At Greenfield Village, we’re known for our commitment to authenticity at every level…and how!

Last Wednesday, our Firestone Farm staff members kicked off a two-and-a-half month beard growing competition after work with a close-shave contest.

Firestone Farmers looking for a close shave

Tom Varitek, our senior manager of program operations, joins in the fun!

Winner of the closest shave - Steve Opp!

Participants will grow out their beards until the 2012 re-opening of Greenfield Village on April 14, when a panel of judges will give a prize for the best 1885 facial hair.

President Chester A. Arthur, sporting an 1885 beard

Our Firestone farmers are eager to show off their beards as they welcome guests back to Greenfield Village on April 14…anyone care to join us by growing your own 1885-style beard over these next couple of months? There just may be a prize for you as well!

We won’t be this clean-shaven when you see us on April 14!

See you then!

This year at The Henry Ford, Girl Scouts will have a chance to make history while learning about history!

Last fall, in anticipation of its 100th anniversary, Girl Scouts of the USA unveiled their new scouting framework, which includes new badges for all levels of scouts – and as a result, all of the old badges are being realigned and many will no longer be available after this year.

We want to give Girl Scouts one last chance to earn many of these badges before they no longer exist. In 2012, on most Saturdays in February through May, Girl Scouts can come to The Henry Ford and earn eight of these historic badges:

• Listening to the Past (for Brownies)
• Earth Connections (for Juniors)
• United We Stand (for Juniors)
• Architecture (for Juniors)
• Local Lore (for Juniors)
• Careers (for Juniors)
• Heritage Hunt (for Cadettes/Seniors)
• Invention and Inquiry (for Cadettes/Seniors)

For the past two years, we have offered unique experiences for scouts who come to Greenfield Village, Henry Ford Museum and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. With eight different full-badge programs – plus the opportunity for scouts to take their badge home with them the same day they earn them – The Henry Ford has become one of the most popular destinations for girls to earn their badges. Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes and Seniors can complete every badge requirement in one day and leave with their new badge (no need for troop leaders to call around, looking for them!), all while experiencing America’s Greatest History Attraction.

Whether they’re exploring careers for women at the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, discovering landmark inventions at Henry Ford Museum, or learning about stories from Henry Ford’s past in Greenfield Village, Girl Scouts will love these one-of-a-kind experiences. For the complete schedule of badge programs and registration information, visit our Girl Scout Badge Program page.

Don’t miss this opportunity to earn these badges before it’s too late!

Christopher Hemler is the Curator of Education for Youth, Adult and Digital Programs at The Henry Ford. He also heads up the Scouting at The Henry Ford group page on Facebook – stop by the page to ask him your questions, or tell us about your troop’s visit to The Henry Ford!

As a parent who’s been a long-time Discovery Camp mom, I would like to say right from the start …

What are you waiting for?

The program has proven to be fruitful and multiply as I’ve witnessed my children become discoverers, explorers, inventors, historians, teachers, merchants, marketers, industrialists, farmers, builders, engineers, tinkers, tailors and (of course) candlestick makers – all in the context of Discovery Camp at The Henry Ford. I’ve also watched them enjoy making friends with children from around Metro Detroit.

If you want to learn more about how the program might inspire the young innovators you know – here’s your chance.

There will be a Discovery Camp Open House, from 4-6 p.m., Feb. 22, in the Pretcher Promenade in front of Anderson Theater in Henry Ford Museum.

Displays and a slideshow presentation will showcase each camp level, and folks in-the-know can answer questions about daily activities, food, aftercare, the overnights for the older campers, etc. There will also be two call center representatives to answer payment and reservation questions.

The weeklong day-camp program is for students entering second through ninth grades in the fall. (There are six sessions from which to choose for students up to grade eight, and two available sessions for those entering grade nine.)

And, again, membership has its benefits. In addition to a reduced rate for the camp program, members will be able to register for their preferred sessions as early as February 22. Non-member registration begins March 23.

Kristine Hass is writer and a long-time member of The Henry Ford. She frequently blogs about her family’s visits to America’s Greatest History Attraction.

It’s February! The groundhog has seen his shadow, so it looks like we’re in for six more weeks of winter…which makes it the perfect time to explore Henry Ford Museum and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour.

Here’s what’s going on this month at The Henry Ford:

Driving America – now open at Henry Ford Museum! The wait is over – and now you can explore the world’s premier automotive exhibition for yourself! Take a trip through 80,000 square feet of automotive history, and a look at where we’re headed next. And don’t forget to tell us the story of your first car!

• Celebrate Black History!: Throughout the month of February, we have a wide range of performances and activities available at Henry Ford Museum to explore Black History in America.
• The last day to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol on Michigan’s largest screen – including that incredible Burj Khalifa climbing scene! – is Thursday, February 9.
• The Henry Ford Learning Series: American Democracy and Civil Rights, February 10: Our monthly Learning Series lectures continue, this time focusing on leadership in American democracy. Guests are invited to attend the morning lecture featuring Donna Braden, our own curator of public life and lead experience developer, along with Kidada Williams, assistant professor of African American History at Wayne State University. This morning session is free and open to the public.
• Macy’s 2nd Mondays, February 13: Join us from 10 a.m.-noon for this fun morning out with your little ones! This month’s theme is “Driving America,” and as usual, there will be lots of hands-on activities and fun for them. Don’t forget – admission to Henry Ford Museum is always FREE for children under five!
• Target Family Days, February 20 (Presidents Day!): Thanks to our friends at Target, you can enjoy free admission to Henry Ford Museum on this day – along with make-and-take activities, live musical performances and even a presidential-themed scavenger hunt through the museum. It’s also another great opportunity to experience our Celebrate Black History! activities.
• Open house for our Summer Discovery Camps, February 22: Did you know that we offer a summer day camp program for kids? It’s true! If you have a youngster in grades 2-9, you’ll want to stop by to learn more about this history-based, week-long program. Past campers have created old-fashioned toys, hiked through the restored Rouge River Oxbow area of Greenfield Village, built robots – and even served as an apprentice in a historic craft!

For more information and additional activities, keep an eye on our online calendar, or import these activities directly to your own online calendar program from the blog.

Hope you can join us for a fantastic February!

The Giddings Family Home was built around 1750 by John Giddings, a successful merchant, in Exeter, New Hampshire. Like most early American families, they would not have marked Christmas with decorations or celebrations; instead, the women of the house would have continued with their winter’s work, so stepping into this homestead is a great way to learn about what New England town life was like in the mid-1700s.

However, during Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village, there is a bit more going on than just the standard home upkeep - you’ll be able to see one of our period-clothed presenters making chocolate in the Giddings House kitchen!

By the time of the American Revolution, domestically-made chocolate was one of the most popular drinks among all classes of people.

Watch as our presenter roasts the cocoa beans and then grinds them with a mortar and pestle, adding ingredients to make the delicious winter drink favored by early Americans.

Stop by the Giddings Family House during Holiday Nights to see this unique presentation – then let us know: What’s your favorite way to enjoy chocolate?

Holiday Nights runs December 2-3, 9-10, 16-23 and 26-27, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.

It’s a winter wonderland of Christmas traditions at Holiday Nights in GreenfieldVillage. Come discover why in 2009, USA Today listed this event as part of their top ten holiday destinations for the family. Holiday Nights runs December 2-3, 9-10, 16-23 and 26-27, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. Ticket prices are $14.50 for adult members and $12.75 for youth members, $17 for adult non-members and $15 for youth non-members. Children four and under are free. To purchase tickets, call (313) 982-6001 or visit www.thehenryford.org.

Weekend nights in December, Greenfield Village is illuminated with more than 350 lanterns that line the paths leading to 300 years of Christmas traditions. With the Holiday Nights activities named after famous Christmas songs and sayings, start with “Oh, Bring Us a Figgy Pudding” as the aroma of holiday cooking draws you to the Ford Home, McGuffey Birthplace, Adams Family Home and more. “Deck the Halls” with festive decorations at Cohen Millinery, Grimm Jewelry Store, Sarah Jordan Boarding House and the Wright Brothers Home.

Go “Over the River and Through the Woods” on one of the free, historic rides like a Model T, the 1913 Herschell-Spillman Carousel and the horse-drawn wagon. “Troll the Ancient Yuletide Carol” with live musical performances throughout the village including caroling quartets, bands and fiddlers. Follow the bellowing “Ho, Ho, Ho’s” toward the Frost Home to visit Santa and his reindeer as “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” “Find Tidings of Comfort and Joy” with many holiday displays at Cotswold Cottage, the Tintype Studio, Richart Wagon Ship and Smiths Creek Depot. Finally, brush up your “Fa La La La La’s” and end your evening on the Village Green with the grand finale processional, festive sing-along and beautiful winter fireworks display.

“Have a Cup of Cheer” with some hot chocolate or other tasty beverages. Fill up on Pork and Apple Stew at the Central Market on State Street, chestnuts or fresh-carved roast beef near Cohen Millinery and the Heinz House, some sweets at Sir John Bennett’s, or snacks and food at A Taste of History or Village Pavilion.

Back again is the ever-popular family dining package, Supper with Santa. A special ticket price combines dinner and Holiday Nights admission, and begins with a horse-drawn wagon ride to A Taste of History restaurant insideGreenfieldVillage. Enjoy a casual holiday turkey meal, arts and crafts and storytelling – and before heading into Holiday Nights, Santa himself will make a tableside visit to wish each child a Merry Christmas. Tickets are $37.50 for adult members and $28.75 for youth members ages 5-12, $40 for adult non-members and $31 for youth non-members. Tickets for all children ages four and under are $12.50.

For the adults, historic Eagle Tavern also offers an exclusive, sophisticated seated dinner package. Live period music sets the tone for a delectable holiday feast, featuring roasted rib of beef, squash soup, roasted chicken with cherry sauce, gingerbread cake with maple glaze and more. The dinner package, which is available every night of the program, offers 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. seating and includes admission to Holiday Nights. Tickets are $66.50 for adult members and $64.50 for youth members, $69 for adult non-members and $67 for youth non-members. To purchase tickets for both Supper with Santa and the Eagle Tavern dinner package, call (313) 982-6001 or visit www.thehenryford.org.

About The Henry Ford:

The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, is the world’s premier history destination and a National Historic Landmark that celebrates American history and innovation. Its mission is to provide unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories and lives from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation. Its purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future. Five distinct attractions at The Henry Ford captivate more than 1.5 million visitors annually: Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school which educates 485 students a year on the institution’s campus and was founded in partnership with The Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company and Wayne County Public Schools. For more information please visit our website thehenryford.org.

If a trip to Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village is in your future, you’re probably already mentally calculating how many layers of winter clothing you’ll want to wear…but worry not – we have plenty of ways to help you stay nice and toasty during this fantastically fun outdoor winter event!

In no particular order, here are some of the best ways to stay warm during Holiday Nights:

Cuddle up with a loved one at one of the more than 50 (!) warming fires stationed around Greenfield Village….

…or on a wagon ride, where you can keep your mind off the cold with a sing-along.

Stop in the Beer Guild Hall for some hot cocoa, Hobo Bread, hot or mulled cider – or even an “adult” warm-up (translation: hot cocoa with peppermint Schnapps).

New to this year’s Holiday Nights program is the Burbank Store, which is a fantastic place to get cookies and cocoa and other goodies just before (or just after) stopping to see Santa Claus.

Our heated Pavilion is wonderful for sitting down with a cup of our own butternut squash soup (which is our most-requested recipe), hot dogs, bratwurst and lighter snacks such as popcorn. Or, for an even more traditional meal, the Taste of History restaurant offers both adult- and kid-sized turkey dinners and other items in our largest menu available for guests.

Of course, you don’t have to step away from any of the action to grab some tasty morsels – on Main Street, you can find carved roast beef sandwiches and chestnuts (yes, roasted over an open fire!); and on State Street, we have a huge cauldron of pork and apple stew simmering over the fire.

Once you’ve filled up your own gas tank, don’t forget to catch a ride on a Model T – blankets are available in the vehicles to keep you warm (remember, these early cars didn’t have heaters, or even glass windows to keep out the cold!).

Of course, stopping into the historic homes of Greenfield Village is a great way to escape the chill for a few moments. We’re cooking period-appropriate holiday dinners in many of the homes, with other special presentations in particular buildings.

But if you’re a Holiday Nights veteran, you probably know the best ways to fight off the cold – what are your suggestions? Tell us below or on our Facebook wall!

It’s the second weekend of Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village, and starting tonight (for this weekend only), our Pottery Shop will be firing its outdoor wood kiln!

The wood kiln gives the potters an even better chance to express themselves artistically, as the pieces they create aren’t part of the regular production.

This is one of only a few times the wood kiln is fired each year, and the only time we’re open during the evening for guests to see it being fired, which always happens at night. It’s a pretty dramatic sight to see the giant flames shooting out from the top of the kiln into the cold winter night air!

If you want to see it tonight, come by around 7 or 7:30 p.m. to see the process being started; then, the really big flames will be stoked and on display tomorrow night before the fireworks begin at 10 p.m.

In the midst of your Holiday Nights revelry, be sure to sneak away from Main Street and stop in the Liberty Craftworks district to see and learn about the kiln – and don’t forget that the Glass Shop is also open, with our glass candy canes and other pieces being shaped from the molten glass, right before your eyes.

What are some of the other hidden treasures of Holiday Nights that you’ve discovered?

Each year in the Pottery Shop, we create a new limited-edition tile ornament for the holiday season. This year’s theme is a cheerful gingerbread man – we’ve had many guests tell us that collecting and displaying the ornaments on their Christmas trees has become a family tradition, so we try to create something unique and fun to help keep those traditions alive!

The process began quite a while ago – early on in 2011, in fact – with developing the design for the ornaments, then one of our potters, Melinda, carving them into a mold.

It’s quite a painstaking process, with about an entire day devoted to carving the lines so that they’re just deep enough to hold the decorative glaze we’ll apply later, but not too deep, either.

Melinda uses clay to check the depth and quality of the lines she’s carving, and once the carving is complete, we create a rubber mold for the final product and then duplicate this process three more times.

Take a look at this video as Melinda takes you through the process – then look for these 2011 gingerbread man ornaments in our stores; they just might make it into your family’s traditions as well!

What other types of cherished holiday traditions do you follow?

Ryan Forrey is lead potter in Greenfield Village’s Pottery Shop, where throwing pottery is a fun and rewarding job – but nothing like the movie Ghost.

Get your costumes ready – it’s time for Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village!

This spooky-but-not-scary event has become one of our most popular signature programs, and we can’t wait to open the Greenfield Village gates for you to collect treats along the festively-decorated path, which is lit by hundreds of hand-carved jack-o-lanterns!

If you’ve been following the Hallowe’en prep on Facebook or Twitter, you know that we have several new characters to meet during your visit; our on-site Studio – which designs and produces all of our period clothing and costumes for events like Hallowe’en and Holiday Nights – is excited to introduce them to you! You can find out more about how they’re made here, then keep an eye out at Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village and see if you can spot which ones are the newest additions to our spooktacular cast of characters!

Make sure to stop for some spooky storytelling as well – including Edgar Allan Poe’s creepy classic, The Tell-Tale Heart! (Side note: Did you know that we have one of Poe’s writing desks in our collections? You can see it in the Fully Furnished exhibit in Henry Ford Museum.)

And of course, make sure you stop by all of our treat stations for a little snack to enjoy as you wind through the path!

What is your favorite part about Halloween? Tell us in the comments box below!