History

AtlAtl Days in Danvers!

See an ancient weapon demonstration at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers Massachusetts as part of Trails and Sails!

Come to Rebecca Nurse Homestead to try your hand at ancient hunting practices! The technique of using an atlatl, or spear throwing stick, is an ancient global technology. Join us, along with the Eugene Winter Chapter of Mass Archaeological Society, as they teach you the finer points about hunting in the ancient world! Stop by the Rebecca Nurse Homestead and hunt a woolly mammoth or woolly rhinoceros. Fun and educational for adults and kids of all ages. Wooly mammoth tooth and mastodon tooth and tusk will be on display along with samples of Native American Artifacts found in Danvers. This event is FREE as part of Trails & Sails! If you would like to visit the Nurse Homestead museum, paid admission is required.

When: 
Saturday, September 28, 2024 9am-3pm

Useful Plants of Pioneer Village – Food, Medicine & More

Learn about colonial medicine at Pioneer Village in Salem Massachusetts

An amazing number of the plants at Pioneer Village are nutritious food, or good medicine, and/or useful in other ways. Some are native and were already here when the settlers came, others were introduced. In this fun and informative walk you will learn about these wonderful plants and some of their uses, whether they are wild and weedy or cultivated and tame. Appreciating the useful plants around us helps us to treat plants and the environment with care and respect, so they are here for future generations. You will leave with new-found awe for our plant neighbors and the many gifts they offer us!

When: 
Sunday, September 29, 2024 2-3pm
Location: 

It’s a Hard Dock Life at Maritime Gloucester

Finding and Identifying Marine Invasive Species at Maritime Gloucester in Massachusetts as partof Trails& Sails

Maritime Gloucester invites participants to pull up dock lines on the pier and see what marine creatures we can find! Using magnifying glasses, microscopes, and identification cards, we’ll discover as many marine invasive critters as we can. After investigating the dock, we encourage families to explore the Maritime Gloucester Campus, including the Seapocket Aquarium, the Marine Science & Education Center, and Gorton’s Seafood Gallery of Maritime Heritage in Gloucester, all free of charge.

When: 
Saturday, September 15, 2024 10am-3pm

Stories of the Past at Maudslay

Kids will learn about the history of Maudslay State Park on thes guided tour in Newburyport Massachusetts

Join the Maudslay State Park interpreter on a guided tour for a unique experience to view the mansion and daughter’s picturesque house sites, both have open vistas overlooking the Merrimack River! Additionally, archival photos of the estate will be shared during the walk. For ages 8 years & up.

When: 
Saturday, September 21, 2024 1-2pm

Step Aboard the Friendship of Salem

Permission to come aboard the Friendship of Salem is granted at Derby Wharf in Salem Massachusetts!

Explore the FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, a replica tall ship based on a 1796 Salem vessel at Salem Maritime National Historic Site. Learn about the voyages of the original FRIENDSHIP and the lives of the crewmembers onboard. The two-decked, three-masted, square-rigged, 342-ton vessel represents New England’s influential role in the development of global and domestic maritime trade. Part of Trails & Sails

When: 
Saturdays, September 14, 21 & 28, 2024 1-4pm
Sundays, September 15, 22 & 29, 2024 1-4pm

Marbleheaders in the American Revolution

Glovers Regiment in Marblehead Massachusetts is just one stop on this Trails & Sails tour.

Pick up a program book and experience Revolutionary War-era Marblehead at various sites in the Historic District. Meet the wife of war hero, James Mugford; explore Fort Sewall with Glover’s Regiment; meet diarist Ashley Bowen portrayed by Donald Friary and experience an Anglican service at St. Michael’s church; participate in a recreated town meeting and decide whether or not to support the Patriot cause at the Old Town House; visit the Powder House; see the Spirit of ’76 painting; tour the Jeremiah Lee Mansion; and learn about the town’s Tory population at the “King” Hooper Mansion; among other opportunities. Learn more here!

When: 
Saturday, September 21, 2024 11am-3pm
Sunday, September 22, 2024 11am-3pm

Visit the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum

Manchester-by-the-Seab Museum tours in Massachusetts. A Trails and Sails event.

Discover Manchester-by-the-Sea’s history, architecture & art through our exhibits, tours & collections. See our Salt Cod Fish Yard, original Singing Beach Bath House, and the exhibit “Summers by the Sea: Masconomo House Hotel & the Resort Era,” which examines Manchester-by-the-Sea’s transformation from a furniture-making mill town to an international summer-resort destination. This event is part of Trails & Sails

When: 
Wednesday-Saturday, September 14-28, 2024 10am-3pm

Exploring Salisbury’s Ancient Saltmarsh

Learn about the prehistoric oceanfront of the North Shore in Salisbury Massachusetts

Did you know that there’s a massive prehistoric saltmarsh peeking out of the sands at Salisbury Beach? Join MRWC’s John Macone on a low tide walk as we explore this fascinating remnant of a time when sea levels were much lower than today. We’ll also talk about the prehistoric oceanfront, the “paleo Merrimack River,” and the remnants of the last glacial age — all visible thanks to special maps that we’ll bring with us. The one-mile round trip hike will last about an hour. Be prepared to wade into the surf about 18 inches.

When: 
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 5:30-6:30pm

Spirit of ’76 & WPA Murals Tours

The famous painting 'The Spirit of '76' by Archibald Willard at Abbot Hall in Marblehead Massachusetts

Did you know the famous painting The Spirit of '76 painting resides at Abbot Hall in Marblehead? Take a guided tour of Abbot Hall, Marblehead’s fourth town meeting hall, whose corner stone was laid in 1876, the nation’s Centennial year. Be inspired by the life-size “Spirit of ’76” painting, explore historical scenes in WPA murals painted in 1934, and more. A different program in Abbot Hall is offered the following weekend.

When: 
Sunday, September 15, 2024 2-3pm
Location: 

Falconry & The Medieval World | Hammond Castle

Bring your kids to the Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts for a live falconry presentation

Falconry is the sport of hunting with a trained bird of prey. It is also the demanding art of training a predatory bird that is by nature wary of people to hunt cooperatively with a human partner. Although the sport has a 4,000 – year history, its glory days were indisputably the medieval period.  While this presentation centers around live birds used in falconry, it is not a flight demonstration but a history-rich look at an ancient sport. Focusing on the medieval period, it explains the characteristics of the birds of prey used, how the sport reflected the lifestyle of the time, and the historical reasons behind falconry’s rise and fall.

When: 
Sunday, August 20, 2023 10am-2:00pm

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Brookwood School Summer Program for kids Pre-K through 9 in Manchester Massachusetts

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Yukan Fool's Run | Half Marathon & 5k

Yukan hosts the Fool's Dual Half Marathon and Half Marathon in Gloucester Massahcusetts
Yukan hosts the Fool's Dual Half Marathon and Half Marathon in Gloucester Massahcusetts! Jump into spring with beautiful ocean views as you run along the scenic coastline on Cape Ann. Kids 5K only $10.00! (12 & under, Open to ages 6 and up)
9:00 am

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

Girls in STEM Session at Acera School

Acera Schools Girls in STEM Hands-On Science Event for K-8 Kids in grade K-8
Do you know a girl who is curious about science? Join Acera School on Saturday, April 5th from 10AM to 12PM for an exciting – and FREE – morning of interactive STEM! The event will be held at Acera School, located at 5 Lowell Ave in Winchester. Free on site parking is available.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Vernal Pools | Family Nature Series

Vernal Pools - Family Nature Series with Essex County Greenbelt and North Shore Nature Programs
Greenbelt and North Shore Nature Programs team up for this event for all ages! What sound do frogs make? Turns out, they make a lot of different sounds! Come meet the residents of the vernal pools to learn who says ribbit, quack, chirp, peep and more!​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We recommend...
10:00 am to 11:30 am

Saturday, April 12

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

Salisbury Egg Hunt

Community Egg Hunt for kids ages 2-8 at Salisbury Massachusetts Elementary School.
If you're looking for some Easter fun the kiddos can enjoy, Salisbury Parks and Recreation Commission is hosting their annual Egg Hunt next Saturday at the Salisbury Elementary School for kids 8 and under. Visit their page to learn more!
9:45 am to 11:00 am

Kite Day at Cogswell's Grant

Kite Day at Cogswell Grant is a wonderful fall afternoon event for North Shore families
Come fly a kite at Cogswell's Grant in Essex Massachusetts! Bring your own kite or build one of your own, and watch professional kite flyers from Kites Over New England. Kite-building workshops will be held with all materials included, where kids and adults can make their own kites and learn how to...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Read to a Dog at SPL

Kids are invited to read to a therapy dog at the Salem Public Library in Massachusetts
Have a new or struggling reader who needs to build confidence and practice reading aloud?  Come read to Hendrix, the trained therapy dog, a sweet a non-judgmental listener!  Bring your own book to read, or choose one of ours.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

2nd & 4th Saturday at Lynn Museum

Lynn Museum in Massachusetts offers free admission on the second Saturday of each month.
Come to the Lynn Museum and Historical Society for FREE family fun. Join us on the second and fourth Saturday of each month for FREE admission to the Museum from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.! You can view our latest exhibitions, purchase Lynn-themed goods in our shop, check out books in our free library, and...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

LEGO Club at Salem Public Library

Come to the Salem Massachusetts Public Library for an afternoon of LEGO and fun!
Salem Public Library hosts a morning session of LEGO fun! We provide the LEGO, you provide the imagination.  Stop by the library on Saturday mornings (every other Saturday) to play and build.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Dads & Donuts Storytime at NTL

Dads & Donuts Storytime at Newbury Town Library in Massachusetts
Come to our Dads and Donuts monthly event to get quality bonding time with your child, listen to some stories, and eat donuts! You don't have to be a dad to come- all family members are welcome.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Long Hill Garden Tours

Tour the Gardens at the Trustees of Reservations Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts!
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to join our expert guides for a tour around Long Hill’s stunning Sedgwick Gardens and learn more about the special plants. Visit Long Hill’s breathtaking gardens and stately historic house for a guided tour. Enjoy the rich history of this grand country estate...
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Big Night at IRWS

Come explore the vernal pools of Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary with Mass Audubon!
On the first warm rainy night of spring, wood frogs and salamanders begin a mass migration to the vernal pools where they breed. This mass migration is referred to as "Big Night!"
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

CraneExplorer: Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes

Walk through the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts with the Trustees under the full moon.
There is almost nothing more peaceful than a evening walk at the Crane Estate, and we would like to invite your family to join us for a unique hiking experience. With the full moon rising over the Atlantic, we’ll start with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach admiring this spectacle before heading...
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
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