Historic New Harmony

05/29/2026

Remembering our first Firefly Festival race, which happened last year. Over 200 people participated in the event at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 28, 2025. Shared here is a video of the start of the race.

There are still spots available in this year's Firefly Festival 5K Run/Walk!

Learn more at the Tri-State Fitness website: https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/NewHarmony/FireflyFestivalRunWalk

05/29/2026

Back in March, we shared that Historic New Harmony would be working with Indiana University’s Rural Placemaking Studio this summer. Together, we’ll improve Church Park and Maclure Square to make them more welcoming for everyone.

The Rural Placemaking Studio began in 2024. It brings together Indiana University faculty and students to work with small towns across the state. Their goal is to help communities design public spaces—like parks and gathering areas—that feel inviting, reflect local history, and bring people together through art and design.

Today, we welcomed Jon Racek from IU’s Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design and student Zan Santon to New Harmony. They spent several hours with University of Southern Indiana staff and New Harmony Town Council member Connie Weinzapfel. Together, we talked about the town’s history, how people use these spaces, and ways to better connect Church Park and Maclure Square.

Over the next few months, Racek and Santon will continue working with Historic New Harmony. They will help turn ideas into a clear plan and create designs that can be used to guide future improvements.

The 2026 Rural Placemaking Studio will wrap up later this summer with a public open house at Indiana University in Bloomington, where all of the projects will be shared.

Read more about the 2026 Rural Placemaking Studio at https://news.iu.edu/live/news/49210-iu-partners-with-15-more-rural-organizations-on

05/28/2026

🐎📸

Crowds lined the streets of New Harmony in 1906 for one of the town’s most anticipated events: Horse Show Day. Captured by photographer William F. Lichtenberger, this striking image shows spectators packed shoulder to shoulder along Main Street, watching riders guide their horses down the road, framed by storefronts, flags, and overhead telegraph lines.

Events like this were more than entertainment. They were major social gatherings that brought the community together and turned the town into a destination for the day. Horse shows celebrated skill, craftsmanship, and local pride in an era when horses were still central to daily life and transportation.

A vivid glimpse into New Harmony’s past and a reminder of how much life and celebration centered on the street itself.

📸 Horse Show Day in New Harmony. William F. Lichtenberger, photographer, 1906. MSS 247-8017, Don Blair Collection, University of Southern Indiana Archives and Special Collections. https://library.usi.edu/record/1538873?ln=en&p=horse+new+harmony&v=uv #?xywh=1417%2C278%2C9746%2C5534

05/27/2026

Week 4—The Keeper's Question

Why does Historic New Harmony have a life mask of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi?

He was a Swiss teacher who lived more than 200 years ago and never came to Indiana. Yet, here he is, part of Historic New Harmony's collection.

Pestalozzi believed something powerful: that every child deserves an education, and that learning should grow from the "head, heart, and hands." In other words, learning isn't only about facts, but thinking, feeling, and doing.

Those ideas traveled far beyond Switzerland. In fact, the leaders who helped shape New Harmony during its second utopian era—like William Maclure and Madame Marie Fretageot—were inspired by Pestalozzi's teaching methods and brought those ideas to the United States.

This life mask, made by J.M. Christen, shows us what Pestalozzi actually looked like. It came to Historic New Harmony from the Pestalozzi Foundation in July 1982. The Foundation is part of a larger effort to preserve Pestalozzi's legacy and his ideas about education that spread around the world.

Objects carry stories, ideas, and memory. Someone believed Pestalozzi mattered to New Harmony's story and chose to send this life mask here, trusting it would still matter in the future.

That's what collections work is all about. Behind every object is a question: What is worth saving and why?

In New Harmony, the answer often comes back to education and the idea that how we teach (and how we care for each other) can change the world. That's why we keep Pestalozzi's life mask and that's why it's here.

Thanks for spending the month with this object. 💛

05/26/2026

Stroll through beautiful New Harmony while browsing an expertly curated collection of antiques, vintage treasures, and unique collectibles. Featuring dealers from across the region, this beloved outdoor market offers everything from furniture and home décor to jewelry, artwork, and one-of-a-kind fi...

05/26/2026

Looking for something to do this week in New Harmony? We’ve got you covered!

📅 May 25–31, 2026
Here’s what’s happening at Historic New Harmony:

🚶‍♂️ New Harmony History Walking Tour
📍 Wednesday, May 27 at 1 PM
Tickets available at the Atheneum (401 North Arthur St.)

🎭 The New Harmony Project presents: The People v. Marion Barry
📍 Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 PM, Murphy Auditorium (419 Tavern St.)
🎟️ Free (reservations encouraged)
🔗 https://secure.qgiv.com/for/tnhp/event/2026celebrationofstorytelling/?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demo0dyqxoe8&fbclid=IwY2xjawSCo6BleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFtbVFsV1pGRTR0UmpZejRhc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmAkrzGC9NmJE4kGmQSy3IegIiFL29I2KjUwnnikzbrmUe4ed8aYLpTB34rr_aem_nXxlNNfpsFU0IO9PQwvT8Q

🚋 Tram Tour of New Harmony
Tuesday–Saturday at 10 AM + 11:15 AM
45-minute guided tour

🏛️ New Harmony History Tour
Tuesday, Thursday–Sunday at 1 PM
2-hour guided tour

🏛️ Atheneum Tour
Tuesday–Sunday, on demand
20-minute experience inside Richard Meier’s iconic building

⭐ Blue Star Museums Program
Free tram and history tours for active-duty military families through September 6

We hope to see you this week. Bring a friend and enjoy a walk, a show, or a ride through New Harmony’s history!

📍 Plan your visit: usi.edu/hnh
📧 [email protected] | 📞 812-682-4474

05/26/2026

Our 2026 New Harmony Book Award & Residency winner, C. Mallon, will be in-residence in Historic New Harmony from June 12-19! If you are in the area, please come to her reading on June 17th at 6:30 pm in the in Atheneum!

University of Southern Indiana, English at USI, University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts, University of Southern Indiana Foundation

05/25/2026

Historic New Harmony wishes you a meaningful Memorial Day. We remember and honor those who served our country and are no longer with us.

Learn more about the beginnings of Memorial Day from the National Museum of American History: https://americanhistory.si.edu/.../you-asked-we-answered....



📷: 1892 Memorial Day celebration in New Harmony, Indiana, Don Blair Collection, University of Southern Indiana Archives.

05/24/2026

Another exciting festival happening in New Harmony, June 19-20 at the Rapp-Owen Granary!

THREADWORXS FAIR 2026
New Harmony, Indiana • June 19–20 • The Granary

Step into a weekend where history, craftsmanship, and creativity meet.

Threadworxs Fair brings together a curated collection of textile artists, needleworkers, folk artisans, and makers from across the country—all in one beautifully restored historic setting. This isn’t a flea market. It’s a thoughtfully designed experience for people who appreciate handmade work, heritage techniques, and the stories stitched into every piece.

Browse antique samplers, hand-dyed threads, woolens, baskets, fraktur, and one-of-a-kind textiles. Meet the artists. Watch techniques up close. Take a class. Find something you won’t see again.

Featuring special guest Teresa Kogut with a trunk show and meet-and-greet.

Whether you stitch, collect, or just love beautiful things—this is your weekend.

Admission by donation
Classes + Exhibits + Curated Artisan Market

Bring a friend. Stay the day. Leave inspired.

Join us June 19–20, 2026 in New Harmony.