We are excited to announce that we have joined the North American Reciprocal Museum Association.  The association, referred to as NARM, is one of the largest reciprocal membership programs in the world, with nearly 1,000 member institutions. These institutions span the entirety of North America, with members in the United States, Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, and even Bermuda!

Not only is there geographic diversity within NARM members, there is also a wide range of interests covered by these institutions, from historical societies, to science museums and art museums. This means that no matter your interests or where your travels might take you, there will always be something new to see thanks to NARM.

Reciprocal membership benefits through NARM include entrance fees at member rates for all participating institutions (which makes many of them free!) as well as reduced prices for event tickets and shop purchases. Access to these benefits comes with the purchase of a Lexington Historical Society Contributor ($125) membership or above.

In Lexington alone, there are three participating institutions - Lexington Historical Society, Lexington Arts & Crafts Society, and the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum. If those are too close to home, how about considering a trip to Providence to see the Rhode Island Historical Society’s John Brown House, or the RISD Museum of Art?

Going on a trip soon? Take your NARM benefits with you! Maybe you’re heading to Miami for some warm weather. While you’re there, get the member rate for admission at the Institute of Contemporary Art or the HistoryMiami Museum. How about a sightseeing trip to Washington, DC? If you want to avoid the crowds, there are a dozen member institutions in the city that are worth a visit.

My favorite, and maybe most out of the way destination in the continental United States might be the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum in Leadville, Colorado. If you venture past the ski resorts and end up in the beautiful mountains surrounding Leadville, stop by the museum for free admission to learn about the history of mining in America and tour a historic 19th century mine owned by Horace "Silver King" and Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor.
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We are excited to bring these wonderful NARM benefits to our members. We know that our members are curious, adventurous, and hungry for knowledge, and we are honored to support that passion. These additional benefits provide an amazing opportunity to experience some wonderful institutions for reduced admission all because you are members with us, and we hope you take full advantage of them!

-Lina Rosenberg, Operations Manager and Archivist

​Every year, we have a few thirsty folks wander into Buckman Tavern surprised to find that not only did colonial taverns need a liquor license to operate, but that ours expired in 1813!  While we no longer serve food and drink on the regular, we do occasionally open the building for events, and one of our most popular is what we have dubbed “Tavern Night”. Once a year, we’ve opened one of our historic taverns after-hours and invited the public in for a night of history and fun. This year, we are having a talk and tasting of historically inspired beers, made with local plants, led by Emerson Baker of Salem State University and Butch Heilshorn of Earth Eagle Brewings in Portsmouth, NH. 

It wouldn't be an 18th century party without food as well. A tavern like the Buckmans' would likely have served soups and stews to their visitors, which could stretch to feed a crowd. It’s hard to walk and eat soup, though, so for our event we are creating a spread of 18th century style appetizers that travel well. Hearty bread and cheese are obvious choices, as are pickled vegetables that would have been available in February in New England, having been jarred during the previous year’s harvest. 

To further explore what sorts of foods we could serve at our gathering, I turned to the most popular cookbook of the 18th century: The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse. First published in 1747, this book was in print for one hundred years, and went through several editions, including later versions featuring American recipes like indian pudding and cranberry tarts. As it turns out, Hannah has an entire chapter devoted to pickling! This is not surprising, as it was one of the easiest ways to preserve foods - this would ensure that your family would have plenty of fruits and vegetables to eat over the long New England winter. The 1771 edition I consulted has 32 pickle recipes. In addition to the usual vegetables that we eat today, Glasse has recipes for pickling just about any food you can imagine, including walnuts, peaches, lemons, fennel, oysters, and grapes!

Recently the staff had a tasting of a few varieties of any-century pickled vegetables from the supermarket to see what we’d like to offer for Tavern Night. Surprisingly, pickled asparagus was a huge hit, and the six of us polished off an entire jar over a lunch meeting! 

Join us at Tavern Night on February 24th to see what other 18th century foods you might discover - tickets are $50 for members and $60 for nonmembers, and include a history lecture, beer tasting, entertainment, and two drink tickets. Check out our events page for more information.

- Sarah McDonough, Programs Manager