Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.
PLEASE NOTE: This post is about the 2013 event. It is possible that it may contain some out-dated information. While this post should still give you a great idea of the overall experience, please be sure to check the Florence Griswold Museum’s website for details about things like dates, hours and pricing.
2013 Post
Thank you to the Florence Griswold Museum for providing my family with complimentary admission to this event. All opinions are 100% my own.
This week’s post takes us on a magical adventure to a not-too-far-away faerie land. It’s the annual Wee Faerie Village at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut. So grab your wings (seriously, you won’t be the only one) and fly away with me!
First of all, as a mom of two boys, I want to be the first to tell you that this is not an event just for girls. I know that when most of us–especially those of us with preschoolers–hear the word “faerie” we immediately think along the lines of Tinkerbell and the rest of that flying Disney crew. But this is not about princesses or frilly dresses or magic wands, and while yes, there are representations of those winged creatures that resemble a half human/half butterfly mix, it’s much more about miniature works of art that can be enjoyed both by children (ALL children) and their grown-ups.
As such, I was dismayed to see at first that about 90% of the visiting children were little girls, most of them racing around with irridescent, child-size faerie wings strapped to their backs (adorable!). But happily, by the time we left in the early afternoon, there actually were a fair amount of little boys galavanting around too–some of them even had wings on 🙂
But I digress…
Back to our faerie adventure. I had heard about this event in years past, but I didn’t know much about it. This year, I was determined to check it out for myself. So we loaded Boo and baby and all of our day-tripping stuff into the car and drove down to Old Lyme for the opening Saturday. It took us about an hour door to door (I live in Glastonbury), and it was a very pleasant ride. Especially this time of year when the fiery leaves make every scene look like a postcard.
The signage is great, so you will have no problem finding the museum. You’ll want to keep your eye out for the stately, historic Florence Griswold house that will greet you at the entrance to the grounds.
Head down the drive and follow the signs to visitor parking.
You’ll wind your way past the front of the museum.
There is lots of parking just a short walk from the museum entrance, and there were attendants to help direct us to an open spot.
We knew that most of the exhibit would be outdoors in the grassy areas, so I decided to put the little guy in the BabyBjorn and Boo is totally good to walk all over the place these days. He usually rejects the stroller anyways.
We headed down the path toward the museum entrance.
Head inside to purchase your admission.
One of the highlights for Boo was the stickers we received as our “tickets.” He kept wanting to change stickers with hubby. I can’t believe those things weren’t falling off by the end of our visit. (Actually, Boo got another couple days out of those stickers; wore them everywhere. So cute!)
He even wanted little brother to get in on the sticker fun.
We also got a beautifully illustrated map of the exhibit. Each year the Wee Faerie Village has a different theme, and this year (2013), it is inspired by the beloved novel by L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
But this isn’t just a map, it’s also a detailed chronicle of the novel’s storyline, with summaries of the action at each Wee Faerie installation, plus a fun challenge for the kiddos (there’s something for them to find hidden in each miniature!).
Now it was time to head out back and start our journey. As you head through the museum and out back to the courtyard where the exhibit begins, you’ll pass this little cart that doubles as an information desk.
The restrooms are also right here as well (both have changing stations in the handicap stall). Pardon this terrible picture. I was standing outside and trying to take a picture of the inside through an open door. In bright sunlight. Note to self: that doesn’t work.
This back courtyard is absolutely gorgeous with a water view and lush greenery. There is a lovely cafe back here that takes full advantage of the beautiful setting (we’ll come back to that later). But for now, we were on the hunt.
So here’s how it works. There are 24 miniature installations, each conceived and developed by an individual or group of artists. (And some by elementary school children! That one will blow your mind.) Each tiny scene is accompanied by a number displayed on a painted pumpkin like this:
Follow the numbers sequentially (1 through 24) to discover the Wee Faerie interpretation of the beloved original story. I don’t know what Boo found more amusing, looking at the faerie houses or running around trying to find all the numbers!
Because the fun lies primarily in discovering and observing these amazing works of art, I’m only going to show you a few examples to give you an idea of what to expect. They are incredible. Can you guess what part of the story this is?
If you said the part where Dorothy’s house gets carried away by the twister, you’d be correct 🙂
A few more examples:
Here’s the one by the local elementary school students. Unbelievable!
The installations are located all around the property, and some of them take advantage of the existing landscape.
This one is my favorite, and it happens to have been designed and executed by David D.J. Rau, the Museum’s Director of Education and Outreach (and creator of the Wee Faerie Village events). These are all teapots turned on their sides to become tiny houses.
We also found some cute photo opportunities. Like these cut-outs.
And these super cute faerie wings. (Confession time: at first I thought they were just butterfly sculptures, but then I saw someone else taking a picture 🙂 ) They are all different heights so everyone can find a pair that’s just right.
There is also a list of kids’ activities for each weekend of the exhibit. When we were there, it was arts & crafts and a visit from Dorothy. You will find the schedule for the day posted onsite. But you can also check this page for a full list of events and activities. You can find many of these activities in one of two buildings located in front of the museum: The Hartman Education Center and the Rafal Landscape Center.
Touring a faerie village sure makes a person hungry. Good thing there is an onsite eatery called Cafe Flo. On first glance it appears to be an elegant patio-dining setting, but not to worry. Like everything else that’s a part of this museum, it is very family-friendly.
In fact, in addition to the casual outdoor dining area, you can also order a picnic to-go, which you can transport to anywhere on the grounds. Seriously. It will come in a basket and be accompanied by a blanket. And you can order anything on the menu. No picnic restrictions. We had to try that! It was great to hang out and eat at our own pace while Boo ran circles around the courtyard. There are also some benches here too, if you prefer that to sitting on the ground.
Especially for the duration of the Wee Faerie Village exhibit, Cafe Flo offers a “hot bar” menu, which is quick, easy, and contains all the things kids like to eat (well, most kids anyway; currently my picky preschooler is doing his best to subsist solely on raisins). You can check off your choices on a prepared slip of paper, hand it to the host/hostess and voila! your food will be out in a flash.
We also saw plenty of picnickers who brought their own goodies. A popular picnic spot was over near #23 (find it on your map). It is in close proximity to the parking areas (easy to grab your cooler from your car) and offered some nice shady spots.
Although, I will warn you that this installation includes an interactive sandbox of sorts. And yes, the kids can (and will want to) play in it.
After touring the village, hanging with Dorothy, grabbing a quick bite, and exploring the grounds, my whole crew was wishing we could click our heels together three times and be instantly home…for a nap 🙂
You may not find any pixie dust at the Wee Faerie Village, but enjoying a beautiful day here with your family is truly magical.
Thank you to the Florence Griswold Museum for providing my family with complimentary admission to this event. All opinions are 100% my own.
Wee Faerie Village in the Land of Oz at the Florence Griswold Museum
96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, Connecticut
Phone: 860-434-5542
Website: http://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/
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Hours & Admission
Wee Faerie Village is a special museum event.
UPDATE 2016: The 2016 Wee Faerie Village runs October 1st-30th. During this time, admisson fees are as follows:
$15 Adults
$14 Seniors (62+)
$13 Students
$5 Members
Children 12 and under are free
Tips & Things to Bring
- Your admission ticket also gets you into the museum and the historic Florence Griswold house, both of which are very family-friendly, complete with games for the little ones to keep them engaged and occupied. I’m not gonna lie, we had good intentions to try to see these too, but the Wee Faerie Village kept us pretty busy for several hours. If you want to take advantage of your admission ticket to see the other galleries, plan on spending the whole day.
- I would not recommend trying to navigate a stroller around the property as it is mostly grass (although, you could certainly do it with a more heavy duty type stroller). If you have a really little one, use a wearable baby carrier. Otherwise, your toddler or preschooler should be fine to walk around. Although the exhibit covers a lot of ground, there are plenty of opportunities to sit down for a rest.
- I would say that at 3 years old, Boo was just on the cusp of being able to understand and appreciate the art installations. But even if you think your little one might be too young to really “get” the exhibit, take them anyway. They get in FREE and the artworks are just as much fun for adults as they are for the kids.
- Dress up! Most of the kids (and some adults) were wearing faerie wings or dresses. I saw a few kids come dressed as Wizard of Oz characters. Anything goes! Costumes are highly encouraged! This is Halloween month after all 🙂
- Bring your own picnic or check out Cafe Flo on the museum grounds.
- There is also a gift shop.
- Don’t forget to check your local library to see if they have a museum pass. Admission will be only $5/person with one of those. Participating libraries include Glastonbury, West Hartford, Guilford, Clinton, Old Lyme, East Lyme & Wallingford, just to name a few. All you need is a valid CT library card (town residency not required) to use the passes from most CT libraries.
- Got more time? Wander to dozens of participating shops and restaurants in Old Lyme to find even more Oz-themed fun. Click here for more details.
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