Upcoming and Current Events

HOF Celebrates Harriet Tubman Day - By Reservation Only!

Celebrate Harriet Tubman Day by visiting our National Park Service Network to Freedom exhibit, “Freedom Seekers: the Odessa Story”. HOF celebrates the role of local underground railroad agents and the life of Harriet Tubman since her birth in Dorchester County, Maryland. “Freedom Seekers: the Odessa Story” will be free to the public but reservations are required. Tours will leave the Visitors Center on the hour at noon, 1pm and 2pm. Please contact Jennifer at 302-378-4119 or Jennifer.cabell@historicodessa.org 1pm - Reservations Available 2pm - Reservations Available ***Reservations must be...

Celebration: The Return of Odessa Artifacts

Please Join Us as we Celebrate! Ownership of 33 decorative arts objects long displayed on loan from Winterthur plus 11 other objects have been transferred to Historic Odessa Foundation, helping link period rooms to an 1808 wedding, maritime trade, and well-documented family histories. When the Historic Odessa Foundation re-opens the doors to its 18th-century museum homes on March 1, the biggest change will not be immediately visible: a significant collection of historic objects has quietly “returned home.” In late 2025, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library deaccessioned and transferred...

Irish Dance Performance

Please join us as we welcome the Hester Academy of Irish Dance for a performance at the Visitors Center! Historic Odessa is once again hosting a dance performance on Sunday, March 15th, with the Hester Academy of Irish Dance @hesteracademyirishdance. Come out and enjoy the intricate rapid footwork of this talented troupe as they're accompanied by lively Irish music. This free performance begins at 4pm at the Historic Odessa Visitors Center.

2026 Hearth Cooked Dinner

Join us for an evening of fine food, drink and merrymaking as the staff from the Historic Odessa Foundation serves a hearth cooked dinner of mouth-watering dishes using the recipes, tools and techniques of the 18th century. Savor our delicious British Punch and assorted appetizers by the fire before touring the Corbit-Sharp House by candlelight. Then, return to the hearth of the Collins-Sharp House for a sumptuous autumn dinner and wine with each course. Members: $150 or $175. R.S.V.P. Jennifer Kostik, (302) 598-0265 Hearth-Cooked Dinner: Details Cocktails 5:30pm-6:30pm Tour 6:30pm Dinner 7...

Smyrna and Kent County Furniture:  A Collections Workshop

Reliable provenance and maker signatures help identify small groups of furniture made in Smyrna, Dover, and other locations in Kent County. These case pieces and tables (but no chairs) range in date from the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries and help unravel some of the mysteries about Delaware furniture. Lessons learned from these exercises readily apply to furniture identification and history in general. Philip D. Zimmerman, a furniture historian and author of A Storied Past: Collections of Historic Odessa (2023) and several other publications on Delaware furniture, will lead a workshop to...

2026 Annual Easter Egg Hunt

The Historic Odessa annual Easter Egg hunt taking place Sunday, March 29th at the Corbit-Sharp House garden. The hunt is for toddlers to 5th graders—join the fun! Sign up! Reservations are limited! Event Details Designated areas will be set aside for the four different age groups. Following the hunt, age-appropriate crafts will be given to be done at home this year. Space is limited and reservations are required, please call (302) 378-4119. Egg Hunt Schedule 2:00 pm Preschool Age Egg Hunt 2:15 pm Kindergarten / 1st Grade Egg Hunt 2:45 pm Second/Third Grade Egg Hunt 3:00 pm Fourth/Fifth Grade...

Spring Homeschool Day 2026

Homeschool families are invited to take a step back in time to explore the 18th century in historic Odessa. Our site offers a unique and well-documented picture of early American life in our interactive, hands-on educational workshops. Unique events for homeschoolers This spring, we will feature our The Corbits: A Genteel Quaker Family, Children: Chores and Leisure, Freedom Seekers and Indentured Servants workshops. Guided tours will leave from the Visitors Center at 9am and 1pm…..plan on approximately two hours for you visit. Cost is $8 per student and reservations are required. Please call...

Saturdays at the Hearth: Spring Treats

“Asparagus, Strawberries and other Spring Treats” Explore the Collins-Sharp House 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 focus our cooking today on dishes commonly served in the spring. Admission is included in the general tour.

Saturdays at the Hearth: Fresh From the Garden

“Fresh From the Garden” 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 crops growing in our kitchen garden. Admission is included in the general tour.

HOF Celebrates Juneteenth

Dating back to 1865, a full two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, it was June 19th when the Union Army landed in Galveston, Texas and spread the news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Tours of the National Park Service Network to Freedom exhibit: “Freedom Seekers: the Odessa Story” will be offered free of charge; reservations are required.