Pirate Days at Hempsted Houses
Pirate Days at Hempsted Houses turns one of New London’s oldest historic sites into a pirate encampment for two days of hands-on family activities on Saturday and Sunday, August 15–16. Children can build and race their own ships, try pirate-themed crafts, walk the plank, explore the encampment, and hear stories about the real pirates who once sailed the waters around New England.
There’s history beneath the eye patches and pirate games. The program introduces families to figures such as Captain William Kidd, who visited Connecticut in 1690 and became part of the state’s treasure lore. Connecticut stories have long claimed Kidd may have hidden treasure along the coast near what is now Milford. Pirate Days uses those stories as an entry point into the maritime world children often encounter through books and movies, but connects it to places surprisingly close to home. (Connecticut Landmarks)
The setting adds another layer. The Hempsted Houses include a home dating to 1678, making the property one of the best surviving places to explore what everyday life was actually like in colonial New London. Admission to Pirate Days is free, although donations are encouraged to support the preservation of the historic property and future educational programs.
Step Into a Pirate Encampment
For the weekend, the grounds become a place for kids to do more than simply hear about history.
Young visitors can explore the pirate encampment and take part in activities including ship building and racing, crafts, and the essential test facing every aspiring pirate: walking the plank.
Past editions of Pirate Days have expanded the encampment with period games, children’s toys, maritime storytelling, treasure hunts, and demonstrations of historic food and drink preparation. Connecticut Landmarks reported that more than 80 people attended the returning program in 2025.
The activities make Pirate Days particularly approachable for younger children. Instead of asking them to stand still while someone explains colonial maritime history, the program gives them something to build, race, discover, and try for themselves.
Real Pirates and Connecticut’s Coast
Piracy wasn’t confined to the Caribbean.
New England’s ports and coastal waters were connected to the Atlantic trading world, and stories of pirates became part of Connecticut folklore. One of the most famous involves Captain William Kidd, the Scottish privateer who was eventually convicted of piracy and executed in London in 1701.
Kidd was in Connecticut in 1690, and stories later developed that he had buried treasure near Milford. Pirate Days explores stories such as these while introducing children to the difference between the pirates of popular culture and the people who actually sailed these waters centuries ago.
A Historic Setting Dating to 1678
The Hempsted Houses are an attraction in their own right.
The Joshua Hempsted House, built in 1678 with a later addition, is one of New England’s oldest and best-documented surviving homes. Joshua Hempsted was born there and kept an extensive diary from 1711 until his death in 1758. His writings provide historians with an unusually detailed record of work, family, commerce, and everyday life in colonial New London.
Beside it stands the stone Nathaniel Hempsted House, built in 1759 by Acadian exiles for Joshua’s grandson Nathaniel. Remarkably, both houses survived the burning of New London by Benedict Arnold’s forces in 1781.
That means children attending Pirate Days aren’t experiencing colonial history against a reproduction backdrop. They’re playing and learning on grounds where people were living during the period being explored.
The Hempsted Houses Tell a Bigger Story
The history preserved here also extends well beyond the Hempsted family.
Joshua Hempsted’s diary documents the life and labor of Adam Jackson, a man of African descent whom Hempsted enslaved for more than three decades. Jackson lived and worked on the property, including in a small attic garret that remains part of the site’s interpretation today.
Connecticut Landmarks uses the property to examine colonial life alongside the history of Northern slavery, resistance, abolition, and the lives of the people who lived and worked there.
It’s an unusual combination for a family outing: Pirate Days gives younger visitors an accessible, playful doorway into the past, while the historic site surrounding them holds much deeper stories for families interested in exploring further.
Good for Families
Pirate Days is designed as a hands-on family program rather than a traditional house tour.
Elementary-age children are likely to get the most from the ship building, races, crafts, pirate games, and storytelling, while younger children can participate with help from an adult.
Families should plan enough time to explore rather than arriving just before closing. The program runs for five hours each day, so visitors can move through the activities at their own pace.
Admission and Registration
Pirate Days is free.
Advance registration is suggested but not required, and walk-up visitors are welcome on both days.
Donations are encouraged and help Connecticut Landmarks fund restoration work and programming at the Hempsted Houses.
Because Saturday and Sunday have separate registrations, choose the day you plan to attend:
Register for Pirate Days on Saturday, August 15
Register for Pirate Days on Sunday, August 16
Event Details
Dates
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Time
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. both days
Location
Hempsted Houses
Address
11 Hempstead Street
New London, CT
Admission
Free
Registration
Advance registration is suggested. Walk-ups are welcome.
Recommended Ages
Best suited to families with preschool and elementary-age children, although all ages may attend.
Activities
Pirate encampment, ship making and racing, crafts, walking the plank, and stories about real pirates and Connecticut’s maritime past.
Important Notes
Donations support restoration and educational programming at the Hempsted Houses. Questions about the program can be directed to the Hempsted Houses staff.
More Information
For more information, visit the event website using the Event Website link below.
For ticket purchases, use the Saturday or Sunday registration links above.
