The Fascinating Past. Where We Come From. Where We’re Going.

The New Old Time Chautauqua is the last of the old travelling Chautauqua; a unique brand of road show from the turn of the last century, intended to bring enriching education, culture, arts, and entertainment to communities throughout rural America.

Many of the towns and communities our Chautauqua passes through were a part of the old Chautauqua circuit of years past, and were visited regularly by travelling Chautauqua shows throughout the early 20th century.

To deepen each community’s understanding of its history, and to provide further insight into the inspiration behind our Chautauqua, we partner with local history museums and community centers to present a customized history exhibit for each town we visit.

These exhibits give locals the chance to visualize their town in years past, to better understand their community today, and to experience the rich history of the Chautauqua philosophy.