In “Crowning Glory” Wenham Museum celebrates the ultimate accessory—the hat. As the seasons change, the exhibit will follow suit with the hats on display, moving from delicate spring florals and pale felt fedoras to big bright flowers and hats to keep the summer rays away.
In September, the three-season celebration of the hat in West Gallery begins it's last chapter. Airy summer chapeaux will give way to the rich colors and textures of our collection of fall and winter hats--from luxurious velvet, padded silk, feather and fur to the humble hand-knitted stocking cap. Hats to keep you warm and hats to make you glamorous including a selection of over-the top cocktail hats and whimsies.
Wenham Museum collections span a century of fashion from modest bonnets to the iconic 1920's cloche to glamorous profile hats from Wenham Museum’s costume collection.
Children will enjoy looking at themselves dressed in costumes in the gallery fun-mirror!
The Wenham Museum is a family-friendly museum of childhood and New England family life located on Boston’s North Shore since 1922. The museum’s collections include model trains, a world-renowned doll collection, vintage dollhouses, a costume and textile collection, antique toys, historic photographs and the National Historic Register Claflin-Richards House. Sixteen annual rotating exhibits and related family programming help to interpret the museum's mission to protect, preserve and interpret the artifacts of childhood, domestic life, and the history and culture of Boston’s North Shore.
The permanent collection includes over 5,000 dolls and doll accessories, and toy soldiers from the American Revolution through World War II. The Model Train room is a maze of whirring, whistling antique trains and railroad artifacts, and kids are welcome to play conductor. The Family Discovery Room offers a variety of hands-on activities for kids of all ages.
Classes, Events & Camps
The Wenham Museum offers many enrichment experiences for children, from preschool up. Click on these links to check out frequent preschool programs, youth and family events, and summer programs like History Alive! Summer Camps.
The Wenham Museum is a family-friendly museum of childhood and New England family life located on Boston’s North Shore since 1922. The museum’s collections include model trains, a world-renowned doll collection, vintage dollhouses, a costume and textile collection, antique toys, historic photographs and the National Historic Register Claflin-Richards House. Sixteen annual rotating exhibits and related family programming help to interpret the museum's mission to protect, preserve and interpret the artifacts of childhood, domestic life, and the history and culture of Boston’s North Shore. Throughout the year the museum offers changing exhibits and family-friendly programming that celebrate childhood, connect generations and honors local heritage.
Wenham Museum was among the first museums to be accredited by American Association of Museums in 1972 and remains one of only five percent of American museums to be so honored. AAM recognizes the highest professional standards in curatorial, educational, and administrative operations.
Wenham Museum, 132 Main Street in Wenham, MA, (978) 468-2377, www.wenhammuseum.org. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM. Admission is $8/adults, and $6/children ages 1+. Group rates are available with advance registration. Visit www.wenhammuseum.org or www.facebook.com/wenhammuseum for family-friendly exhibitions and related programming that changes throughout the year.