Events
Learn about the rich history of Orange County by attending one of our educational workshops and programs
Lantern-making for Kids December 9th
In addition to illuminating their surroundings, lanterns have historically been used as communication signals. They allowed weary travelers to know of vacancies at inns, conveyed ship-to-ship messages at sea, and helped to avoid collisions on railroad tracks. Lanterns have also played a role in a variety of religious observances and cultural festivals.
Here in Orange County, the Hillsborough Art Council's Solstice Lantern Walk has been lighting up the darkest night of the year since 2014.
On December 9th, kids of all ages can come to the Museum from 11AM-12PM and make their own paper lantern, suitable for carrying in the annual Solstice event.
(Lantern on the left dates to around 1760 and was donated to the Museum by Calvin Warren. Lantern on the right is from 2023. You can make one too).
The Museum's treasure hunting journey continues with
new displays from Cole Anderson's collection of
over 3,000 model soldiers.
Between December 15 and January 6, you can visit the Museum to see scale recreations of battles from the Napoleonic Wars.
Cole has been collecting model soldiers since age 7 and has spent countless hours educating himself on all of the particulars about the fighting during Napoleon's reign. He learned the types of thatch and brick used in different locations in 1809, the fabric that was available in Poland for soldiers to repair and replace damaged trousers, and the materials used to make gravestones in Austria (cast iron crosses not wood or stone like in France). He even read about how different plant dyes react to weather to more accurately depict the way that uniforms appeared in the midst of a campaign!
If you need assistance with registration, please use our contact form.
You may also email manager@orangehistorync.org
or call 919-732-2201.