Events, Exhibitions and Public Programs At RCHS

Unless otherwise noted all events are open to the public and take place at RCHS, 57 Second Street in historic downtown Troy. Street parking is available. Call 518-272-7232 x. 17 for more information about these events.

Events and Public Programs

Cute as a Button - A Family Fun Day

Saturday, November 22, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Inspired by the Buttons Galore exhibit, this afternoon family program will be full of button crafts. We'll visit the exhibit to get design ideas and then make our ideas real with several button craft projects.

$3 material fee per child. Reservations encouraged. 272-7232 x. 17

47th Annual Holiday Greens Show: Twas the Night Before Christmas

December 4-7, Noon - 5:00pm
Family Night December 4, 5:00pm - 8:00pm

RCHS proudly hosts the 47th Annual Van Rensselaer Garden Club Holiday Greens Show at the Hart-Cluett House. This year's theme, Twas the Night Before Christmas, celebrates the 180th anniversary of the first publication of the famous Christmas story in the Troy Sentinel.

The rooms of the Hart-Cluett House will be decorated with live greens and floral arrangements inspired by Clement Clarke Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas. This holiday tradition delights young and old and is the Capital Region’s kick-off to the holiday season. Come be a part of this holiday tradition.

The Greens Show is open to the public from December 4-December 7, 2003. The hours are Noon-5:00 pm each day. Admission to the Greens Show is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and children over 5, Free for children under 5.

Special Programs and Event During the 47th Annual Greens Show

Family Night - Thursday December 4 is Family Night. The Greens Show is open until 8:00 pm and admission is free. Craft activities for children are available along with Christmas stories under the Christmas tree. Photos with Santa Claus are available for a fee.

Puppet Shows - RCHS is pleased to bring Masque Theater’s touring marionette company, Castle Bridge Players to perform Jack Frost during the 47th Annual Holiday Greens Show. In this 30 minute performance, Jack Frost paints the delightful tales of How Jack became Jack, the Gift of the Magi, The Matchgirl, One Tin Solider and A Visit from St. Nicholas.

Public performances will be held on Thursday and Friday afternoons at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm and on Saturday at 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
Seating is limited to 50 people. Admission to the puppet show is $5 per person.
Call 272-7232 x. 17 to reserve your seat or make arrangements for a group visit.

Silent Auction of Holiday Wreaths - Along with the Greens Show is the annual silent auction of holiday wreaths created by the members of the Van Rensselaer Garden Club. The wreaths are on view in RCHS’s First Floor Meeting room throughout the run of the Greens Show. Bids may be placed at any time during the show, final bids are accepted Sunday afternoon. Winning bidders may pick-up their wreath on Monday December 8, 2003.

Tuesday Tours

Tuesday, December 9, 1:30pm - 2:30pm

Spend an afternoon in Troy. Attend the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall's Music at Noon series and stay in Troy for exciting tours and programs presented by RCHS. All tours begin at RCHS. If inclement weather, some walking tours may be held as slide lectures.

Noon Concert ­ Jupiter Circle, a contemporary seasonal concert
Program - Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Troy Connection

$5 for RCHS members or with a Music at Noon program, $7 for non-members
Fee includes admission to the museum and library.

Exhibitions

Gallery talks and group tours of the exhibits can be arranged by calling 272-7232 x.17.

Looking in the Mirror

September 8 - December 7, 2003

This traveling exhibition organized by the Upstate History Alliance, invites people to explore the many ways, past and present, in which clothing helps shape our identity. Whether thinking about that special dress worn to a prom, the military uniform now worn only for parades, or that favorite cozy bathrobe, clothes make all of us who we are. We wear our clothes to fit in, or to stand out; for work and for play; to celebrate and to mourn. While at RCHS, the exhibit will be enhanced by selections from RCHS’s clothing collection including some chosen by fashion designer John Patrick Fleming of John Patrick.
Sponsored by Elizabeth Donohue Doviak and members of the RCHS Board of Trustees

Buttons Galore: Selections from the Ruth Howe Collection

September 8 – November 22, 2003

For several decades, Ruth Howe, a Rensselaer County native, was an avid button collector. Her button collection numbering over 8,000 was given to RCHS in 1983. Arranged by Miss Howe according to type, material or motif the buttons have become not only documentary evidence of button technology and style but they are also miniature works of art. A selection of her button collection will be displayed in the Robison Family Foundation Meeting Room.

Documenting Fashion

October 15 – December 23, 2003

Drawn from RCHS’s extensive archives, this companion exhibit to Looking in the Mirror, illustrates the written history of fashion. Local company archives, such as Cluett, Peabody & Co., Inc., fashion magazines, and personal remembrances reveal how clothing and fashion is not limited to the items we wear.

Resourceful People Orientation Gallery

Permanent Exhibition

Highlights from the permanent collection, an interactive computer tour of the county past and present as well as an orientation to the museum and Rensselaer County history.

The Town of Brunswick is currently featured in the spotlight with a 19th
century quilt on loan from the Brunswick Historical Society.

The Hart-Cluett House

Guided tours are available of the Historical Society's 1827 federal-style
town house, The Hart-Cluett House, by appointment. The house is also open during special public programs throughout the year.

On the National Register of Historic Places, the Hart-Cluett House was home to three prominent families in Troy before it was donated to the Historical Society in 1953.

Tours showcase the grand architecture of the building especially the first floor
and lower level where the original kitchen is still extant as well as highlight the lives of the people who lived and worked in the house.

Click here for more information on the Hart-Cluett House

RCHS is handicapped accessible and accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Past Exhibitions:

Click here for a list past Exhibitions

Additional Resources:

Click here for map, directions & hours
Click here for additional information on the Hart-Cluett House
Call 518-272-7232 for more information

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