flowers, mushrooms, leaves, and the full moon

CowParade took place from July to September 2025. The event was a juried contest for local artists and a fundraiser for OSV, as select cows were sold online and at a live auction. The first cow I en-cow-ntered was Unaliena-BULL Rights by Karin Cloutier whose cows celebrates diversity in the United States. In front of Small House was Small House, Big Hooves by Jenessa Burks. The 19th century home has blue floral wallpaper, and the cow was painted to match. Noche de Otoño [Autumn Night] by Maria Boutin was decorated with Chilean-inspired motifs like flowers, mushrooms, leaves, and the full moon. Cow in a China Shop by Dana Filibert took inspiration from dishes in the OSV collection.

A cow sculpture decorated with 19th century China tea set designs Cow sculpture with sunburst patterns found on classic tin lanterns A cow sculpture decorated with the rainbow handprints of children

Punched Tin Cow by Lori Barrett stood next to the Tin Shop and displayed the sunburst patterns found on classic tin lanterns. Similarly, Better Together by Fitchburg Memorial Middle School stood next to the Schoolhouse and was decorated by the rainbow handprints of children. I was impressed by the cohesion of the design, as it is no easy feat to direct preteens, especially with wet paint involved.

A grassy field with six sculptures of cows: three mothers and three calves A cow sculpture with yellow flames on a black background A red cow sculpture with a pattern similar to a 19th century beaded purse

In the fields near the mills stood a small herd of cows. A Day in the Park Cow by Howie Green, who has designed ten cows for past CowParades, was a vibrant pop art work that reminded me of work by Keith Haring. Pasture Bedtime by Elinor Ives was patchworked like a quilt. Cowacopia by Linda Spencer celebrated local fruits and vegetables. Three of the herd members were the size of calves. The Mootiful Garden by the Town of Sturbridge lead by Ruth Young showcased historical pictures of the area. Garden Growth by thecollab, had a delicate pastel design of flowers, fruits, and blocks of color. Wooly Wildflower by Rebecca Hope was covered in a flower garden.

A cow sculpture painted with buildings from Old Sturbridge Village in spring and summer. A red barn stands in the background. A cow sculpture painted with buildings from Old Sturbridge Village in fall and winter. A cow sculpture with a red barn transitioning between four seasons painted on its face.

Down the road was Holy COW by Peter O. Zierlein with flames like a blacksmith forge. Elizabeth Pieroni Schulte found inspiration in a beaded purse from the OSV archives when creating Percy Petunia. My favorite cow was Clover by Kaye Weber, which represented the four seasons and depicted buildings found in OSV. The cow look especially lovely with bright red Freeman Farm in the background. Red Ware Pottery by Rebecca Duffy sported traditional ceramics motifs and stood near the Pottery Shop and Kiln. Staying warm with a sweater and inside the Visitor Center, “Yarning” for the Past by avid knitter and sci-fi/fantasy author Lisa Janice Cohen was adorned in wool from sheep of Hardwick, MA, including mittens for the horns. Gardenia by Deb Arnold and Louise Douglas painted lush flowers inspired by the gardens of OSV. These cows have retired to The Farmer’s Daughter, a farm and garden center in Auburn, MA.

A yellow and red cow sculpture painted with traditional ceramics motifs A cow sculpture wearing a sweater and horn mittens A cow sculpture painted with lush flowers

From Soil to Bloom by Yotron The Don (Johan Quintero) took inspiration from a Venetian stripe carpet. (The exhibit summary references an 18th century carpet, but those in the collection best matching the cow are from the 19th century.) Milk & Cookies by Janell Genovese Scannel referenced Toll House chocolate chip cookies invented my Massachusetts-native Ruth Wakefield, and the cow was located Miner Grant Store and Bakeshop. During my visit, several hens and a rooster wandered past the sculpture, prompting a fellow visitor to exclaim, "Lucky rooster: five wives!" I hope he is doing well. In front of the bright yellow Salem Towne Barn was equally bright Salted by Alice Dillon, labeled like a 4 oz. stick of butter.

A cow sculpture painted with dark brown, green, yellow, and pink stripes A cow sculpture with a white background and many chocolate chip cookies A cow sculpture labeled like a 4 oz. stick of butter stood in front of a yellow barn

Declaration Remembered by Ruth K. Henry stood on a raised platform with American flag bunting outside the print shop. The artist hand-lettered the Declaration of Independence on a golden cow to recognize the America250 celebration. More lighthearted was This Cowgirl Rocks! by Dawn Evans Scalreto, a pink-and-orange ombre cow wearing a leather jacket with painted patches of classic bands, including Guster, The Carpenters, and Talking Heads.

A golden cow with hand-lettered lines from the Declaration of Independence A golden cow with hand-lettered lines from the Declaration of Independence standing in front of a yellow building A pink-and-orange ombre cow wearing a leather jacket with painted patches of classic bands

Finishing up, Chip by Lily Gigante is a mint chocolate chip ice cream cow near Village Scoop, an ice cream shop that was closed for the season. Sunflowers Under a Starry Night by Simone DeLongchamp Germain was the artist’s New England version of The Starry Night painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 and now held at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in Manhattan, NY. Purple Cow by Renee Majkut was covered in purple dahlias, much like those I saw growing in OSV.

A mint chocolate chip ice cream cow sculpture near a yellow building A cow sculpture painted with yellow sunflowers under a swirling night sky A cow sculpture covered with purple dahlias

As a fairly regular visitor of Old Sturbridge Village, I believe few living history museums are better. This is a great stopping point between Boston and the Berkshires. Hours of operation vary depending on the time of year. During the cold season of early November, February, and March, OSV is open from Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. During the warm season of April through September, OSV is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. plus Memorial Day and Labor Day. Christmas by Candlelight is held annually in December with open nights from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Admission is $30 for adults, $28 for seniors, $15 for youths ages 4 to 17, and $0 for children ages 0 to 3, OSV members, and NEMA members (like me!). A $3 discount is applied to tickets purchase ahead of time online, many public libraries offer passes, and discounts are often available a different times of the year. OSV maintains a thorough and accurate webpage about its accessibility features. The only slight negative to the website is a redundant legacy feature that triggers Google Translate in eight different languages, since translation now happens automatically in a wider range of languages on Google Chrome browser. With exception historical restoration, interpretation, and accessibility, anyone taking a one-in-a-lifetime vacation to southern New England should make the effort to visit.

Location: 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd, Sturbridge, MA 01566, USA