Independent Arts News Reporting Hammerstein Museum Celebrates the Holidays with a Family Sing-Along at Highland Farm
Reported on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
Pictured Above: Families gather in Oscar Hammerstein’s living room for a previous sing-along event. Photo Credit: Contributed.
NEWSROOM POST: DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
The "Happy Christmas Little Friend" is a “pay what you can” event and will take place on Saturday, December 13, at Highland Farm
Doylestown, PA – The Oscar Hammerstein Museum & Theatre Education Center presents “Happy Christmas Little Friend,” a program of holiday and Hammerstein songs geared to the young and welcome to the young-at-heart, named after a Rodgers & Hammerstein Christmas song. Youngsters will learn Hammerstein’s lyrics in the house that they were written, guided by instructors on piano and guitar. The “pay what you can” event will take place on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Highland Farm (70 East Road, Doylestown, PA). Attendance is limited and pre-registration is required. Visit HammersteinMuseum.org/HappyChristmas2025 for tickets and parking information.
The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center is a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of Oscar Hammerstein II’s Doylestown home and telling the story of his legacy as a librettist, lyricist, humanitarian, and mentor. The Hammerstein family resided at Highland Farm from 1940-1960. Hammerstein composed the lyrics to his best-loved musicals while in residence at the farm, including “The Sound of Music,” “Oklahoma!” “South Pacific,” and others. A friendly neighbor, Hammerstein was known to fly a flag when local children could come to use his swimming pool or play tennis. He also met and mentored a young Stephen Sondheim while living at Highland Farm. Hammerstein’s role as a mentor and humanitarian will play a large role in the forthcoming theatre education center at Hammerstein Museum.
Pictured Above: Parents and young music fans enjoying the museum’s sing-along experience at Highland Farm in Doylestown, PA (the former home of Oscar Hammerstein II). Photo Credit: Contributed.
The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center is a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of Oscar Hammerstein II’s Doylestown home and telling the story of his legacy as a librettist, lyricist, humanitarian, and mentor. The Hammerstein family resided at Highland Farm from 1940-1960. Hammerstein composed the lyrics to his best-loved musicals while in residence at the farm, including “The Sound of Music,” “Oklahoma!” “South Pacific,” and others. A friendly neighbor, Hammerstein was known to fly a flag when local children could come to use his swimming pool or play tennis. He also met and mentored a young Stephen Sondheim while living at Highland Farm. Hammerstein’s role as a mentor and humanitarian will play a large role in the forthcoming theatre education center at Hammerstein Museum.
Pictured Above: Highland Farm during the holiday season. Photo Credit: Contributed.
ABOUT THE OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN MUSEUM AND THEATRE EDUCATION CENTER:
Dubbed the “Birthplace of the Modern American Musical,” Highland Farm was Hammerstein’s home and creative epicenter for the last 20 years of his life. It is where the Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration was born and where Hammerstein composed the lyrics for many of their works, including Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Remarkably, at Highland Farm Oscar met and mentored a young Stephen Sondheim, who has said “In one afternoon [at Highland Farm], I learned more about songwriting than most people do in a lifetime.” Over 75 Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Pulitzer Prizes can be directly traced back to Highland Farm.
The nonprofit’s mission is to honor the Broadway legend’s groundbreaking work as a lyricist, librettist, mentor, and humanitarian and to educate and inspire generations of creators and theatre-lovers, with special opportunities for diverse and under-served communities.
Highland Farm’s restoration will commence with the porch and balcony, which has already begun with the generous assistance of Doylestown historic architectural firm, Period Architecture LTD and Providence Engineering, Other urgent projects include replacing the roof of the house and upgrading the climate control system. Combined costs for these initial projects are expected to be several hundred thousand dollars.
Public tours of Highland Farm are offered Friday to Sunday. Advance tickets are required. Private and group tours can be arranged by appointment. Information and the complete tour schedule can be found at hammersteinmuseum.org/tourinfo.
