Upcoming and Current Events

Lafayette Ladle

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s triumphal return tour of the United States that endured from July 1824 to September 1825 by viewing a rare artifact from his visit on display at the National Historic Register Wilson-Warner House.

ART EXHIBIT: Bayard Taylor Berndt (1908-1987); Paintings from Private Collections

Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to rediscover the colorful Brandywine Valley paintings of the 20th century artist Bayard Taylor Berndt (1908-1987) on exhibit for the first time from private collections at the Historic Odessa Visitor Center from Tuesday, July 1 to Sunday, September 7, 2025. This art exhibit highlights the recent gift to the HOF collection of a 1971 Berndt painting depicting the HOF’s National Historic Register Pump House of 1770’s.

Save the Date: 12th Annual Odessa Brewfest

The annual Odessa Brewfest comes to historic Odessa on Saturday, September 6th, 2025. All attendees have access to food & merchandise vendors, live bands, sponsor tables, and more. Your ticket to the Odessa Brewfest gets you unlimited sampling of beer during the full duration of the festival.

Saturdays at the Hearth: Harvest Time

“Harvest Time” Explore the Collins-Sharp House and working kitchen garden with your guide as our costumed interpreters capture the sights and flavors of authentic 18th century cooking. Savor the aromas of dishes cooked over an open fire using the tools, recipes and techniques commonly found in colonial Odessa. We’ll focus our cooking today on using preserved foods. Admission is included in the general tour.

Windsor Chairs at Odessa: A Collections Workshop

Furniture historian and author of A Storied Past: Collections of Historic Odessa (2023) Philip D. Zimmerman will lead a workshop to investigate this furniture form in detail. Among topics to be considered are: design, materials, construction, condition, connoisseurship, and the role of small details. A few other kinds of chairs will provide a broader sense of context from the perspectives of the makers and buyers.

Celebrating 25 years of Honoring Delaware Individual Artists with the Delaware Division of the Arts

The Historic Odessa Foundation proudly presents Award Winners XXV, a milestone exhibition celebrating the 25th anniversary of showcasing the Delaware Division of the Arts' Individual Artist Fellowship recipients. The museum is honored to become one of only three venues to host this wonderful art exhibition. The exhibition opens Friday, September 19th and runs through Sunday, October 26, 2025 in the HOF Visitor Center, featuring the exceptional talent of artists selected for their outstanding creativity and skill in their artistic disciplines.

2025 Storybook Trees Registration

To reserve a tree for the 2025 Holiday Tour season or for more information on creating a tree with your family, club, or school visit, please download and submit the registration form via fax or email.

2025 Storybook Trees Registration

To reserve a tree for the 2025 Holiday Tour season or for more information on creating a tree with your family, club, or school visit, please download and submit the registration form via fax or email. Storybook Trees for the Holidays The Historic Odessa Foundation celebrates classic children’s literature and a love of reading by showcasing holiday trees decorated by community and school groups. The exhibit will run from November 11 through December 31 and will be open as part of “Christmas in Odessa” on December 6th. Storybook Trees registration forms go out to all former participants...

America's Tapestry Project

The Historic Odessa Foundation and the Embroiderer’s Guild of America invites members of the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend communities and all Delawareans to celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary. Help us by participating in the creation of a Delaware themed panel celebrating our great nation. Please stop in at the Hisotric Odessa Foundation Visitor’s Center located in the Historic Odessa Bank and add a “stitch in time” to this national embroidery project depicting the original thirteen colonies. Other Dates to Stitch: Friday, September 26th, 12pm - 4pm Friday, October 24th, 12pm - 4pm Saturday...

2025 Fall Homeschool Day

Join us for a school tour sampler designed just for homeschoolers. Take your family back in time to explore the 18th century in colonial Odessa. Our site offers a unique and well-documented picture of early American life in our interactive, hands-on educational workshops.