Greene County Historian Jonathan Palmer will thrill and chill his audience with the second in the Pratt Museum’s Greene Ghosts Series, “The Murder of Sally Hamilton”. Yes, there’s a ghost in the story.

Join us for our annual Victorian Tea at the historic homestead of town founder Zadock Pratt, now the Zadock Pratt Museum. Built in 1828, this special home is now listed on the National & State Registers of Historic Places. Enjoy a special selection of tea, sandwiches, and desserts prepared by Carole Cangelosi & Theresa Whitworth! More information about reservations to come.

Looking for Railroad Jack: A Historian’s Search for a Long-Lost Canine Celebrity by historian Kelli Huggins.

In the 1880s and 1890s, there were few dogs as famous as Albany, NY’s Railroad Jack. Along with his contemporary, the Postal Service’s Owney, Jack captivated the public with his train-riding antics. When he died in 1893, his body was taxidermied and, subsequently, lost from the historical record. This talk will explain what Jack and fellow animal celebrities tell us about the history of the Gilded Age and will explore attempts to figure out what happened to him.

An illustrated talk about a little-know facet of Zadock Pratt’s personality by one of the Pratt Museum’s favorite former curator Suzanne Walsh. In this lifetime, Pratt commissioned works by John Vanderlyn, Frederick Spenser, Amos Hamlin, Currier & Ives, and others.

Join us for the Second Annual Zadock Pratt Lecture: Lafayette’s Visit to Greene County, NY by Greene County Historian Jonathan Palmer. In 1825, General George Lafayette was welcomed in Catskill, NY with a festive parade. On July 12, 1822, he became a Colonel for New York’s 116th Infantry. In 1825, he commanded the escort of Lafayette into Catskill on his beloved horse, Prince.

In conjunction with Upstate Art Weekend, we will host a conversation between Cal Siegel, artist; Tony Bluestone, artist, curator and Zadock Pratt Museum board member; Carolyn Bennet, historian and Zadock Pratt Museum board president; and Sarah Workneh, arts educator and co-executive director of Sky High Farms.

In conjunction with Upstate Art Weekend, we are thrilled to welcome local author Jennifer Kabat in conjunction with the recent release of her book The Eighth Moon: A Memoir or Belonging and Rebellion. Following a reading will be a conversation between the author and fellow historian, Monica Nelson.

A lecture by former Pratt Museum Curator Suzanne Walsh. Come listen to the recently declassified story about how Zadock Pratt’s great grandson, Ralph Ingersoll was front and center in the smoke and mirrors escapades that saved the lives of thousands of US troops and helped win the war in the operation of the “Ghost Army of World War II”.

The Mountaintop Merwins’ famous literary connection by local author, journalist, and newspaper reporter Jesse “James” Angelino. Merwin is a name that many folks across the river in Kinderhook and up on the mountain in Jewett and Prattsville, NY know quite well. But did you know that it was a Merwin who inspired Washington Irving’s iconic character, Ichabod Crane, of “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” fame?

Whose Folk? features work by contemporary artist Cal Siegel in conversation with a curated selection of objects from the museum’s collection. Siegel’s sculptures and photographs – various ceramic and wooden forms, vessels, and wall hangings all refer back to historical architecture and objects with equal parts reverence, humor, and criticality. When displayed alongside historic artifacts from the Pratt homestead, visitors are asked to consider how the past informs the present.