Past

October 21, 2021 – April 18, 2022

This landmark exhibit and accompanying catalog told the stories of women’s activism, empowerment, and struggle over the past century through 36 outfits/accessories. Treasures from WHM’s extensive historic costume collection as well as loans from the community were featured, and archival photographs highlighted Worcester’s diverse local history. The text, written by historians Charlotte Haller and Madeline Ryan, reflected the latest historical scholarship and emphasized the multiple stories contained within a single outfit. Our community’s diverse voices — Black, Ghanaian, Nipmuc, Asian, LGBTQ+, Muslim, and Latinx — all contribute to the fabric and storytelling of Worcester. By clustering outfits around the themes

July 14, 2022 - October 8, 2022

We all got history… Worcester at 300, opened in the Museum’s Booth Gallery on July 14, 2022 and closed on October 8, 2022. The exhibition continued the community-wide celebration of Worcester’s 300th anniversary as an official town in the Commonwealth. Included in the exhibition was a small sampling of the museum’s collection that represents some of the people, places, and things that make Worcester the “Heart of the Commonwealth.” Each section in the exhibition offered a unique perspective with the inclusion of historic and modern objects, paintings, broadsides, and archival documents. These items invite you to see that unexpected objects

CELEBRATING the 140th anniversary of WORCESTER HISTORICAL MUSEUM. A panel of community volunteers will select the 5O final objects to be displayed at the museum. The exhibition will include objects, or, in certain cases where the object is too large or unmovable, perhaps a photograph or some other representation of the object. If your object’s description is chosen, your photograph (to be taken by our photographer) and your statement of the item’s community importance will also be included in the exhibit.

April 26, 2019 – November 16, 2019

Exhibition April 26, 2019 – November 16, 2019 This exciting exhibit includes the collection of oral histories, the creation of an LGBTQ+ archive, and educational programming to complement an exhibit on Gay Worcester. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of New York’s Stonewall Uprising and the advent of the modern gay liberation movement, the project will bring together the scattered documentation of Worcester County’s LGBTQ+ experience in partnership with College of the Holy Cross, Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Digital Worcester. The exhibition and programming will run from April-October 2019 at WHM. Exciting Support of WHM’s Unique Exhibition and Programs Thanks

November 22, 2016 - December 24, 2016

In 1984 local photographer Stephen DiRado began documenting the daily life of the Worcester Galleria.

The history of visiting nurses in Worcester is one of caring. The idea of hiring a single professional visiting nurse to serve the city of Worcester originated 1892 from Dr. Homer Gage, a surgeon at Memorial Hospital. Through several name changes and growth over the decades, VNA Care became what it is today through the charitable support of the community and leadership focused on transforming care to improve lives. “VNA125: A History of Caring” celebrates 125 years of service to Worcester. This exhibit highlights VNA Care’s archives with photos, uniforms and medical instruments from their many years of service. The

October 8, 2019

WHM Rockwell Gallery See drawings from Worcester native, Jarrett Krosoczka’s new memoir, Hey, Kiddo alongside the historic images from the WHM collection. This new book tells the story of Jarrett’s life growing up in Worcester, a family grappling with addiction, and finding the art that helps you survive. Jarrett visited WHM to see historic images of Coney Island, Gates Lane School and Main Street to use as inspiration. Hey, Kiddo is a young adult book geared towards readers 12 and up.

November 28, 2018

This temporary exhibit opening on November 28, 2018, will focus on the eastern European Jewish immigrant in Worcester between 1880 and 1945 and illuminates the centrality of Water Street to local Jewish life during that period. Because much of the Jewish experience is typical of all immigrant groups, Water Street speaks to everyone. » Download the Water Street exhibit flyer

April 21, 2018 – August 25, 2018

The exhibit highlights quilts from the collection as well as loaned pieces that show a new direction for quilting in the age of technology.