Museum Learning
Bring yourself, your family, or your classroom on an engaging journey from curiosity to connection while exploring the museum’s collection and Castine history.
Our Museum Learning team facilitates meaningful learning experiences around the history, science, and culture showcased in the museum’s unique collection. We welcome visitors of all ages who value curiosity, a diversity of perspectives, and forging new connections.
Youth Programs
We are excited to be developing and offering programs for area youth that spark and encourage curiosity, engagement, and meaning-making with the museum’s collection.
We welcome classes, camp groups, and families – and we can come to you.
Some of our recent program offerings include afterschool programs, February Vacation activities, and programs coordinated with local classes.
Robin Bray Museum-Based Learning Award
Looking for ways to stretch your classroom budget? Check out the Robin Bray Museum-Based Learning Award. This financial award designed to support student learning in and beyond the classroom.
Public Programs
Throughout the year we offer in-person and virtual programs for the public in collaboration with local organizations.
Core to the work of museums in the 21st century is demonstrating our relevance. How do our collections, exhibits, and programs connect to topics and issues that are important to our audiences? The eclectic collections and exhibits created by our founder John Howard Wilson, and those who followed, offer so many opportunities for this!
Past programs have investigated our changing climate, how we understand cultures through the objects we make and use, and how history can help us better understand the world today.
Our fascinating collection of shells inspired us to ask what shells can tell us about our oceans, past and present.
The Inuit cultural material in our collection led us to tackle questions around the impact of a changing Arctic.
Pieces made of clay – from Wabanaki and other Indigenous pottery to 18th and 19th century Castine Ceramics – are a starting place for learning about people and cultures across time and space through their material culture.
And finally, looking to the stars, sun, and moon, we will explore how places and things from Stonehenge to the navigation tools on a Castine sailing ship show the deep connections between humans and the stars.
Find more details about our public programs on our calendar of events.
Hands-On History
A favorite part of campus is our Hands-On History. People of all ages love visiting the blacksmith shop and the woodshop year after year to experience the traditional crafts and skills demonstrated on our campus.
We look forward to continuing and building on the current hands-on history offerings to expand the visitor experience.
Hands-On History at the Wilson Museum is made possible through the generous support of Camden National Bank.