Freedom’s Summer Camps Are Focus of New Exhibit

Freedom—May 17, 2026—For more than a century, summers on Ossipee Lake have meant bugle calls, the laughter of children, and the haunting sound of loons across the water while campfires glow.

The lake’s legacy as a children’s summer camp destination is an important part of our present as well as our past. Now those camps are the focus of an exhibit at the Freedom Historical Society Museum.

The exhibit, “Summer Camps of Freedom: Then. Now. Always,” will open on Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Freedom Historical Society, 28 Old Portland Road in Freedom.

After the launch, the exhibit will be open every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to Noon, and every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Of the 21 camps in Freedom since 1899, five are still active today. The remainder live on in memory. Visitors to the new exhibit will experience the rhythm of camp life and the deep, enduring roots of a shared legacy.

Five camps that are still active—Calumet, Cody, Huckins, Luethi-Peterson, and Robin Hood—will be represented, as will two legacy camps, Cragged Mountain and Camp Wakuta.

Research and presentations for the exhibit were completed by Freedom Historical Society volunteers working with teams from the seven camps.

Kyle Thomas, Co-President of Freedom Historical Society, emphasized that the exhibit is dynamic and immersive.

“Visitors to the museum will experience interactive displays, hear camp songs, explore maps, historical photos, and artifacts, and listen to stories and folklore obtained from campers and counselors,” he said.

Historical Society Co-President Roberta MacCarthy said many current residents of Freedom were introduced to the town through their summer camp experience.

“These camps are more than recreational spaces,” she said.

“They are foundational to our community, and this new exhibit will ensure that their stories are not lost to time.”

MacCarthy said visitors to the exhibit will be encouraged to share their local camp experiences and provide additional photos and stories.

“Many stories remain untold,” she said, adding that the Historical Society is continuing to research the other 14 legacy camps, with new content to be added to the exhibit in 2027.

Additionally, in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary, the Freedom Historical Society will display stories about early Freedom settlers who participated in the Revolutionary War.

There will also be an exhibit chronicling the history of the Freedom Club of Boston, an organization that provided a beloved social network for several generations of people who had a deep personal connection to Freedom, but were not full-time residents

Freedom Historical Society is a 61-year-old educational non-profit organization dedicated to keeping Freedom’s history alive through research, preservation and public events.

More information is at this link. Inquiries may be sent to fhsociety28@gmail.com.