Exploration

Marine Science Experience

Tour Salem State's Cat Cove Marine Lab for Trails and Sails! FREE!

Come tour the Cat Cove Marine Laboratory as part of Trails & Sails! The Cat Cove Marine Laboratory is operated by Salem State University to promote the sustainable use of aquatic resources on the North Shore and elsewhere. Massachusetts’ North Shore is historically, culturally and economically linked with the ocean. More recently, the ecological importance of coastal waters has been recognized. Salem State University and its Cat Cove Marine Laboratory acknowledge the traditional, biological and social importance of our coastal waters. Methods to preserve, manage and utilize this treasured resource are developed and disseminated at the Laboratory. Participants in Trails & Sails will tour the Laboratory, learn about its relevance and gain insight into how some of their tax dollars are being spent. The visit is interactive, be prepared to feed fish, shellfish and to handle creepy crawlers!

When: 
Friday, September 20, 2019 5-6:30pm

Sense of Wonder Walk: Meadow Exploration

Learn about the meadow habitat and who lives there at Ipsiwch River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield

A meadow with grasses and wildflowers is home to many insects, from bees and butterflies to grasshoppers and crickets. Take a walk to a meadow to see how many different wildflowers you can find, and then take a closer look at insects using nets and collecting jars.

When: 
Sunday, September 15, 2019 1:30-3pm

Map and Compass Treasure Hunt

Learn the basics of map reading and orienteering in this IRWS workshop.

It's nice to have GPS, but do you know how to read a map or use a compass? What happens if you're out on the trail and your GPS malfunctions or the batteries die?  Are you instantly lost?  Join Mass Audubon for a guided map-and-compass treasure hunt around the sanctuary. Bring your own compass or use one of ours and learn how to find north, orient yourself, count paces, and use the map and compass to find your way. After some basics, we'll hit the trails and use the new skills learned to search for some hidden natural treasures. No experience necessary. This program is a good introduction to orienteering for the whole family.

When: 
Saturday, September 14, 2019 1:30-3pm

Bat Discovery at Maudslay

Learn about bats and the role they play in the ecosystem at Maudlsay State Park in Newburyport with DCR Bat Research Monitor Amanda Melinchuk

Join the park interpreter & DCR Bat Research Monitor Amanda Melinchuk for this two part program, starting with a Power Point presentation concerning the threat to bats, how they benefit the eco system & much more! Then take a short walk in the field to see & hear bat activity and at the site of Maudslay’s newly in stalled bat box.

When: 
Saturday, September 28, 2019 6:30-9pm

Reading the Granite Landscape

Find out the story behind the granite at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport!

Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! A rock is not a thing but a drama, it can teach us about the great unifying science and the unique geology of Cape Ann. Rocks can tell us a lot about how the landscape was formed and the geology of Cape Ann tells us great stories, all visible at Halibut Point. Meet at the Visitors Center in the park. For all ages. Rain or shine, pouring rain cancels.

When: 
Thursdays, August 22, 2019 10-11am

Family Campouts: Summer Owl Prowl

Join a Summer Owl Prowl Campout at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: Scott Santino

Explore the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary after hours and join us for a night of camping under the stars. Have an early dinner at home and then come with your family, your tent, and a dessert to share. Join us as we explore the habitats of the elusive owls.

When: 
Saturday, August 10 6pm - Sunday, August 11, 2019 9am

Seashore Adventures: Beachcombers

Go on a low tide exploration at Grace Oliver Beach in Marblehead

Enjoy a summer afternoon at Grace Oliver Beach during low tide and discover the living wonders of the sandy coastline. Walk across the mudflats to Crowninshield Island, where we will search for tiny fish, hermit crabs, periwinkles, and other sea creatures living in this delicate habitat. Explore the five-acre island and its unusual variety of landforms, from granite rocks and tidal pools to sandy beach, salt marsh, and wooded hilltop.

When: 
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 9:30-11am

Pages

Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 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

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Take a Trolley Ride with Scrooge!

Salem Trolley Christmas Carol, Fun Holiday Events north of Boston, Trolley Ride with Scrooge
Join Scrooge on the Salem Trolley as you ride through Salem Massachusetts in this rolling production performed by the Griffen Theater . Now entering into it's 39th Season, this humorous & whimsical interactive performance reanimates Dickens’ timeless seasonal holiday classic. Experience...
2:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Chess Night at Beverly Library

BevRec and the Beverly Public Library are teaming up to offer Chess Nights in the Beverly Massachusetts Library.
You do not have access to view this node and BevRec are teaming up to offer Chess Nights in the Barnett Gallery in the main Library at 32 Essex St, Beverly. The first Monday of each month through December, come and play the world’s greatest game with your neighbors. This is not an instructional...
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Saturday, December 13

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

Breakfast with Santa

Kids will enjoy breakfast with Santa at the Hamilton Wenham Community House
Come and enjoy a continental style breakfast and get your picture taken with Santa. We will also have a letter writing station and music entertainment.
8:00 am to 12:30 pm

Middle Street Walk 2025

The lighting of the Lobster Trap Tree is part of Middle Street Walk's finale in Gloucester Massachusetts.
The Annual Middle Street Walk is a great way to experience Gloucester's Historic District and waterfront while having Holiday fun with the family.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Boot Camp For Birth Support & Beyond

Boot Camp For Birth Support & Beyond for caregivers at Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts
Most education surrounding childbirth focuses on the person carrying the child, as it rightly should. Those in the role of supporting childbirth (spouses, significant others, couples using a surrogate, etc) should be equally as prepared for the joys and challenges in store. In this class you’ll...
9:00 am to 11:00 am

Newburyport Holiday House Tour 2025

Newburyport Holiday House Tour hosted by the Newburyport PTO Kitchen Tour
Enjoy touring private residences and unique spaces throughout Greater Newburyport, all decorated in holiday style both inside and out. Your self-guide tour will lead you through each of our homes all decked out both inside and out in holiday style reflecting the homeowner’s individual celebrations...
9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Christmas at Castle Hill | A Nod to Nature

Christmas at Castle Hill | A Nod to Nature is a weekend of festivities hosted by the Trustees of Reservations at Castle Hill in Ipswich Massachusetts
Visiting Castle Hill at Christmas is a time-honored tradition. Don’t miss this year’s event celebrating the beauty of the natural world. You’ll see birds, flowers, snowflakes, and more as you view 18 spaces decorated for the holidays.
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest 2025

Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest entries can take any shape.
Everybody is invited to enter the Gingerbread Contest for the Middle Street Walk in Gloucester this year! Groups and individuals are encouraged to get creative and come up with entries that can take any shape.  All entries will be judged prior to the start of the Middle Street at 10am. 
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Discover Saturdays at Cape Ann Museum

Discover Saturdays for Families at Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Enjoy a FREE guided activity (ages 4+) in the gallery. Learn about Cape Ann’s Granite Industry, try a fun art making activity, and join in gallery tour designed for kids and their caregivers, led by a CAM Educator. Afterwards grab a scavenger hunt to explore the property and enjoy the lawn.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Subscribe to Exploration