America has always been – and remains – a work in progress. Each generation has reimagined itself, often in the face of extreme challenges. Yet today nearly every system is, again, in need of reinvention. To flourish in this century, everything from urban transportation to political machines needs to be reengineered.

And to ignite the spark of reinventing America, this 2020 Chautauqua Season takes inspiration from Ben Franklin’s “science and reason,” Thomas Edison’s “perspiration,” Nikola Tesla’s “inspiration,” Hedy Lamarr’s “ceiling crashing,” and Rosa Parks’s “grit.” We start the season with Teddy Roosevelt, the president who reinvented American politics.

Introducing the 2020 Chautauqua History Comes Alive Season

Winter Chautauqua, Jan 31 – Feb 2 – Teddy Roosevelt

History Comes Alive Festival Festival June 12 – 21 Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Hedy Lamarr and Rosa Parks