Events, Hiking, Performances, Teas & Talks on the scenic Cumberland Plateau
Historic Rugby hosts a series of hikes, outdoor events, performances, teas, galas, lectures and other events. Find your niche of interest below! Our schedule (all times Eastern) is below but subject to updates, so check back often.
Fashions of Rugby & Tea, Apr. 9
Historic Rugby 1331 Rugby Parkway, Rugby, TN, United StatesLearn about Victorian era fashions and enjoy a delicious tea as well — see a show at Historic Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre in the Visitor Centre (1-2 p.m. Eastern/Noon-1 Central) then stroll nearby to the newly renovated Rugby Community Building for tea (2:30-4 p.m. Eastern). Fashion experts will have commentary on dress of the era…
Irish Road Bowling
Join in this fun game of Irish Road Bowling or just watch as players divide up into teams and roll and iron ball down Rugby Parkway (now safer with little traffic). The team with the fewest throws from start to finish wins! Their photo is taken with our trophy…
Webb Space Telescope Program
Join a National Park Service ranger for some of the first images released from the highly advanced Webb Space Telescope. The telescope was launched last December after scientists had dedicated decades of research to the project. Images (starting to be released in July) are expected to enable scientists to expand their knowledge base about space…
British Car Show & Tea Table Setting Contest
On Saturday, show day, there are cars to see and talk about, a silent auction and vendors’ goods to peruse. During that lull between the end of judging and the awards announcement you needn’t be bored: There’s always some new activity offered, plus a tour of some of Historic Rugby’s buildings for show car registrants…
Grill Rugby
Unique Cooking Demonstration and Al Fresco Dinner on the Lawn, Silent Auction, Specialty Cocktail, Labor Day Weekend! Join us for food and festivities at the picturesque Uffington House. Proceeds to benefit HistoricRugby: $69 per person. RESERVE HERE. Two nights available, Sat. Sept. 3 & Sun. Sept. 4. Grill Rugby is an all-inclusive fixed dinner and spirits menu. Special…
Cemetery Lantern Tour
The Lantern Tour in Rugby’s Laurel Dale Cemetery allows you to meet 9 or 10 former Rugby residents who tell their stories, all true. The accounts come from letters, diaries and other materials in the Historic Rugby Archives. A small group of local singers help set the mood. The Lantern Tour marks its 13th year…
Paint and Sip Workshop
What could be more fun than joining a small group for a painting class while enjoying a glass of wine? Maybe having it in beautiful Historic Rugby’s newly renovated Hester Hall! Instructor Freeman Davenport offers three dates with different themes for this workshop, all Saturdays: July 23 for dandelions, and Sept. 17 for fall color. Times…
Founders’ Day Celebration & Michaelmas Tea
Help celebrate 15 decades + since Rugby’s founding on the Cumberland Plateau in 1880, our 142nd Anniversary. ALSO this year will mark to the month the 200th anniversary of our founder Thomas Hughes’ birth, Oct. 20,1822! A special program will be included. Hours are 10-5 EDT (9-4 Central). FREE. Take time to and enjoy arts, crafts, food, and music (at…
Ghostly Gathering
Historic Rugby presents Ghostly Gathering on two Saturdays, October 22 and 29, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern. This yearly Halloween-season celebration frequently sells out, and did last year. It is a favorite among village visitors, who enjoy a homemade chili dinner with dessert, followed by oil lamp tours of several historic buildings featuring the “Rugby…
Historic Rugby Harvest Gala, SOLD OUT
Saturday, Nov 5, 6:30 – 9 PM Eastern/ 5:30-8 Central SORRY, BUT THE EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Enjoy Historic Rugby’s award winning Harvest Gala fundraiser, benefitting Historic Rugby and the Morgan-Scott Project. We’ll have entertainment and dining and a live auction plus a silent auction starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. It will be held in…
After-Thanksgiving Hike with Jason Miller
Historic Rugby 1331 Rugby Parkway, Rugby, TN, United StatesHike with State Natural Areas’ Jason Miller FRIDAY | NOV. 25 10:00 AM Eastern, Rugby Visitor Centre A FREE “Walk-it-Off” hike helps excuse any Thanksgiving excess so join guide Jason Miller, program administrator for Tennessee State Natural Areas, in this relaxing trek through the Rugby State Natural Area. These moderate hikes range from 1.5 to…
Irish Road Bowling
Join in this fun game of Irish Road Bowling or just watch as players divide up into teams and roll and iron ball down Rugby Parkway (now safer with little traffic). The team with the fewest throws from start to finish wins! Their photo is taken with our trophy…