It’s history and culture you can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. Hands-On History Days are designed to bring the past to life through participation.

Offered each Sunday and Wednesday in July and August.

Get your hands on some fun at our Hands-On History Open House featuring remarkable guest demonstrators!

The Honors Jazz Combo of George Stevens Academy will perform in the museum’s Hutchins Education Center for a FREE performance!

Kids of all ages are invited to Hands-On History at the Blue Hill Public Library! 

Participants will have a chance to try their hand at the drawshave, make a craft to take home, and learn more about what the museum’s Hands-On History Days have to offer from our wonderful staff members Ms. Georgia and Mr. Aaron. 

Today is the first day of our 2026 season!

Construct, carve, nail, screw, paint and otherwise fashion animals (real or imagined) from wood, and other found materials with artist and woodworker Aaron Margolis.

A workshop based on curiosity and hands-on learning, we will build skills together in approachable woodworking techniques.

Transform ordinary plants into unique, colorful imprints through the process of eco-printing with artist and educator Katama Murray.

Fuel up with fresh waffles and delicious coffee from 44 North Coffee before heading into town to help spruce up Castine in celebration of Earth Day!

All elements of this community event are free.

Participation in Castine Clean Up Day is not required.

Led by Jules Thomson, Collections Manager at the Castine Historical Society and a professionally trained archivist, this presentation will feature practical, professional-grade tips on how to properly store and preserve family mementos for long-term enjoyment.

Learn how to carve a canoe paddle of your own with esteemed boatbuilder and craftsman David Wyman. 

Learn how to carve a canoe paddle of your own with esteemed boatbuilder and craftsman David Wyman. 

Learn how to carve a canoe paddle of your own with esteemed boatbuilder and craftsman David Wyman. 

Learn how to carve a canoe paddle of your own with esteemed boatbuilder and craftsman David Wyman. 

Hand-build your own effigy pot and have it fired in a traditional anagama kiln with local potter Ellen Sedgwick.

Learn about the logistics of year-round cultivation and the vital role local agricultural initiatives play in building a resilient community with the Good Table Foundation, a Castine-based nonprofit.

Youth in grades K - 4 are invited to join camp leaders Georgia Zildjian and Haley Blake to celebrate the wonders of nature through outdoor exploration and artistic expression Tuesday, February 17 to Friday, February 20.

Registration required; space is limited.

Youth in grades K - 4 are invited to join camp leaders Georgia Zildjian and Haley Blake to celebrate the wonders of nature through outdoor exploration and artistic expression Tuesday, February 17 to Friday, February 20.

Registration required; space is limited.

Youth in grades K - 4 are invited to join camp leaders Georgia Zildjian and Haley Blake to celebrate the wonders of nature through outdoor exploration and artistic expression Tuesday, February 17 to Friday, February 20.

Registration required; space is limited.

Youth in grades K - 4 are invited to join camp leaders Georgia Zildjian and Haley Blake to celebrate the wonders of nature through outdoor exploration and artistic expression Tuesday, February 17 to Friday, February 20.

Registration required; space is limited.

Noni Reid has grown up in the shadow of her mother, Dr. Radiance Castine, renowned scholar of Black literature, who is alarmingly perfect at just about everything.

What did the Declaration of Independence mean in 1776? What does it mean to us today? This discussion-based program invites participants to build a deeper understanding of this foundational document through dialogue, engaging with both its aspiration and challenging content.

An interactive experience engaging in the history of colonization of Wabanaki people by Europeans in this territory now called the state of Maine.

We’re Morocco bound with retired legal anthropologist Larry Rosen! Rosen will take us on a random walk through an Arab town where we’ll see elements of everyday life and features that paint the background to an understanding of Islam and Muslim cultures generally.

Get in the spooky spirit with singer-songwriter Gordon Thomas Ward as he pairs his love of history with his talent for storytelling.

A journey across land and water in the place known for millennia by the Wabanaki people as the Dawnland, shining a light on the ways that Indigenous, Black, and settler-descendent populations are represented—or not—in Maine’s commemorative landscape.

Today is the last day of our 2024 season!

Come hear true, personal stories from your fellow Castine community members about times they were trying to find a place.

Community movie night featuring A Minecraft Movie, cosponsored by Maine Maritime Academy and the Wilson Museum.

A hands-on workshop focused on preparing wild mushrooms with mycologist and author Greg Marley.