For the fourth year in a row, the Osborne Homestead Museum and Kellogg Estate gardens will be the stage for another Jane Austen novel, Emma, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 25-27, 2026. Registration is required.
With the resurgent popularity of Regency Era fiction and costumed events, the Osborne Homestead Museum will be hosting the Performing Arts Collaborative’s EMMA: Clueless in Highbury. This live production offers an immersive experience that invites the audience into the towns of Highbury and Hartfield, the home of Emma Woodhouse and her father, where they will witness key scenes throughout the museum and gardens. The fourth wall separating the audience and cast will occasionally be broken for guests who arrive in costume. Performances will be held on the first floor of the museum which is not accessible and the gardens which are accessible. Most of the scenes will be held outdoors. Guests will be moving from scene to scene with the cast. It is highly recommended that guests bring hand fans and sun protection for the outdoor scenes and the non-air-conditioned museum.
Performances are scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25 at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m; Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27 at 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. The museum will be open for guided and self-guided tours in between performances, and the gardens and grounds will be open until 4:30 p.m.
This event is suitable for ages twelve and up, and it is recommended that children attend the first performance at 11:30 a.m. Registration is required. Early registration is highly advised since each performance will have a limited number of spaces. The museum will start accepting reservations in August. Registration can be made online at ctparks.com/events/emma-clueless-highbury or by emailing DEEP.Kellogg@ct.gov. This event is free. Donations are accepted with a minimum suggested donation of twenty dollars. Rain dates will be October 2-4, 2026. For more information, call (203)734-2513, email DEEP.Kellogg@ct.gov, or visit the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Calendar of Events at ctparks.com/events/emma-clueless-highbury.
Photo by Dominika Walczak on Unsplash.com