"First Saturday" Family Tours of Hampton Mansion
Every week on Saturday morning only, August 3 to December 7, 2019

Join us on the first Saturday of the month for special family tours of the Hampton mansion. These 30-minute, family-friendly tours will engage children of all ages in exploring America’s past through the history of the Ridgely family, from the post-Revolutionary era to the Civil War. Tour guides will explain how the Ridgely children lived, learned, and played on the Hampton estate, and how their families were impacted by changing cultural, social, and political movements in the United States. Visitors will also learn about the experiences of the enslaved children that lived and worked on the estate. Museums are great places for children to learn and explore, and young visitors will have the chance to develop and practice good museum visiting skills as part of the tour.

Tickets are required to participate in the Family Tours. Tickets are free of charge and must be obtained at the Visitor Contact Station prior to the beginning of the tour. Tickets will be available beginning at 9:00 am on the morning of the tour only. Advanced registration and tickets are not available. Tours are limited to 15 people per tour on a first come, first served basis. For additional information call 410-823-1309.

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18th & 19th Century Child’s Play
Saturday & Sunday, July 6 to August 24, 2019
11 am—2 pm
 
Before there were video games in the arcade, on the television screen, and even in the palm of your hand, children spent more time outside, running around and using their imaginations while playing games! Come to Hampton National Historic Site every weekend during the months of July and August and step back in time when “gaming” meant interacting with others while enjoying fresh air and working all your muscles including your brain!  The entire family can play: Marbles, Jax, Game of Graces, Tabletop Nine Pins, Jacobs Ladder, Cup and Ball, Hoop and Stick, partake in sack races and more.  All the fun will take place on the Hampton NHS’s farm.  For more information, visit our website www.nps.gov/hamp or call 410-823-1309 x254. 

On the Hampton Plantation
Sunday, August 11, 2019
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
 
Dressed in Antebellum period attire, Park Ranger Anokwale will guide visitors around the grounds of Hampton and give voice to the enslaved African Americans and European indentured servants who made the Ridgelys' lavish lifestyle possible. Participants will have the opportunity to experience first-hand, replicas of items used on the plantation during the 1800s. Admission and parking are free, on a first come, first served basis. ADA accessible. Reservations are not required and will not be taken. For more information, call 410 823-1309.

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Hampton from “Grandeur” to Green: Life and Landscape
Every week on Saturday, July 13 to October 5, 2019
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
 
Gardening and scenic landscaping have played important roles in social and cultural histories of the United States and the world. For much of Hampton’s history, scenic gardening reflected the interests, social statuses, wealth, and creativity of the Ridgely family.  From the 1790’s to modern day, the cultural landscape of Hampton has changed to suit the wants and needs of those who occupy the property. From ornate gardens that mirror those of great palaces in Paris, to the more practical use of greenhouses for cultivating flowers and vegetables, Hampton’s landscape tells the story of the many functions of landscaping and the labors used to create landscapes. Join a guided tour of the Hampton gardens to learn more about the history of the estate’s cultural landscape and its purpose over time. Discover the many functions of the gardens and how the National Park Service preserves the gardens today.
 
This program is free and open to the public. The program will begin at the Visitor Contact Station. The program will be outdoors so visitors are advised to dress appropriately for seasonal weather. Reservations are not required and will not be taken. Call 410-823-1309 to confirm program availability.

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An Authentic American Document: Art and Architecture of Hampton
Every week on Sunday, July 14 to September 29, 2019
1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
 
Without a direct link to a famous historic figure or event in American history, Hampton was the first site to be preserved by the National Park Service based on its architectural merit alone. The Hampton mansion boasts a grand eighteenth century Georgian design and a collection of paintings that spans the many periods and styles of American artwork. Join a park ranger for a guided tour of the exterior of the mansion and learn more about the art and architecture of Hampton as examples of American grandeur and style. Through preservation, sites like Hampton continue to tell the story of America through cultural resources such as paintings, buildings, and landscapes.

The program will begin at the Visitor Contact Station.  The program will take place outdoors and some light walking may be involved. This program is free and open to the public. ADA accessible. Call 410-823-1309 to confirm program availability.
 
SEPTEMBER

A Taste of Maryland: The History of Some of Maryland’s Most Iconic Foods
Sunday, September 29, 2019, 2 pm - 3:30 p.m.
In the Orangery
 
Learn about the history of Maryland’s most iconic food traditions and food businesses such as Maryland Beaten Biscuits, crab cakes, coddies, McCormick Spices and Old Bay to some less well-known fare including black licorice, white potato pie, and peach fluff. This presentation is based on research presenter Joyce White has been doing in her role as curator for the state of Maryland permanent exhibit for the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, LA. The demonstration will be followed by the opportunity to taste an assortment of sweet and savory Maryland fare. Join us in the Orangery for an informative presentation that includes real food! Admission is free, handicap accessible. Reservations will not be taken, “first come, first served basis.” Call 410-823-1309 x254 or visit www.nps.gov/hamp.
 
OCTOBER
 
Hampton Art Experience
Friday, October 4, and Saturday, October 5, 2019
Mansion, Farm, and Gardens
Baltimore County Public Schools event
 
In partnership with HNHS and HHI, Baltimore County Public School students will participate in an engaging day of art-making at Hampton National Historic Site from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, October 4^th.  Schools will select and participate in two of three History & Art workshops. Tours, led by National Park Service staff, will be 15 minutes and then students will attend art workshops by local artists. The event will culminate in an exhibition in the Orangery, on Saturday, October 5^th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., of the students’ works created on Friday.

Harvest Day
Saturday, October 19, 2019
The Lower Farm
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
 
Join us for our annual Harvest Day on the Lower Farm! Experience Antebellum era traditions and farming techniques. Enjoy ongoing farm activities from cider pressing and ice cream making demonstrations to corn shucking contests. NPS staff and volunteers, dressed in period attire, will demonstrate farming techniques and play music on the fiddle and banjo. Learn more about the enslaved and indentured individuals who worked on the Hampton estate.  This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 410-823-1309.  Stay tuned for a detailed schedule.
 
An Evening of Elegance
October 19, 2019
hosted by The Women's Committee of HHI
Country Club of Maryland, 1101 Stevenson Ln, Baltimore, MD 21286 (note the new location!)
Details to follow


DECEMBER

Holidays at Hampton
Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 8 p.m.
 
Save the date! Holidays at Hampton is scheduled for December 14-15, 2019. A complete schedule of events will be available November 2019. 

If you have ever grown Wisteria you are fully aware of how monstrous it can become if unkept. The vines become a tangled mess and they pile up on top of each other rather than following whatever trellises or wall you want them to climb across. So, keeping up on it is a must. Wisteria requires attention two times a year, once in July/August and once around February/March. Towards the end of summer, you are pruning back some of the longer vines and training others to grow in the desired direction. When pruning you should follow the branch back to where it attaches at the stem, then count 5 buds from the stem and make your cut there. By doing this you help promote more flowering the following year. At the end of winter, you can get a good look at the plant’s skeleton and remove stems or branches that are unwanted. You also prune back those same branches that you cut back to 5 buds; now you cut it back to 2 buds. I have used these techniques on our Wisteria in front of Hampton’s Visitor Contact Station. I am looking forward to seeing it next spring when it will be better trained and have beautiful flowers!