Genesee Country Village Museum Turns 50 with Becky Wehle

Genesee Country Village and Museum, located in Mumford, New York, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026 — and the milestone year is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious in the museum's history. Director Becky Whaley, interpreter and Uncle Sam portrayer Matt Walls, and costuming and interpretation specialist Jess joined hosts Mark Southwick and Corey Moran to share the story of how the museum was founded, what makes it one of the most significant living history sites in the country, and what visitors can look forward to this landmark year.

A Museum Born from One Man's Vision

Genesee Country Village and Museum was founded by John L. Wehle, a Rochester businessman and philanthropist who had a deep passion for the history of the Genesee Valley and the early American frontier. Beginning in the 1960s, Wehle began acquiring and relocating historic structures from across western New York — farmhouses, taverns, mills, and craftsmen's shops — to a single site in Mumford, preserving them from demolition and creating what would become one of the largest living history museums in the United States.

The museum officially opened in 1976, and Becky Whaley notes that the founding vision was always about more than preservation — it was about bringing history to life through the people who lived it. Today, the museum encompasses more than 68 historic structures and employs a team of costumed interpreters who demonstrate the trades, crafts, and daily routines of 19th-century American life.

The 50th Anniversary: A Year of Landmark Events

The museum's 50th anniversary in 2026 is being marked with a series of special programs and events that build on its most beloved traditions while introducing new experiences. Among the highlights of the anniversary year is an expanded Fourth of July celebration, which has long been one of the museum's signature events and draws visitors from across the region.

The Fourth of July program at Genesee Country Village is unlike any other Independence Day celebration in the area. The day centers on a naturalization ceremony — a real, legal ceremony in which new American citizens take their oath of citizenship in a 19th-century setting, surrounded by period-costumed interpreters and the sights and sounds of early American life. It is a profoundly moving experience that connects the ideals of the founding era to the present day.

Frederick Douglass and the Power of Living History

One of the most powerful programs at Genesee Country Village is its interpretation of Frederick Douglass, whose connection to Rochester is deep and enduring. Douglass lived in Rochester for 25 years, published his abolitionist newspaper The North Star from the city, and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. The museum's interpreters bring his words and legacy to life through dramatic readings and first-person presentations drawn from his speeches and writings.

When you hear the words of Frederick Douglass spoken aloud in a living history setting, it stops you. These are not just words on a page — they are a challenge that still resonates today.

The museum's approach to interpreting difficult and complex histories — including slavery, social inequality, and the contradictions of the founding era — reflects a commitment to honest, nuanced storytelling that neither sanitizes the past nor reduces it to simple moral lessons.

The Centennial Expo and War of 1812 Reenactment

Among the special anniversary programs planned for 2026 is a Centennial Exposition event that recreates the spirit and spectacle of the great 19th-century world's fairs that shaped American culture and identity. The museum is also staging a major War of 1812 reenactment, which will feature military encampments, period weapons demonstrations, and tactical battle recreations.

In a delightful collision of historical periods, the War of 1812 reenactment will be held in conjunction with a gathering of the Jane Austen Society of North America — bringing together Regency-era enthusiasts and military history buffs in a shared celebration of the early 19th century. The juxtaposition of drawing-room manners and battlefield tactics is, as the hosts noted, a uniquely Genesee Country Village kind of event.

Matt Walls: Becoming Uncle Sam

Matt Walls has been portraying Uncle Sam at Genesee Country Village for years, and his performance is one of the museum's most recognizable and beloved characters. The Uncle Sam figure has deep roots in the War of 1812 era — the character is believed to have originated with Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the U.S. Army stamped with the initials U.S. Soldiers began joking that the initials stood for Uncle Sam, and the nickname stuck.

Uncle Sam is not just a symbol — he is a character with a history, a personality, and a story. When I put on that costume, I am stepping into something much larger than myself.

Walls describes the craft of first-person historical interpretation as a form of theater grounded in meticulous research. Every detail of the costume, the speech patterns, the mannerisms, and the historical knowledge must be authentic enough to hold up to questions from curious visitors — including, often, children who ask the most direct and challenging questions of all.

The Art and Science of Historic Costuming

Jess, who works in costuming and interpretation at the museum, explains that the clothing worn by interpreters at Genesee Country Village is not simply theatrical costume — it is a form of scholarship made tangible. Every garment is researched and constructed to reflect the actual dress of specific social classes, occupations, and time periods within the museum's 1790 to 1870 interpretive range.

The process of dressing in period-accurate clothing, she notes, changes the way interpreters move, stand, and interact with the environment. A woman in a correctly fitted corset and full skirts moves differently than a woman in modern clothing. A man in a frock coat and waistcoat carries himself differently. The physical experience of wearing the clothes becomes part of the interpretive work, connecting the interpreter to the lived reality of the people they portray.

Planning Your Visit

Genesee Country Village and Museum is located at 1410 Flint Hill Road in Mumford, New York, approximately 20 miles southwest of Rochester. The museum is open seasonally, with the 50th anniversary programming running throughout the 2026 season. The Fourth of July naturalization ceremony, the Centennial Expo, and the War of 1812 reenactment are among the signature events of the anniversary year. For schedules, tickets, and more information, visit gcv.org.