History

DCR ParkServe Day on the North Shore

Each year during Earth Week, DCR invites volunteers to Massachusetts state parks to take part in stewardship activities to prepare for the busy spring and summer recreation season

Each year during Earth Week, DCR invites volunteers to Massachusetts state parks to take part in stewardship activities to prepare for the busy spring and summer recreation season. Celebrate by being part of Park Serve on April 23! Use the links below to find a Park Serve Day near you!

When: 
Saturday April 23, 2022 10am

Knights & Ladies Day at Hammond Castle

  Bring your little Knights and Ladies to the Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts during April Vacation

Bring your little Knights and Ladies to the Hammond Castle Museum for an educational and hands-on introduction to the history of heraldry on Knights and Ladies Day!   This hour-long program on April 20, is geared towards 7–11 year-olds, and will be held in the Great Hall of the Museum, where their imagination can run wild, just as John Hays Hammond Jr., the inventor who built the Castle intended.

When: 
Wednesday, April 20, 2022 11am-1pm

Appleton Farms Guided Tour

Join the Trustees for a guided tour to explore Appleton Farm's beauty and  history firsthand

Rolling grasslands, grazing livestock, agricultural fields, stone walls, and historic farm buildings are part of this 1,000-acre pastoral landscape – a rare glimpse into New England’s agricultural past. A gift of Colonel Francis R. Appleton, Jr., and his wife Joan, Appleton Farms is one of the oldest continuously operating farms in the country, established and maintained by nine generations of the Appleton family.

When: 
Saturdays & Sundays through June 2022, Multiple Tours Daily
Location: 

Appleton Farms Pinnacles Hike

Learn about the pinnacles at appleton Farm in Ipswich Massachusetts on this Trustees-hosted walk.

Have you noticed the four mysterious, tall stone structures that dot the property? Have you wondered what they are and why they’re at Appleton Farms? They are called pinnacles and they have a fascinating history and connection to the Appleton family. Join us for a guided hike to visit all four of the pinnacles and learn about them and so much more.

When: 
Saturdays through June 25, 2022 11am-2:30pm
Location: 

Embracing Family History at Sawyer Free

Learn skills that you can use to discover your own family history at Sawyer Free

Sawyer Free Library and the Cape Ann Museum invite families to a presentation on personal family history.  Learn how to use family records to research your own family and history and learn what life was like for your ancestors! Children will see examples of old-fashioned Cape Ann Samplers and family trees, and then create their very own sampler, and paint their own family tree.

When: 
Saturday March 8, 2014 10:30am-Noon

Family Fun Free Day

Albert Alcalay (1917-2008), Night Fleet (detail), 1956. Oil on canvas.

The second Saturday of every month is free for families with school-aged children. Families are invited to the Activity Center to participate in art, history, and cultural activities, and explore the museum using a Seek and Find. Each month has a different theme, from exhibitions to special celebrations. With September 2013's theme 'Four Winds' families are invited to the Children's Activity Center to participate in themed art, history and cultural activities that explores the Gloucester's Rocky Neck Art Colony, its artists and sculptors. This program is free and open to the public.

When: 
Second Saturday of Every Month
Location: 

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Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts offers farm-based Summer Programs for kids ages 5-15

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Read to a Dog at APL

Kids are invited to read to a dog at Amesbury Massachusetts Public Library. Image generated with AI.
The Amesbury Public Library invites kids to come read to a dog at the Library! Read to a dog to help improve reading skills and get comfortable with reading aloud with only a very cuddly dog to hear you! This program will have Gus, a certified reading dog, and his caretaker at the library in our...
3:45 pm to 4:30 pm

Dungeons & Dragons at the G.A.R. Library

Dungeons and Dragons at the GAR Memorial Library in West Newbury Massachusetts
Come to this ongoing campaign using The Dragon of IceSpire Peak. Bring your own character, play one of ours,  or we can help you create one. All are welcome.
4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Stargazing at Mendel Observatory

Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
7:00 pm

Thursday, February 26

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Afterschool Chess Club at Abbot Library

Kids can play clocked chess matches against each other each Wednesday at the Abbot Public Library in Marblehead Massachusetts
Students in grades 2-5 are welcome to come to this informal chess club to practice by playing with others also interested in developing their skills and sharing an interest in chess. The class will be held on Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. with facilitator Ben Konoff and his daughter,...
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

LEGO Club at Danvers Library

LEGO club at Danvers Library Massachusetts
Peabody Institute Library - Danvers invites kids to an afternoon of building and fun! Activities will include free build, themes and instructional design. All structures will remain on display in the Children’s Room till the following weeks's session
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Friday, February 27

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Kidleidoscope at Breakheart Reservation

Kidleidoscope is a program designed for preschoolers at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Come join our park interpreter for a story time and nature walk! Complete a small craft and explore the woods! Walks are gently paced and approximately 1 mile, though not accessible for strollers. Appropriate for families with children 3-5 years old. Meet at the Visitor Center.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Saturday, February 28

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Maple Stroll at Appleton Farms

Appleton Farms has their own sugar maple syrup production facilities to service their abundant suplly from their many sugar maples
Visit the historic maple stand and sugar shack at Appleton Farms and learn all about maple sugaring, its history at the farm and in New England, and how you can try your hand at it at home!
11:00 am to 2:15 pm
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