Get your hands on some fun at our Hands-On History Open House!
Chat with a friendly blacksmith while they work beside our coal fired forge, see Castine history up close on a tour of the Perkins House, and taste delicious bread fresh from our harborside bake oven! Youth visitors can make a toy boat using traditional hand tools in the wood shop and participate in our second annual dinosaur egg hunt!
Plus, enjoy engaging demonstrations with our remarkable guests! Passamaquoddy artist and basketmaker Gabriel Frey will demonstrate how to prepare ash logs for baskets and renowned Native artist, composer, and flute musician Hawk Henries will demonstrate how to hand carve Eastern Woodland flutes using traditional hand tools. After the open house at 6 pm, Hawk will perform on a variety of his handcrafted flutes in the museum’s Hutchins Education Center. Registration is required to attend the concert virtually; no registration is required for in-person attendance. There is no admission fee for the concert.
In conjunction with our Hands-On History Open House, Maine Seacoast Mission will be at the Castine town dock from 2 to 5 pm for a floating open house aboard their 74-foot flagship vessel, Sunbeam! See below the image block for more information.
Our Hands-On History Days are offered every Wednesday and Sunday afternoon in July and August. All Hands-On History activities are kid-friendly, open to the public, and free of charge.
Sunbeam
Visitors are invited to go aboard Sunbeam and learn more about the Mission’s work in coastal Washington County and on outer, unbridged islands. During the tour, visitors can see the inner workings of a vessel which welcomes more than 1,000 people aboard each year for basic healthcare, meals, community gatherings, and more.
Mission programming via Sunbeam regularly provides support through counseling, education initiatives, and education services. In addition, a full-time nurse offers flu and Covid vaccination clinics, leads a network of eldercare facilities, provides healthcare check-ups, and connects residents to mainland specialists.
The Castine town dock is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the Wilson Museum campus.
Hands-On History at the Wilson Museum is made possible through the generous support of Camden National Bank.