Upcoming Events
Member Mornings
Calling all RHS members! Join us for coffee, conversation, and a closer look at history on the second Saturday of every month. We invite our members to arrive before the museum opens to explore parts of the historical society’s collection that are not otherwise on display. This sneak peek behind the scenes of our archives and collections invites engaging dialog with staff and offers a unique look at Rye’s vibrant history. RSVP is required.
Art for Purchase - Debra Kressner
We are excited to once again participate in the Rye Arts Center's Art for Purchase, a month- long installation that places original artwork by local and regional artists directly into the storefronts of Rye’s retail district. Stop by the Square House Museum to view Debra Kressner's fine art photography on display in our exhibition room. Debra's whimsical prints blend original animal photography with 3D mixed media embellishments all captured in joyful, one of a kind scenes. Debra is the owner and founder of Sweet Dot Studio.
Little Historians Story Time
Designed for ages 6 - 10 to spark curiosity, imagination, and a love of history in young learners. This program encourages an exploration of the past through engaging storytelling, hands-on activities such as themed coloring pages, and an introduction to the Square House Museum. Walk-ins are welcome, donations are gratefully accepted.
Trolley Tour - From the Gilded Age to the Roaring Twenties (SOLD OUT)
Sunday, September 20th, 10:30am
SOLD OUT
Back by Popular Demand! All aboard for a rollicking ride through Rye's past. Join the Rye Historical Society for our engaging trolley tour, From the Gilded Age to the Roaring Twenties. Riding in refurbished New Orleans-style trolleys, these tours will explore the history of waterfront recreation on Milton Point, from the grand summer estates to the bustling beaches.
*Our September Tour is generously sponsored by Susan O'Brien, Houlihan Lawrence
Architecture Tour of The Square House
Join us on the fourth Saturday of each month for an all-new Architecture Tour of the Square House! This fascinating tour begins in 1730, when the first structure was built as a private home for Peter Brown. Tour goers then travel to the year 1780, when major renovations helped to expand the Inn and Tavern's business. Fast forward to 1830, when the building was converted back a private home for the Mead family. In 1904, to save the home from demolition, yet another conversion turned the residence into City Hall, and finally, in 1964, a colonial museum. Tickets are required. Reserve your spot here.
Rye Historical Society's Fall Celebration & Benefit featuring Crafted in America
Saturday, September 26th
Knapp House
Don't miss RHS's Fall Celebration & Benefit featuring Crafted in America on September 26th! Tickets are available NOW for this fan favorite, festive annual event at the Historic Knapp House. The evening will feature delicious food and craft whiskey tastings, live music, and an exciting new addition. In line with RHS's focus on preservation, we will celebrate the enduring tradition of American craftsmanship through a curated collection of handcrafted works for auction created by regional artisans, woodworkers, designers, and makers. Secure your tickets today!
Tickets can be purchased at https://givebutter.com/c/RHSFall26
RR250: Blood on the Sound: Two Authors, Two Untold Stories of the Revolution
Long before it was a quiet commuter suburb, Rye was a battleground. DJ Hennes, local resident, RHS Board Member and author of Whispers of Liberty, brings to life the whaleboat wars — the brutal, no-quarter guerrilla campaign fought by raiders across Long Island Sound, where Rye residents themselves took up arms in a conflict as vicious as any battlefield of the Revolution.
Brian Carso, lawyer, historian, and author of Gideon’s Revolution, uncovers a story stranger than fiction: George Washington’s secret mission to kidnap the traitor Benedict Arnold and drag him back to face justice.
Together, Hennes and Carso reveal how the messiest, most dangerous truths of the Revolutionary War make for its best stories — and why historical fiction, done right, doesn’t have to choose between accuracy and adrenaline.
Register here https://ryelibrary.libcal.com/event/16902278
Sail Through History
Privateers: sanctioned seafaring swindlers or daring sailors that turned the tides of America’s struggle for freedom?
Rye Historical Society invites you to a very special weekend to explore the enthralling nautical history of privateering during one of America’s most tumultuous time periods.
The Story of Privateering in the Revolutionary War with Eric Dolin
On Friday, October 16th, join us for a very special evening with Eric Jay Dolin, critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author of Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution. Dolin will share fresh insight into the ways privateers were fundamental to the outcome of the American Revolution. At a time when the British navy was the most powerful force on the water, the Continental Congress gave freelance fleets of whaleboats and merchant vessels letters of marque, empowering them to scour the coastlines and open oceans in hopes of capturing British ships, thereby putting a thorn in the side of the oppressive forces threatening colonial freedoms.
From 6-7pm, join us at the historic Square House museum for Dolin’s presentation on the daring exploits of these rebellious sailors.
Light bites and drinks will be available from 5:30-6pm prior to the talk. Mr. Dolin will be available after the presentation for a short Q&A and opportunity to sign copies of his work, Rebels at Sea, as well as his newest work, The Wreck of the Mentor. Copies will be available courtesy of Arcade Books.
About the Author
Eric Jay Dolin is the author of seventeen books, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America; A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes; Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates; and Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution. His newest work, available since June 2, 2026, is The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail.
Dolin's books have won many awards including the John Lyman Award for U.S. Maritime History; Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award; National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in American History Book Award for Adult Nonfiction; Samuel Eliot Morison Book Award for Naval Literature; L. Byrne Waterman Book Award for Outstanding Contributions to Research and Pedagogy in the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences; James P. Hanlan Book Award; and the Outdoor Writers Association of America Book Award. Many of his books have been chosen as “must reads” by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Other honors include being chosen as a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and as one of the best books of the year by The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, the Library Journal, and Booklist. Dolin lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with his family.
A Special Tour of the Tall Ship The Lynx
Have you wondered what it would have been like aboard privateering ships? Continue to explore the thrilling nautical history of privateers during the American Revolution with a once-in-a-lifetime experience inspired by this year’s momentous 250th commemorations. Westchester County is honored to host the Tall Ship The Lynx at Echo Bay Yacht Club in New Rochelle, NY. This masterfully crafted Tall Ship is inspired by a privateer modeled after those used during the Revolutionary War.
On Saturday, October 17th, Rye Historical Society invites participants on a private guided tour of The Lynx. Join us for light refreshments at 8:30am at the Square House Museum and then hop on a bus ride to New Rochelle. Participants will leave the Square House and arrive at The Lynx at 9:30am before the ship opens to the general public. Visitors will have the opportunity to board the ship, learn more about the ship and its history, and get a unique, personal experience that that will be remembered for the next 50 years!
For more information about The Lynx and its crew, please visit https://www.tallshiplynx.org/.
Tickets will be available for each individual event or as a discounted bundled special! Purchase your tickets at https://givebutter.com/sail-through-history-k5bzgb.