Activites at Island Sites & Museums
by Sarah Teach
By learning more about the past of this magical place, we allow ourselves to more fully appreciate the present. The sites, museums, programs, and exhibits of the Nantucket Historical Association, the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, the Maria Mitchell Association, and the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum offer wonderful explorations of history and natural science for all ages.
In addition to this year’s major exhibition at the Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket’s Cabinet of Curiosities: A to Z, the NHA is filled to the brim with activities. And in addition to the dramatic Storm Stories, the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum has even more to offer this season.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have to rely upon the earth and get your hands dirty every day in order to feed yourself? The NHA’s Kitchen-Garden Tours give you a taste of the old way of sustaining life on Nantucket. Take a tour of the NHA’s replicated 17th century kitchen-garden to learn about the plants that were grown in colonial times and how they were used. Kitchen-Garden tours are led by NHA’s Landscape and Garden Manager, Kathrina Pearl, who is an authority on Nantucket’s historic horticulture. Tours are offered every Friday from 11 am to noon until September 6. Meet at Oldest House, which is located in the middle of a gorgeously green meadow at 16 Sunset Hill.
Interested in Nantucket’s architectural history or the lineage of families who have resided here? Hour-long Historic House Tours are being offered every day at 2:15 pm. Tours depart from the Hadwen House, which is located at 96 Main Street, an elegant 1845 Greek Revival home that is a full dose of intriguing history in and of itself, as it represents the most prosperous period in Nantucket’s past!
A brand new option offered by the Historical Association this season is the 80-minute Outdoor Walking Tour of Downtown Nantucket, which provides a close look at the Old Historic District. Visitors walk with an NHA guide to learn about the people, places, and events that transformed Nantucket from a remote island outpost, to the whaling capital of the world, to a resort destination of international acclaim. Downtown Walking Tours depart at 11:15 am from the Whaling Museum lobby, and are held Monday through Saturday.
Both Historic House Tours and Downtown Nantucket Tours are offered until Columbus Day (excluding July 4). Also, both are offered rain or shine, so if the skies look questionable, just grab an umbrella and come on out. Reservations may only be made in person at the Whaling Museum, open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. For additional information about any of the NHA’s events, call 508-228-1894 or visit the NHA’s website at NHA.org.
Besides the daily guided tours at the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, this wonderful gem at 158 Polpis Road is offering special Family Days throughout the season. The first one will be held this Sunday, June 19. These days include crafts for the kids, along with maritime games, stories, music and the viewing of a live breeches buoy demonstration. Kids and parents, get ready to put your brains together! You can test your knowledge of maritime artifacts by partaking in the scavenger hunt that takes you inside and outside the museum. For the youngest members of the family, additional activities will be included, all encompassing the traditions of Nantucket’s lifesaving heritage. Additional Family Days will be offered from 11 am to 3 pm on July 17, August 14, and September 18. Admission is free for members of the Egan Maritime Institute or $10 for the whole family. For details about the Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum’s programs, give them a call at (508) 228-2505 or visit their website at NantucketShipwreck.org.
The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum also shows a trio of exciting films at various times throughout each day. You Have to Go Out tells the story of the 26-hour rescue of the H.P. Kirkham on a frigid winter night. Marshall: A Nantucket Sea Dog features Nantucket’s famous sea dog, a Newfoundland rescued from the W.F. Marshall in 1877. And, new this season, Storm Journal compliments the current exhibit and looks back at Hurricane Bob and The No Name Storm that battered our island in 1991.
Starting Monday, June 27, Egan Maritime will be offering a Monday Maritime Movie at 7 pm every week through August. These classic films are a wonderful evening activity for all ages. The season premieres with Endless Summer, and includes films such as White Squall, Treasure Island, Eyes of the Amaryllis, and Mutiny on the Bounty. The films are being shown in The Coffin School at 4 Winter Street.
The Maria Mitchell Association is buzzing with life, as well. Summer programs are in full swing, including many enjoyed by all ages. For those particularly interested in aquatic life, the Marine Ecology Field Trips and Beach Discovery Field Trips are open to curious adults and children alike. Each field trip is led by an MMA guide, and consists of an expedition during which you get a first-hand look at the species or area in question.
MMA is offering several special programs offered every week just for kids and their families. Taking kids on Incredible Insects and Spiders Field Trips is MMA’s Andrew McKenna-Foster, who is a fantastic resource about all things creepy or crawly! Carnivorous Critters invites kids to join museum staff as they feed and care for turtles, frogs, fish, snakes, and other amphibians and reptiles. Another regular offering is Feeding Frenzy, which allows kids to see the feeding of the unique marine animals at the MMA Aquarium.
Some of their activities are geared toward adults, such as the Birding Field Trips with the Linda Loring Nature Foundation. Astronomy lectures are also offered, and are generally enjoyed by adults. If you are a stargazer, whether amateur or expert, you ought not to miss out on these nights. Guest speakers include some of our country’s distinguished astronomers! But kids aren’t left out; the frequent Stargazing Nights at Loines Observatory are interesting for the whole family. For times, meeting places, and details about any Maria Mitchell programs, visit www.mmo.org.
The Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum, on the edge of town at 49 Union Street, exhibits and documents a wide range of Lightship Baskets from the 1850s to present day. And they offer classes for youth and for adults as well as special events. This week, on June 23 from 11 AM to noon, Basketmaker Tim Parsons will teach Woodworking in Basketry. And that evening
See how various component parts of base, handle and rims are made and integrated into the lightship basket’s construction as Tim Parsons, basket maker, teacher and exotic wood enthusiast demonstrates the wood working involved in basket making. 49 Union Street. And on June 24, the museum will make it fun and easy to catch up with old friends and make new ones at a cocktail party at the Sankaty Beach Club. Proceeds from this event benefit the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum. Tickets are $90 and are available for purchase online at www.nantucketlightshipbasketmuseum.org or at the museum at 508-228-1177.
by Sarah Teach
