Golden Ball Tavern and its Team of Loyalists Looking for Tour Guides

Now, as most Westonians know, we have two publicly-accessible-ish (soon, JST, soon) Taverns in town. While the JoSTice (the Josiah Smith Tavern at 358 Boston Post Road) gets most of the attention as the Community occasionally LOSES its collective mind on Facebook about the costs, the lease, the use, and the lack of restaurant, there’s another tavern down the street which was privately funded and is now a Museum. If you have never heard of the Golden Ball Tavern (662 Boston Post Road), I surmise you have never tried to escape the Highland Crossing of Doom by sneaking up a side street, nor visited the Country Garden plant sale, nor ever gone to school in Weston.

Recently the Owl spoke with the new director of the Golden Ball Tavern, Kate Campbell, who sadly does not have the title of Tavern Keeper or Loyalist in Chief. Why no one employs the Owl to do their naming is completely beyond me. In any case, Kate has lots of plans for my favorite home of tea drinkers including making it a “more accessible resource and destination.” This sounds fun. Can we open the bar again? Saturday nights at the GBT, serving cider (terrible stuff, really, fight me on that one) and crumpets. What are crumpets? Let’s not find out. Yet to enter GBT’s plans is flag football versus the JST staff but I do not give up hope.

The Golden Ball Museum is now looking for a few recruits to quaff tea, lead tours and answer questions. Yes, it is a call out for volunteers to share the stories of Weston’s role in the American Revolution. Incidentally, I note that Kate calls the GBTers “Tories”, and I thought we were using “Loyalists.” Hmmm. I prefer Loyalists, but of course, no one cares.

So, here’s the “did you know?” Through a unique partnership with the Weston Public School system, GBT and its loyal (see how I did that?) group of tour guides interact with WPS schoolchildren potentially four times during their school tenure – all kindergarten students, 3rd graders, 5th graders, and high school American History students pass through the doors to learn about the “Tory” experience and Weston’s role in the American Revolution.

And the GBT needs more people to help tell the story.

“Guides help tell the story in conjunction with the appropriate grade curriculum.  It’s not a huge time commitment, but it is fun, informative, and frankly incredibly interesting to find out about a different perspective during the Revolution,” says Kate.

And, in an unneeded editorial comment, I have to say that elementary school kids are hilarious and curious and you will get more than you put in…I know this after spending two hours with them at yesterday’s Global Diversity Fair. The high schoolers are….different. Ask me how I know this.

GBT’s longtime, incredibly knowledgeable Education Coordinator is Carolyn McGuire ([email protected]). If you are interested in being a part of the storytelling crew at the GBT, please send her an email to learn more. I personally want to lead a ghost tour there, where we explore the attic and the basement and maybe the barn, put flashlights under our chins and creep around like, well, kids, and then eat chocolate mice and drink hot cocoa at the end. Alas…no volunteer role for me.

Please reach out to the GBT if you are interested.

For more than two and a half centuries, the Golden Ball Tavern has stood on the Boston Post Road in Weston, Massachusetts -its history and fortunes paralleling those of an emerging and developing nation. Built in 1768, it became a trust and museum in 1964. The Golden Ball Tavern is open for tours on the Second Sunday of the month from 1-3 pm. You can learn more at