CALENDAR of EVENTS 2018

Demonstrations -

Events -

Mid-Winter, Noontime Luncheon

Good food and lively conversation are on the menu Tuesday, January 9, 2018 when the Castine Woman's Club and the Wilson Museum co-host a mid-winter, noontime luncheon. Dig in to delicious beef stew, homemade yeast rolls, apple pie and brownies at the Hutchins Education Center. Cost of the meal is by donation, and take-out is available. Reservations requested by Friday, January 5th - call 207-326-9247 or email info@wilsonmuseum.org.

Community Luncheon and Cake-Off

The Castine Woman's Club and the Wilson Museum invite the community to a noon-time luncheon and cake-off Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at the Hutchins Education Center. At the January community luncheon the gauntlet was thrown down between Castine Historical Society's Executive Director Lisa Lutts and Wilson Museum's Executive Director Patty Hutchins, as to who could bake the better cake. Local celebrity chefs have been called in to judge and referee this good-natured competition. The real winners will be the diners who will enjoy delicious lasagna, cole slaw, garlic bread and, of course, CAKE. Cost of the meal is by donation and take-out is available - cake-off entertainment is priceless. Reservations requested by Friday, February 9th - call 207-326-9247 or email info@wilsonmuseum.org.

Museum by the Sea: An Ocean of Activities

Ahoy Matey! The Wilson Museum is hosting a February vacation day-camp Museum by the Sea: An Ocean of Activities for grades 1 - 8, beginning Tuesday, February 20, through Friday, February 23 (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) at the Hutchins Education Center.

We'll follow in the wake of historic vessels 100 years ago, "sailing" above the Arctic Circle like the schooner Bowdoin, to learn about sea creatures and the natural resources of that region. On another voyage, we will "visit" tropical islands such as Barbados to explore ships, shells and sailors' valentines. There'll be lots of hands-on activities as well as outdoor games and adventures, so campers should bring weather appropriate clothing.

One thing campers won't need to bring is lunch. The Museum, with a little help from camp participants, will provide lunch each day. The four-day menu is posted on the registration form. And, as always, parents are invited to attend and participate. Cost per child to attend Museum by the Sea is $15 for all four days or $5 per day for individual days. Space is limited. Be assured of a spot today, by downloading a registration form and returning it with the registration fee. Call 207-326-9247 or email info@wilsonmuseum.org for more information.

Rug Hooking Workshop  

Attention all hooked rug artists, enthusiasts and historians!
The Wilson Museum and the Castine Woman's Club are co-hosting a day of rug hooking at the Museum's Hutchins Education Center on Tuesday, April 3, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with guest speaker Judith Burger-Gossart.

Start a new project or bring a UFO (unfinished object) to this day-long workshop and share ideas, tips, techniques and comaraderie with old friends and new. After a delicious lunch, provided by the Wilson Museum, sit back and learn about the Maine Sea Coast Mission's efforts, from the 1920s through the 1940s, in providing opportunities for women along Maine's remote coast to earn an income making hooked rugs. Judith's presentation will begin at 1 p.m. and those not participating in the rug hooking workshop/lunch are welcome to attend the lecture.

Judith Burger-Gossart is an artist, designer and hooker of rugs, an antique dealer and author of Sadie's Winter Dream: Fishermen's Wives & Maine Sea Coast Mission Hooked Rugs 1923-1948. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a masters degree in history from Columbia University Teachers College, Judith has curated hooked rug exhibits, written articles and catalogues on rug hooking, and given numerous talks on the subject. She and her husband live in Salsbury Cove, Maine.

This program is open to the public and free of charge.

Make a Basket, Give a Basket  

Ho! The merrie first of Maie
Brings the daunce & blossoms gaie
To make of lyfe a holiday.

Join the Castine Woman’s Club and the Wilson Museum as they pass on the lore and fun of making May baskets with Castine’s Adams School students Tuesday, May 1, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center. Director Patty Hutchins will lead students, Club members, and the public in constructing colorful crepe paper baskets to fill with goodies, hang on a friend’s door, and run or risk getting kissed!

This multi-generational program is free and open to the public.

Start 'Em Early - Activities for Our Young Visitors  

Drop by the Wilson Museum's Hutchins Education Center on Thursdays any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. throughout the summer for age-appropriate (ages 3-6) games, crafts, and science experiments. Parents should plan on joining their preschoolers for a varying series of activities that will enhance the whole family's Museum experience. Activities may include water beads, puzzles, homemade ice cream, story time, outdoor shaving cream paints, simple science projects, and flower potting to name a few. Some activities may be messy (dress for mess). Join us any or every Thursday through the end of August, stay for fifteen minutes or a couple of hours. Activities for the day will be announced on Facebook, so follow us or take potluck - either way, its's sure to be fun and educational. And, it's free!

Scrabble Night Benefit

The Wilson Museum is pleased to host an evening of Scrabble to benefit local Girl Scout Troop 1617 on Friday, June 1 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Hutchins Education Center. This fun night is for ages 9 and up. Ten dollars per person will give you the opportunity to show your vocabulary and puzzling skills through three games. There will be concessions, prizes and, of course, lots of fun! For more information contact gsmetroop1617@gmail.com or call 207-812-2706.

Women at Sea: Maine's Wives and Daughters Who Went to Sea  

The Castine Woman's Club and the Wilson Museum invite you to a special tea on Tuesday, June 5 (1 p.m.) at the Wilson Museum's Hutchins Education Center. Featured will be Cipperly Good giving a talk entitled Women at Sea: Maine's Wives and Duaghters Who Went to Sea. She will present a visual slideshow using letters, manuscripts, and newspaper articles from the Penobscot Marine Museum's archives as well as objects from their collection. Despite the old sailors' superstition that women at sea were unlucky, this talk will prove the importance and courage of these intrepid women of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Cipperly Good, Collections Manager and Curator at Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, spent her early museum career just upriver at the L.C. Bates Museum. In 2010 she joined the staff of the Penobscot Marine Museum. Cipperly holds a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from The George Washington University and is a graduate of Colby College. She regularly presents to senior colleges, public libraries, historical societies, and other historical groups.

This program is free and open to the public.

Maja Trivia  

It's tournament time! The sixth year of Maja Trivia, a game celebrating the rich history of the region once known as Majabigwaduce, now the towns of Brooksville, Castine, and Penobscot, will conclude with a spectacular Tournament of Champions on Wednesday, June 6. Throughout the school year, 5th - 8th grade students from Penobscot Community School, Brooksville Elementary School, and Castine's Adams School have been playing Maja Trivia practice rounds. Now it's time to test their knowledge!

Each school will compete in a semi-final competition sponsored by the town's respective historical society. Four finalists from each school will move on to compete at the Wilson Museum on June 6 from 9:30 a.m to 1:00 p.m. to determine the Maja Trivia champion!

Join us for all four competitions, support the students, and learn about the intriguing and often colorful histories of the three towns. Here is the complete schedule:

Maja Trivia was developed by the Wilson Museum in collaboration with the Brooksville, Castine, and Penobscot Historical Societies with new categories and questions added each year.

Members' Reception

Anthropologist Riva Berleant, PhD, has spent the last two years doing the preparatory review and research necessary to reinterpret the Museum's Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age exhibit. We will celebrate the rejuvenated exhibit with a grand opening at our Members' Reception on June 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. which will include a tour and talk by Riva. It will be a great evening for expanding your ancestral knowledge as well as socializing with other friends and supporters of the Wilson Museum and its mission.

Not a member? You can join on-line and enjoy this special members' event.

Map Sleuthing with Jane Crosen

The Wilson Museum has partnered with local mapmaker, Jane Crosen, to develop an exciting interactive mapping exhibit focused on coastal Hancock County. Each week during the season a new challenge will be available for visitors to test their detective and map reading skills. On Tuesday, June 26 at 7 p.m., Jane will introduce this exhibit and its challenges in a presentation at the Museum's Hutchins Education Center. She will offer map sleuthing tips and techniques as well as showcase details of her own maps, along with topographical maps, nautical charts, and atlases old and new. Learn some of the interesting stories maps can tell about local landscape and history.

A Maine native with family roots in Hancock County, Jane studied liberal arts and art history at Brown University and Richmond College, then found her niche in publishing and graphic design at the Findhorn Community in Scotland. Upon returning to Maine she learned how to read maps as in-house editor and girl Friday at DeLorme and has been exploring maps, words, and special Maine places ever since. Along with turning her love of maps into a business (www.mainemapmaker.com), Jane works as a freelance editor and proofreader; writes essays and articles; has self-published a cookbook and is working on a second cookbook.

This program is open to the public and free of charge.

The First Coast: Collective Coast Memory and Living Maritime History

Everyone has a story - it's the stuff that lives are made of. The Castine Woman's Club and the Wilson Museum are pleased to host Galen Koch, a collector of stories and maritime history, on July 10 (7 p.m.) at the Wilson Museum's Hutchins Education Center. Galen will speak about The First Coast, a mobile recording studio and exhibition space that travels to coastal communities in Maine during the off-season collecting the stories as well as historic and archival media of those who work and live there.

Galen Koch is an independent audio and multimedia producer based in Portland, Maine. She founded The First Coast in October 2016 in a vintage Airstream she retrofitted herself. When she's not leading the project, Galen produces documentaries for media outlets and local organizations. She is also a part-time teacher of oral history and audio production at Harpswell Coastal Academy in Brunswick.

This program is free and open to the public.

Fireside Cooking

As you punch in the seconds on the microwave oven in your twenty-first century kitchen, have you ever wondered how our ancestors cooked in large open fireplaces and what kinds of foods they prepared? The kitchen of the John Perkins House will be the venue for such wonder when fireside cooking is demonstrated (as part of a guided tour) on: July 11, July 25, and August 15, from 2-5 p.m. The John Perkins House is located at 120 Perkins Street in Castine and is part of the Wilson Museum campus. Guided tours of the John Perkins House begin on the hour and are $5 per person; tour visitors may enjoy some tasty morsels from the day's fare. Should you miss our fireside cooking demonstrations you can still visit the John Perkins House on Wednesdays and Sundays from 2 - 5 p.m. throughout July and August or by appointment.

Also, check out our outdoor cooking demonstrations on July 16, July 30, and August 20.

Bastille Day

As part of Castine’s annual Bastille Day Celebration on Saturday, July 14, the Wilson Museum is pleased to offer several cool ways to spend your afternoon.

From 2 - 5 p.m., visit the Museum and view French Paleolithic artifacts made 450,000 to 10,000 years ago. Dr. J. Howard Wilson’s study trips to France led to a prehistoric collection of extraordinary quality. What a mind-blowingly old and rare treat right here in Castine!

From 1 - 3 p.m., thanks to the Community Childhood Learning Place, children can Paint with the French Masters at the Hutchins Education Center.

Here’s another treat that’s even cooler - hand-cranked French vanilla ice cream. Stop by from 2 - 4 p.m. to help crank or just enjoy a scoop.

Also from 2 - 4 p.m. Downeast fiddler Gus LaCasse will entertain with French-Canadian fiddle music on the porch of the Hutchins Education Center. Hear the influence our French ancestors had on folks just across the Gulf of Maine. It’ll be a very cool and lively afternoon for the whole family!

Click here for a complete schedule.

Outdoor Cooking

Nothing whets the appetite like an ocean breeze with the fragrance of wood smoke and baking bread wafting through the air. Visit the back yard of the John Perkins House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 16, July 30 and August 20 as Director Patty Hutchins cooks up some treats using the outdoor bake oven, the fire pit, or a combination of the two. There might be bread or pizza, bean-hole-beans or stew, we're leaving it up to the weather and the whim of the cook. Mix up a batch of your own favorite bread and bring it down to pop into the oven - it's a big oven with room for several loaves (or a pie might be nice). Outdoor cooking tips are free of charge with impartial taste-testers always available. For more information contact 207-326-9247 or info@wilsonmuseum.org.

Also, check out our fireside cooking demonstrations as part of a Perkins House tour on July 11, July 25, and August 15.

Castine Harbor and Lower Bagaduce River Boat Tour

View Castine from another perspective. Maine Maritime Academy and the Wilson Museum are offering two exciting opportunities to explore Castine Harbor and the lower Bagaduce River. Board an open launch, provided by MMA, on Wednesday, July 18 at 10 a.m., returning about 11:30 a.m. Historical sites and stories of Castine Harbor and the lower Bagaduce River will be highlighted along the way. Sightings of seals, eagles and other wildlife are possible so be sure to bring your camera.

Visitors will meet a Museum representative and MMA crew promptly at 10 a.m. at MMA Waterfront for pre-boarding and safety check. Each passenger should provide his/her own personal flotation device for the trip, if possible; a limited number are available through MMA. This program is free and open to the public. However, reservations must be made by Friday, July 13. Space is limited and fills quickly - call 207-326-9247 or email info@wilsonmuseum.org. Children must be accompanied by an adult. There are no “bad weather” dates.

Concert: Castine Town Band 

The picturesque grounds of the Wilson Museum on Perkins Street, on the shore of Castine Harbor, will be the location of an outdoor concert by the Castine Town Band, Friday, July 20, at 6 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy this free concert!

In the late nineteenth century Castine's Town Band was a proud contributor to patriotic events and summer evening entertainments. Revived in 1998 by a group of like-minded musicians, by 2004, the Band was recognized as one of the top four municipal bands in Maine. Membership in the Band is open to players of all ages and talent. It is a fine blend of locals, retirees and summer people who have a common interest - playing in the Town Band.

As an agent for connecting the past to the present, the Museum is proud to host this annual Castine Town Band concert.

In case of rain, concert will be at Emerson Hall, Court Street.

Bead Embroidery and Flatwork Beading Workshop 

We’ve all strung beads, probably beginning with macaroni “beaded” necklaces for Mom. Here’s a chance for anyone, age 10 and up, to expand their repertoire and learn Native American style bead embroidery and flatwork beading. Rob Kufrovich (aka Mr. K) will lead this two-afternoon workshop on July 23 & 24 from 1 - 3 p.m. each day at the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center.

Mr. K is an artist and has served as a Special Education Technician at Castine’s Adams School for the past 5 years. In the 1980s he worked as an underground mining geologist where many of his co-workers were of the Laguna-Acoma, Zuni, and Navajo tribes. From them he developed a love of Native American style beadwork.

Cost for this two-day workshop is $35 per person which includes a beading kit. Space is limited to 10 participants.

More by Eye than by Measure:
The Life and Ship Models of John Prior Gardner  

Castine resident John Gardner is a storyteller not only in the telling of a tale, but through the crafting of the incredible ship models he brings to life. Join author Sandra Dinsmore on August 1 (2:30 p.m.) in the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center for a free talk entitled More by Eye than by Measure: The Life and Ship Models of John Prior Gardner to learn more about this talented artist and the biography that Sandra is writing. John and his art work will also be honored at the Wilson Museum’s fundraising event Collecting Castine on August 6. Examples of his work are being exhibited in the Museum’s main hall throughout the summer.

Sandra Dinsmore is a reporter who has been writing about art, artists, and the lobster-fishing community for almost 30 years. Her biography of John Gardner will be published in the spring of 2019.

For more information about this talk or the Collecting Castine event email info@wilsonmuseum.org or call 207-326-9247.

Collecting Castine 2018 Fundraising Event

Mark your calendar to attend Collecting Castine 2018, a special, one-night exhibit and sale of Castine fine art on Monday, August 6, from 5 - 7 p.m. held at the Hutchins Education Center. This is a fundraising event with a twist. By making a reservation with a donation of $100 per person, attendees will enjoy delicious hors d'oeuvres and an open bar, view an outstanding exhibit of original artwork created by living artists either from Castine or with a long association to Castine, have the opportunity to purchase an original piece of art, and (here's the twist) cast a vote for the People’s Choice work of art to be added to the Wilson Museum's collection. Following the People's Choice award, all other artwork will be available for purchase, silent auction style, with proceeds from the commissions and donations used to grow and care for the Wilson Museum's collection and the event.

This year the Collecting Castine event is dedicated to artist and ship model-maker John Gardner. John spent his childhood in Castine and returned in 1972 after ranging far and wide from New York City to Alaska. While celebrated for his ship models, John’s art includes fine drawings, wooden spoons, and exquisitely carved leaf and butterfly pins. The Wilson Museum is very pleased to honor him and his contributions to art.

Pictured above:
Upper: 2016 People's Choice winner Gregory Dunham with his wife Pat and Executive Director Patty Hutchins
Lower: 2017 People's Choice winner Joshua Adam with Executive Director Patty Hutchins

Collecting Castine 2018 is sponsored by

Holbrook Island Boat Trip

Maine Maritime Academy and the Wilson Museum are offering a unique way to visit Holbrook Island. Board the boat, an open launch, provided by MMA on Wednesday, August 8 at 9 a.m., returning at 12 noon. A trip will take 45 minutes each way with about an hour to explore ashore. A Holbrook Sanctuary representative will offer a guided tour of the island or visitors may take advantage of swimming, fishing, or hiking along a network of old roads, paths, and animal trails leading visitors through a variety of coastal habitats.

Visitors will meet a Museum representative and MMA crew promptly at 9:00 a.m. at MMA Waterfront for a pre-boarding and safety check. Each passenger should provide his/her own personal flotation device for the trip, if possible; a limited number are available through MMA. This program is free and open to the public. However, reservations must be made by Friday, August 3. Space is limited and fills quickly - call 207-326-9247 or email info@wilsonmuseum.org. Children must be accompanied by an adult. There is no “bad weather” date.

The Story of Stonehenge

To celebrate the reopening of the Wilson Museum’s Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age exhibit as well as the detailed diorama of Stonehenge also on display, the Museum is pleased to host a talk by Lawrence Price on Tuesday, August 14 (3 p.m.) in the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center. Mr. Price will talk about how Stonehenge developed over many years and how it was possible for Neolithic man to build with such great accuracy using the technology available in that long ago time. Learn why this wonder of the world still leaves scholars wondering what it was really built for.

Lawrence Price, born in England, is the Southworth Planetarium Stonehenge Scholar at the University of Southern Maine. His studies have taken him on several trips to England and Ireland exploring hidden and not-so-hidden stone circles and other equally impressive ancient sites.

This program is free and open to the public.

Food & Fashion during the American Revolution

Experience life during the American Revolution through fashion and food to benefit Friends of Castine Fortifications. On August 15 (5 p.m.) at the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center in Castine, see models wearing uniforms of the Scottish troops who were stationed at Fort George from 1779 to 1783 and uniforms of the “Hessian” soldiers who joined them from 1782 to 1783, as well as a colorful British Red Coat uniform. Scottish, German and Colonial cakes from recipes of the 18th century as well as period appropriate punch will be served. This event is free, but donations will be gratefully accepted to support Friends of Castine Fortifications as well as programming for the big reenactment weekend at Fort George on September 8 & 9, 2018. For more information, www.friendsofcastineforts.com.

Pack a Pint of Pickles with Patty ~ CANCELLED ~

August is the perfect season to pick produce and put it up for the long winter ahead. Wilson Museum's Executive Director Patty Hutchins will lead a four-part series of hands-on pickle workshops on Thursday and Friday, August 23 and 24 and another batch the following week on Thursday and Friday, August 30 and 31 from 1 - 4 p.m. each day at the Hutchins Education Center. Pickles to be processed include mustard pickles, dilly beans, sour pickles, relish, bread and butter pickles, spiced crabapples, and dill pickles. Participants will relish taking home one to two pints of pickles per day. Per person cost of the Pack a Pint of Pickles program is $50 for the whole batch of 4 classes. In a pickle and can't commit to all four classes? Pick one or more for $15 per class per person. Class size is limited to 10.

¡Hola! Cuba

¡Hola! Cuba - Have you ever wanted to visit Cuba, but were unsure about all the rules and logistics? Join Sue Hazlett on Tuesday, September 18 (7 p.m.) at the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center, for a talk, co-sponsored by the Museum and the Castine Woman’s Club, about negotiating the process of visiting Cuba and having a great time. From pristine beaches to old cars, Cuba is an amazing place to explore! Sue spent two weeks in Havana, Cuba this year and would love to share her experiences.

Sue Hazlett is an Alaskan who moved to Castine five years ago and teaches at Maine Maritime Academy. She spends her summers working for cruise lines such as Princess, P&O, and Cunard, and is fortunate enough to be able to travel extensively. Recent travels have taken her to Alaska, Japan, Iceland, Ireland, and the Caribbean, including two weeks in Havana, Cuba.

This program is free and open to the public.

Home & Away - Monthly Homeschool Program

If you are a homeschool family looking to bolster your sessions and make new connections, the Wilson Museum is hosting a monthly program just for you. From tours of the Perkins House and the Museum's main hall encompassing a world-wide collection, local history, hands-on activities, and an inspiring setting in the Hutchins Education Center, the Wilson Museum has a lot to offer. 

Our homeschool sessions are scheduled for the second Friday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning October 12. The initial session will have two parts: one part for "in-the-classroom" Maine History (structured into groups for varying learning levels) and one part for a local field trip. The two sections will be separated by a break for lunch. Pack a lunch and the Wilson Museum will top it off with a sweet treat and cider. All ages are welcome.

We are excited for our kick-off session on October 12! If you plan to attend this homeschooling program, please help us best serve you by calling 207-326-9247 or emailing info@wilsonmuseum.org. Please feel free to share the information on this free program with other homeschool families.

For more information on the education programs offered through the Wilson Museum, click HERE.

WILSON MUSEUM Open: May 27 - September 30 Weekdays 10 am - 5 pm, Saturday & Sunday 2 - 5 pm John Perkins House The Village Blacksmith Woodshop July - August, Wednesday & Sunday, 2 - 5 pm Group visits can be arranged by appointment. (207) 326-9247   info@wilsonmuseum.org Admission is free, except for the John Perkins House, where there are guided tours on the hour. Back to Top