On July 22, the Wistariahurst Museum will open a new retrospective exhibit, “Wistariahurst at 150: Reflections of the Museum.”

“This exhibit looks at Wistariahurst’s history as a building in the City of Holyoke — first as a family home; then as a history and nature museum; as a children’s museum; as a historic building; and as it is used today as the City’s Municipal Museum and Gardens,” Wistariahurst Museum director Megan Selier said.

“Wistariahurst at 150” will include many items from the museum’s archives as well as items that have been held in private collections for years.

Some rarer items include: wedding dresses belonging to the Skinner family, Greek pottery that was donated by the government of Greece in exchange for Holyoke dinosaur footprints, the music room guest book that has illustrations and writings from music room architect Clarence Luce and early 20th-century Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Serge Koussevitzky, and sculptures by artist and mid-20th-century Mount Holyoke art professor Henry Rox.

The curator of the exhibit, Penni Matorell, spent many hours searching through scrapbooks, Wistariahurst archival collections, and textiles that reflect the times of Wistarahurt’s history.

Matorell’s research also included examining records from the Skinner family and Wistariahurst’s records that date back to the 1920s.

Originally the home to the Skinner family, a prominent family in western Massachusetts in the 19th and 20th centuries, Wistariahurst was designed by William Fenno Pratt in 1868 in Haydenville.

In 1874, the Mill River dam burst and destroyed William Skinner’s mill. The house miraculously survived and Skinner decided to rebuild his mill, dismantled his house, transport it by oxcart and rebuilt it where it now stands in Holyoke.

After the death of William and his wife Sarah, Wistariahurst was deeded off to their children, Will and Belle. Belle added multiple rooms to Wistariahurst, including the music room in 1913 and the great hall and marble lobby in 1927.

In 1959, the youngest child of William and Sarah Skinner, Katharine Skinner Kilborne, decided to give Wistariahurst to the city of Holyoke for cultural and educational purposes.

“Katharine Skinner said when she donated Wistariahurst to the city: ‘It is our sincere hope, as Wistariahurst has served our family, it may now continue to serve our community,’” Selier said. “It has — as a place for community events, historical and cultural exhibits, lectures, classes, and community space.”

Along with the new exhibit, the Wistariahurst Museum will be hosting an opening reception event on July 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., as a part of their Wisty Wednesdays series.

This summertime family event series is intended to bring community members together on the first and third Wednesdays of the month to enjoy lawn games, specialized playlists and activities for all to enjoy. Local food and ice cream trucks will also on hand. The events are free and open to the public.

“Wistariahurst at 150: Reflections of the Museum” will open on Wednesday, July 22 and will run through September 15. Gallery hours are Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Sundays from 3 to 6 p.m.

UMass Amherst journalism student Paige Hanson is arts and features intern for the Gazette and Recorder.