Jay Heritage Center

10/21/2026

For eight long years, the Revolutionary War tore across the landscape of New York and affected every resident, whether they willingly joined the fight or found violence at their door. The Jay family’s first home in Westchester in Rye on the Sound, called The Locusts, was in the center of it all - the location and members of its household ultimately inspired James Fenimore Cooper’s novel about misplaced allegiances called The Spy.
Revisit the key battles, learn about contradictions around freedom, and uncover the real cost of the war through the lives of people often overlooked in American history with the Revisit the Revolution Traveling Exhibition - featuring 21 objects from New York State Parks and Historic Sites’ historic collections and The Revolution Across New York exhibition banners. For more info, email [email protected]

October 20 - 27th , 10am - 5pm Every day except Mondays. At the 1838 Jay Mansion. FREE Exhibition courtesy of NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. This project was made possible in part by funding from the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission.

10/06/2026

On September 19th, in commemoration of America’s 250th, JHC awarded the 2026 Jay Medals for Service to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annette Gordon-Reed and Lincoln historian Harold Holzer at the National Historic Landmark Jay Estate.
A highlight of the night was this message of congratulations and inspiration from Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III to the honorees and guests which included American historians and scholars, teachers, preservationists, Jay descendants, descendants of Rye’s earliest Afro-Indigenous families, government officials, civic advocates, and volunteers who have helped and continue to protect this significant New York State Park and Historic Site and all its stories. NYstateparks Preservation League of NYS Smithsonian Organization of American Historians American Historical Association Patrick Yacco Rye Chamber of Commerce The Journal News & lohud.com NPR The New York Times American Alliance of Museums New York Amsterdam News Westchester Magazine Hudson River Valley NHA New York State Archives

10/04/2026

This is fall color! Pinks and blues and a rainbow palette! Enjoy our gardens today and through October 10am-5pm weather permitting. Don’t miss our special free seed collecting workshop today at 1pm NYstateparks I LOVE NEW YORK Westchester County Tourism NY Hudson River Valley NHA Nicole Russo Steinthal

09/28/2026

Reliving last weekend’s momentous celebration of American history! Congratulations again to our Jay Medal honorees Annette Gordon-Reed and Harold Holzer. Thank you everyone who made the night such a success - our special guests Hon. Rowan Wilson and Elihu Rose, Joanne Freeman, David Blight and Frank Cogliano, our board, our auxiliary committee, our staff, our volunteers and our many partners in community outreach and preservation. .frank .holzer .ct

09/26/2026

We’re looking ahead past all this rain towards a sunny day for our rescheduled Fall Family Festival on October 25! Join us for our annual JAY DAY celebration with outdoor pony and carriage rides, face painting, hand cut silhouettes by Varin and model boat races, craft vendors and food trucks, geocaching, spy games, garden tours, origami, live music and so much more! New this year in honor of the 1783 Montgolfier brothers’ invention of thermal flight we will welcome Liberty Balloon! Participate in a family scarecrow building contest, and also enjoy New York State’s very own America 250 touring exhibit “Revisit the Revolution” featuring 25 authentic artifacts from the war of independence. More info and advance tickets at link in bio. Thank you to our cochairs Lindsay Martin, Claire Weschler, Jen Soliman and Julia Thalhammer and our amazing staff and volunteers who make this happen. Poster by the very talented Tracy Stora festival Liberty Balloon Company Varin Acevedo NYstateparks Rye Chamber of Commerce Parks & Trails New York Hudson River Valley NHA

09/24/2026

On September 19th, in commemoration of America’s 250th, JHC gave the 2026 Jay Medals for Service to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annette Gordon-Reed and Lincoln historian Harold Holzer. The awards recognize Gordon-Reed and Holzer’s ongoing creation of vital access points for generations of people to place themselves in the American story. Chief Judge of the State of New York and the New York Court of Appeals, Honorable Rowan D. Wilson presented the medal to Professor Gordon-Reed. New York military historian and philanthropist Elihu Rose presented the medal to Professor Holzer.
A highlight of the evening was a message of congratulations from Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III. Guests to the Jay Estate included a constellation of American historians and scholars, preservation advocates, Jay descendants, descendants of Rye’s earliest Afro-Indigenous families, government officials, civic advocates, volunteers and more who have helped and continue to protect the National Historic Landmark site and its stories.

In her acceptance speech, Gordon-Reed detailed the doubts and opposition she met during years of researching the relationship of Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings and their biological children; by challenging the contradictory actions of the author of the Declaration of Independence, she was able to restore the forgotten voices of the Hemings family and give them irrefutable gravity and value. Switching the focus from early American history to the 19th century, Holzer shared his observations about the commonalities and disparities between abolitionist John Jay II and President Abraham Lincoln as they tackled the complex issue of slavery left unresolved by the founders.
Thank you to everyone who supported this milestone moment. More photos at link in bio. More photos at link in bio. Frank Cogliano Preservation League of NYS NYstateparks Annette Gordon-Reed Organization of American Historians Smithsonian New York State Bar Association NY State Education Department Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP Rye Chamber of Commerce American Historical Association The US National Trust The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History ABA Journal Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College Kimberly Crichlow Westchester County Board of Legislators Steve Otis Shelley B. Mayer City of Rye

09/16/2026

Calling all social studies teachers! Join us this Saturday from 3:30-5pm for a fantastic back to school experience with four amazing historians discussing America at 250. The Jay Heritage Center (JHC) is proud to welcome educators to our site during September 2026, Constitution Month, to commemorate our nation’s journey towards independence and democracy. The free program is co-sponsored by the Mid-Hudson Social Studies Council. It is open to teachers throughout the Mid Hudson and Sound Shore communities as well as Fairfield County.
Professors David Blight, Frank Cogliano, Joanne Freeman and Beverly Gage will take the stage at the new Wachenheim Center to examine the history of the nation-state and the contested nature of American national identity. The panel will discuss what the United States and the Constitution have meant to citizens over time and how that vision has changed or stayed constant. The event is FREE but registration is required. RSVP at link in bio. NYstateparks Frank Cogliano Joanne Freeman The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

09/14/2026

This Saturday!

Free for all teachers. RSVP to the email on the flyer Jay Heritage Center

08/31/2026

Wildflowers don’t care where they grow! Thank you to everyone who uprooted themselves to blow with the wind over to our free concert with Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective!! A soulful tribute to the late Dolly Parton was a fitting song to close a perfect summer Sunday afternoon.

08/25/2026

Ready for some summer jams? Join us for our end of summer concert with the Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective! Members of the BkBC have individually and collectively performed thousands of gigs nationally and internationally, from European theaters and concert halls to Tennessee house concerts to Pennsylvania barn weddings to NJ convention centers and every gazebo from Maine to Maryland. Join us in the Jay Mansion circle for a perfect summer afternoon with your friends and family. Bring your picnic blanket, cooler and lawn chairs and settle in for a consummate outdoor music experience. Past performers have included Blue Plate Special, Bandits on the Run, Ken Dircks Trio, Oh La La and more. Register at link in bio.
And enjoy FREE Ice Cream from Jimmy’s Soft Serve! Purchase light bites from Crazy Taco Mex.