MAY ~  2008 17^th: Museum Day Spend the day touring museums from around Stephenson County for free! Noon to 4 pm both days. Free admission. JUNE ~  2008 14^th: Pet Appreciation Day and Dog Show Looking for a trusty companion or family friend for the household? Come out to museum from Noon to 4 pm on June 16^th and learn more about the Freeport Humane Society. Folks from the local Humane Society will be setting up in the museum.s beautiful arboretum and will answer all of your questions and even have a few friends that would like a little attention. Noon to 4 pm. Free admission. 19^th: 55^th Annual Ice Cream Social Start your summer in the traditional Freeport style and enjoy some pie and ice cream at the Stephenson County Historical Society.s 54^th Annual Ice Cream Social. Be a part of this old local tradition and enjoy a free tour of the historic grounds while you enjoy the company of your neighbors and something sweet. 5 pm to 8 pm. Tickets: $5.00. JULY ~  2008 19^th: Spinning & Dyeing Discover how wool was processed in the home by our great-grandparents on the prairie. Watch how wool is spun and dyed from outside the Taylor Mansion. Noon to 4 pm. Free admission. AUGUST ~  2008 2^nd . 3^rd: Quilting & Fancyworks Bee Come and gossip with some of the ladies in the historic Taylor Home in the front parlor as they work on their new quilt. Kids can work on their own quilting project and take it home. Historic quilts and textiles from the collection of the Stephenson County Historical Society will be on display in the nearby Carriage House. Admission is free. Noon to 4 pm both days. OCTOBER ~  2008 October 18 - Spirits of Yesteryear: Engage in lively conversation with the spirits of our past. Feel the ghosts in the air as you roam through the chilly October night. Be entertained and touched by the life stories of those who have gone before us in the historic Taylor Mansion. Listen to true ghost stories from your own neighborhood in the old one-room schoolhouse. Glimpse a sense of the past with a Victorian home draped in mourning. An event appropriate for all ages! All at the Stephenson County Historical Society, 1440 S. Carroll Ave. in Freeport, Illinois. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 6 to 12 and $15  for a family pass. Price of admission includes refreshments. NOVEMBER ~  2008 November 22 . Living History Day: Soap Making, Candle Dipping & Blacksmithing: Costumed guides make lye soap just like the early days while kids can make and take their own candles! Nearby, the village Blacksmith will be pounding out metal and demonstrating the art of early smithing. Admission is free. Event runs Noon to 4 pm. DECEMBER ~  2008 December 7 - Christmas Tea: Live music fills the Taylor Home and traditional Christmas decorations fill the home with the smell of fresh cut pine and hot apple cider.  Enjoy homemade cookies as you tour the mansion in its Christmas finery.  Free admission, but donations accepted.  December 3rd through 23^RD - The Christmas Gift Shop: Find unique gifts, historical books and toys, including books on local history, plus your favorite Rawleigh Products and more. All in the Museum Gift Shop located inside the Oscar Taylor Mansion decorated in its holiday finery.  The Christmas Gift Shop is open Wednesdays through Sundays Noon to 5 pm.  No admission fee.