Historic Deerfield officially opens for the season

DEERFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Every summer, Historic Deerfield attracts thousands of visitors because of it’s natural beauty and history and this year’s no different.

Western Massachusetts is filled with tourist attractions up and down the Connecticut River valley, and one of the most popular, Historic Deerfield opened its doors for the season Wednesday. It’s a museum dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield that attracts visitors from all over the world.

“The first tickets we sold today were from Spokane, Washington. We have a national and international audience but we also have a very strong local audience and we’re really excited to welcome our regular visitors back and the new people who have yet to discover us,” said James Golden, Director of Museum Education.

This year, a new exhibit will be attracting tourists as Historic Deerfield takes a look into the under-told stories of African Americans in early New England. The exhibition, named ‘Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North,’ originally shown at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, will now be on view at Historic Deerfield’s Flynt Center of Early New England Life through August 4.

“We have an exhibition that is focusing people on the story of the Black presence, of slavery, about the post slavery period in New England, and how Black people were represented,” said Amanda Lange, Curatorial Department Director.

The curators of this exhibit say showcasing this history is important, because it’s knowledge many in the region don’t have.

“Especially I think in the Northeast because the New England narrative has been focused primarily on white historical actors and really focused on slavery in the South instead,” said Lea Stephenson, Luce Foundation Curatorial Fellow in American Paintings.

Historic Deerfield will be holding an opening celebration this Saturday.

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Heath Kalb is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Heath on X @HeathKalb and view his bio to see more of his work.

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