The Museum is free all day for Cape Ann residents* on the second Saturday of every month in 2021! The second Saturday of every month is free for Cape Ann families. Pre-registration and timed tickets are required.
Discover Manchester-by-the-Sea’s history, architecture & art through our exhibits, tours & collections. See our Salt Cod Fish Yard, original Singing Beach Bath House, and the exhibit “Summers by the Sea: Masconomo House Hotel & the Resort Era,” which examines Manchester-by-the-Sea’s transformation from a furniture-making mill town to an international summer-resort destination. This event is part of Trails & Sails
Did you know that there’s a massive prehistoric saltmarsh peeking out of the sands at Salisbury Beach? Join MRWC’s John Macone on a low tide walk as we explore this fascinating remnant of a time when sea levels were much lower than today. We’ll also talk about the prehistoric oceanfront, the “paleo Merrimack River,” and the remnants of the last glacial age — all visible thanks to special maps that we’ll bring with us. The one-mile round trip hike will last about an hour. Be prepared to wade into the surf about 18 inches.
Did you know the famous painting The Spirit of '76 painting resides at Abbot Hall in Marblehead? Take a guided tour of Abbot Hall, Marblehead’s fourth town meeting hall, whose corner stone was laid in 1876, the nation’s Centennial year. Be inspired by the life-size “Spirit of ’76” painting, explore historical scenes in WPA murals painted in 1934, and more. A different program in Abbot Hall is offered the following weekend.
Falconry is the sport of hunting with a trained bird of prey. It is also the demanding art of training a predatory bird that is by nature wary of people to hunt cooperatively with a human partner. Although the sport has a 4,000 – year history, its glory days were indisputably the medieval period. While this presentation centers around live birds used in falconry, it is not a flight demonstration but a history-rich look at an ancient sport. Focusing on the medieval period, it explains the characteristics of the birds of prey used, how the sport reflected the lifestyle of the time, and the historical reasons behind falconry’s rise and fall.
Discover Salem’s Golden Age of Sail as you uncover clues! Celebrate America’s Maritime History! The Ladies of Salem will have you looking up at whimsical and beautifully designed figureheads gracing lampposts downtown. “What is a figurehead ?” you may ask? It’s a large carved wooden decorative three dimensional representation of a person, animal or mythical creature located at the bow (forward part) of a sailing ship. They were thought to bring good luck as the “eyes” of the ship. Each “Lady” has a unique story to tell. Just head to Destination Salem Visitors Center on Derby Street to pick up the scavenger hunt, and use QR codes to find the lady locations!
Visitors are invited to engage in a self-guided audio tour created by the Wenham Museum for the Patton Family Archive and Town of Hamilton. Participants may come to the property at their leisure. A kiosk housing the QR code, and start of the tour, is located in the lower, gravel parking lot; parking is free of charge. The tour shares historical information about the Patton Family and grounds. Upon completion, guests are encouraged to explore the nature trail along the Ipswich River and take in the view at the Greenbelt River Overlook.
Get a bird’s eye view of Gloucester and Cape Ann! Experience the WOW factor by climbing up the interior of City Hall’s clock and bell tower. Weather permitting, the views over Gloucester and Cape Ann are spectacular. Your guides will also tell you about the history of Gloucester’s most significant architectural building that has defined our skyline for over 150 years.
Join us for a hike across Magnolia Woods to the oceanside cliffs of Rafe’s Chasm! This 3-mile round trip hike takes us through a 300-acre area of woodlands owned by the City of Gloucester (across the street from Ravenswood Park), out to Rafe’s Chasm, which features spectacular views of the ocean from rocky cliffs.
Visit the Brocklebank Museum, built in the late 1600s, with ties to the abolitionist movement and the famous Beecher family. Experience the lifestyle and the occupations of those living in Essex County from the early 1600’s through the early 1900’s. Step back in time with the Georgetown Historical Society at our open house of the Brocklebank, Nelson, Beecher house and grounds. Tour our historic home, kitchen door gardens and historic fruit tree varieties’.
