Laundry Day
Most Americans think of April 15 as tax day. The date has another, more obscure designation however. April 15 is also National Laundry Day, a time to reflect on the mundane task of doing laundry, to teach someone how to do laundry and to review our choice of detergents.
On Saturday, April 16, Old Fort Niagara will show visitors how laundry was processed in the eighteenth century, long before the invention of the automatic washer and dryer. Living history interpreters will demonstrate laundry techniques over an open fire and discuss textiles and their production. Visitors will learn how clothing was repaired and how military tailors insured that uniforms fit the soldiers in the garrison. The program will also explore Native American clothing and how it differed from garments worn by Europeans.
Other activities include:
Stain Removal Science- explaining what actually happens when a stain is removed and demonstrating some real 18th century techniques for removing various stains from different kinds of fabrics.
Fiber Science- an in depth look at why certain fibers are used for certain things, how they work and what their various properties are.
How does soap work? This program looks at how soap is made and how it works in the past and the present.
Program Schedule
Ongoing Programs from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm
18th Century Laundry
18th Century textiles and their uses/poroduction
18th Century Clothing Repair
Uniform Choices and Military Tailors
Native Fashion in the 18th Century
Timed Programs
11:00 am Musket firing demonstration
11:30 am Stain Removal Science and Demonstration
Noon Musket Firing
12:30 pm Fiber Science
1:00 pm Artillery Demonstration
2:30 pm How Soap Works
3:00 pm Musket Firing
4:00 pm Musket Firing
Hours of Operation
January 13 through March, Open Wednesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
April 1- June 30, Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
July and August, Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
September 1 - October 15, Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
October 16 - December 31, Open Wednesday through Sunday (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays) 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The fort will be open daily during Christmas week, December 26 - 31.
Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
General Admission
Adults: |
$20.00 |
Children (6 to 12 years) |
$12.00 |
Children (5 and under): |
FREE |
Support the Fort
Old Fort Niagara is operated by the Old Fort Niagara Association, an independent, not-for-profit organization established in 1927. We do not rely on tax dollars. Instead, the Fort is funded through a combination of admission fees, museum shop sales, and charitable contributions.
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