The Wellesley Historical Society

The Wellesley Historical Society collects, preserves and shares the history of Wellesley, inviting residents and visitors to “Open the Door to History.” Its programs include speaker series, walking tours, events and exhibits. The newly opened Wellesley History and Exhibit Center serves as a community hub with rotating displays and activities for all ages, while the Tollhouse holds the society’s collections and offices along with a small gift shop whose proceeds support the organization.

The Center’s exhibition A Time of Revolution spans more than 150 years of local history, from the American Revolution through women’s suffrage and the Roaring Twenties, using rare artifacts, documents, photographs and textiles. It ties national movements to how Wellesley residents lived through them, timed to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The society also highlights local treasures such as the Isaac Sprague Memorial Clocktower, the Denton Butterfly Collection and a painting by Mary Brewster Hazelton.

What to Know

• The society was founded in 1925.
• Members get free admission to the exhibit center, and children are always admitted free.
• A handful of visitor spaces and accessible parking sit behind the center, with an ADA-compliant ramp at the rear entrance.
• Charitable, philanthropic and religious organizations can rent the center’s galleries for gatherings of up to 75 people.
• Audrey Donahue serves as executive director.