All Ages

Get your hands dirty while learning about plants and mini habitats in this terrarium workshop. A member of the Niche Urban Garden Supply team will be on hand to guide you through the process as you design a one-of-a-kind terrarium to take home. Come early or stay late to enjoy the exhibition Sizing it Up: Scale in Nature and Art, where you can also check out Vaughn Bell’s mega-terrarium -- Metropolis before the exhibition closes on September 19th.

Join us for an amazing summer evening at Appleton Farms as we explore the oldest method of cookery…..fire! Inspired by the farm’s very own wood-fired Earth Oven, this special workshop celebrates the season with signature recipes featuring the freshest farm ingredients along with all the skills needed to enjoy your own backyard grilling all summer long. Class begins in the farm kitchen with menu preparation, culinary tips, and instruction before heading outdoors to the kitchen patio for fun grilling, dining, and local beer!

In this fun program, kids will explore how magic tricks really work. This program investigates the science behind the “magic” of several classic magic tricks. You might learn how to snatch a tablecloth without disturbing the items on top, make a balloon fireproof, and use electromagnetism to defy gravity. For the grand finale, our educator demonstrates how science can make it safe to lie down on a real bed of nails.

Chill with the coolest guys in town in the heat of Summer! Enjoy a cool visit to Cape Pond Ice Company, icing Gloucester's fleet since 1848. We were featured in Sebastian Junger's account of The Perfect Storm. This tour highlights the history of the ice industry, with vintage film of natural ice harvests. See first hand 300-pound block ice being made (up to 350 tons per day), fishing vessels taking on ice and ice sculptures being carved in the historic icehouse on Gloucester's working waterfront. Wear warm clothing and shoes!  Signup with the library!