Experience life on and around an authentic Viking ship. Vikings are known for their “raiding and trading” but they were also master crafters in wood, metal and fabric arts. Based around our flagship Polaris, visitors will get to see, feel, and hear the sounds of costume, metal working, and wood working. They will get to experience what it was like aboard a small Viking longship and even try their hand at rowing.
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!
Chill with the coolest guys in town! Enjoy a cool visit to Cape Pond Ice Company, icing Gloucester's fleet since 1848. We were featured in Sebastian Junger's account of The Perfect Storm. Tours highlight the history of the ice industry, with vintage film of natural ice harvests. See first hand 300-pound block ice being made (up to 350 tons per day), fishing vessels taking on ice and ice sculptures being carved in our historic icehouse on Gloucester's working waterfront. Part of Trails & Sails
Always wanted to know how to read the night sky? Come Star Gazing with the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club to enjoy outdoor night sky observation. See open clusters, planetary nebulae, and galaxies millions of light years away. Telescopes provided on site.
Join Theater in the Open for a special encore presentation of Poe in The Ellen T. Brown Memorial Chapel at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Newburyport. Using music, macabre pageantry and shadow puppetry, Theater in the Open’s ensemble will explore the emotional tension and otherworldly atmosphere that underscore Poe’s works.
See live raptors up close. In this much-anticipated program, Bethani Garland, a wildlife biologist and rehabilitator from On the Wing, will present audiences with five different raptors (birds of prey). You will observe the birds and learn their different calls, the best locations to sight hawks, falcons, and owls, and understand how different body shapes affect how raptors hunt their prey in the air.
In addition to pick-your-own favorites like zinnias, cosmos and rudbeckia, visitors will find new varieties to add pop and flair to their bouquets. The garden is fun for all ages and there is always something new to learn! Please note there is a fee to cut flowers and picking is only available at the Cutting Garden during PYO hours.
The Gloucester Area Astronomy Club invites you to their monthly meeting to discover the wonder of the night sky on Cape Ann! There will still be a lot of astronomy going on! Stargazing will usually foolow the monthly meeting, which usually includes an astronomy presentation, and sometimes a special guest. There is plenty of free parking, no dues or fees, and all are welcome. No special knowledge is required to have a great time.
As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to come to Phillips Beach to help in the statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the shore in Swampscott, Massachusetts. Trash collected will be measured and analyzed, and the data will be sent to Washington DC to aid the government in creating legislation to minimize trash in our oceans! This specific cleanup is coordinated by Ted Maney and the Boston Sea Rovers.
As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to come to Salisbury Beach State Reservation to help in the statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the shore in Salisbury, Massachusetts. Trash collected will be measured and analyzed, and the data will be sent to Washington DC to aid the government in creating legislation to minimize trash in our oceans!
