News
Baskets & Bubbly Fundraising Event Plans Announced
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will host the annual summer fundraiser, Baskets & Bubbly, to support the island craft of Nantucket lightship baskets with a Celebration Under the Whale at the Whaling Museum on Sunday, July 16, from 5–7 pm, accompanied by an online auction that will run from July 10-17, providing bidders with the exclusive opportunity to bid on baskets and basket-related items."We look forward to this summer fundraiser that celebrates the unique history of Nantucket lightship
The Nantucket Historical Association Organizes Historic Bike Ride and Earth Day Celebration with Island Partners
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will host its first-ever Historic Bike Ride and Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 22, 2023. The program will consist of a group bike ride featuring history talks, followed by a family-friendly Earth Day Celebration at the NHA’s Pony Field (10 Mill Street), free and open to all. “We are excited to offer this outdoor programming for islanders and visitors of all ages to enjoy the partnerships and educational resources that our island’s non-profits have to
Nantucket Historical Association’s Featured Exhibition Summer on Nantucket to Open this May at the Whaling Museum
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will open a new featured exhibition, Summer on Nantucket: A History of the Island Resort, at the Whaling Museum Memorial Day weekend; it will run through November 2023. Containing more than 200 artifacts from the NHA’s collection, the exhibit tells the story of Nantucket as a summer destination, from the opening of the first tourist hotels in the 1840s to the multi-billion-dollar real-estate, construction, and rental economy of today. “We are excited for this
Nantucket Historical Association Acquires Elizabeth Rebecca Coffin Painting
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the painting At Eventide (1890) by Elizabeth Rebecca Coffin thanks to a generous gift from Carolyn Coffin Marlowe, in memory of her parents, William W. and Alma Killen Coffin. “We are thrilled to add a significant work by Nantucket’s most notable female artist from the turn of the twentieth century to our permanent collection. Over the last year, the NHA has acquired five works by Elizabeth Coffin to complement the
The Nantucket Historical Association hosts the 5th Annual Flower Power Party
A spring community celebration to kick off the seasonThe Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is excited to host the community and visitors for the 5th Annual Flower Power Party on Friday, April 28, 2023, 6–8 pm, at the Whaling Museum. The Flower Power Party is in collaboration with the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce’s 47th Annual Daffodil Festival weekend and transforms the Whaling Museum into a festive spring celebration. Enjoy a look at new additions around the museum, hors d’oeuvres by Island
The Nantucket Historical Association will reopen the Whaling Museum on February 15
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will reopen the Whaling Museum on Wednesday, February 15, with free admission for island residents and NHA members, offered year-round. “We are excited to reopen our doors this February after our maintenance team has completed necessary projects and our curatorial team has made some exciting updates and placed new items on display. In addition to welcoming the community into the museum, we will have a number of free program offerings to look forward to this
Nantucket Historical Association Acquires Significant Eastman Johnson Painting
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the painting Cranberry Pickers by Eastman Johnson, thanks to an outpouring of generous support from numerous private donors, NHA board members, and the Friends of the Nantucket Historical Association. Cranberry Pickers depicts a woman and man harvesting cranberries on Nantucket’s north shore. Painted around 1877, it is one of approximately twenty works Johnson created in preparation for his masterpiece Cranberry Harvest,
2023 “One Book, One Island” Winner Announcement
2023 “One Book, One Island” Winner Announcement The Nantucket Atheneum is delighted to announce the winner of the “One Book, One Island”(OBOI) Community Read. Hundreds participated in an exciting race and a tight competition until yesterday’s final push. Our winning OBOI title, The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery, was the Nantucket Book Foundation’s entry and is a 272 page National Book Award Finalist described by Kirkus Reviews as “a fascinating glimpse into an alien consciousness.”What’s Next? The
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The Nantucket Historical Association to Host A Night of Holiday Magic Offering a Festive Community Event for Island Families
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will be hosting, A Night of Holiday Magic, one of its festive community traditions for island families. This program will be held on Saturday, December 17, from 5 am 8 pm at the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, and will be FREE to all attendees. “We are thrilled to be able to offer a program like this in the evening for families to enjoy after workday hours. The museum is filled with such wonder and magic this time of year, and this program makes for a great
Nantucket Historical Association to Host Fiesta at the Whaling Museum In Collaboration with Partner Organizations on Island
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will host the inaugural Fiesta at the Whaling Museum on Saturday, November 5, from 1-4 pm. As the NHA’s definition of a community is broad and encompassing, it looks forward to engaging a larger part of the island community through this program. The Fiesta celebration is free and family-friendly.“We are excited to join with the many different communities on island to celebrate their heritage, as well as provide an opportunity for islanders to gain exposure to and
Nantucket Historical Association Partners with National Park Service and International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property to Host Climate Change Symposium
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA), in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) and the Rome-based International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, will host a three-day symposium at the NHA’s Whaling Museum, December 6–8, 2022, to explore the latest climate change research and develop strategies for advancing climate conservation and protection. The symposium will include working meetings with climate change experts on December 6 and 7 and a
Nantucket Garden Club September 2022 Press Release
The Nantucket Garden Club would like to thank the generous homeowners, businesses and community for their wonderful support of our successful 2022 66th Annual Nantucket Garden Club House and Garden Tour. The proceeds from our Tour annually fund community grants and college scholarships for Nantucket High School graduates who studies align with our club mission. The Nantucket Garden Club is pleased to announce the 2022 community grant recipients: Housing Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Nantucket
NHA Hosts Old Mill Anniversary Celebration: Offering a Fall Community-Focused Program for Families
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) welcomes the community to learn about one of Nantucket’s most iconic historic landmarks and the history of harvest season on the island. The program will also celebrate the 125th anniversary since the organization purchased the Old Mill in 1897. Admission to the celebration will be FREE for all. This program will be held on Saturday, October 22, from 11 am-4 pm at the Old Mill, 50 Prospect Street. “The NHA is thrilled to offer this festive and educational program
NHA Announces Holiday Festival Dates: The NHA’s Largest Community-Focused Events of the Season
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will host the 24th annual Festival of Wreaths from November 19–26 and the 29th annual Festival of Trees on December 2–31, on display at the Whaling Museum, offering FREE admission to both festivals for NHA members and island residents. These events underscore the NHA’s commitment to the community and celebrate Nantucket’s history as a community built on the talent, skill, and creativity of its members. The Festival of Wreaths will continue its tradition of
Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Fall Hours and Programs
The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), your portal to Nantucket’s Natural world, announces its schedule for another fall full of science education, research, and exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island through its award-wining programs, events, and properties.Fall Hours Updated hours for MMA properties are listed below. Aquarium (28 Washington Street): Friday-Sunday, 10 AM - 4 PMHinchman House Natural Science Museum (7 Milk Street): Friday-Sunday, 10 AM - 4 PMHistoric Mitchell
NHA Hosts Old Mill Anniversary Celebration: Offering a Fall Community-Focused Program for Families
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) welcomes the community to learn about one of Nantucket’s most iconic historic landmarks and the history of harvest season on the island. The program will also celebrate the 125th anniversary since the organization purchased the Old Mill in 1897. Admission to the celebration will be FREE for all. This program will be held on Saturday, October 22, from 11 am-4 pm at the Old Mill, 50 Prospect Street.“The NHA is thrilled to offer this festive and educational program
NHA Announces Holiday Festival Dates: The NHA’s Largest Community-Focused Events of the Season
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) will host the 24th annual Festival of Wreaths from November 19–26 and the 29th annual Festival of Trees on December 2–31, on display at the Whaling Museum, offering FREE admission to both festivals for NHA members and island residents. These events underscore the NHA’s commitment to the community and celebrate Nantucket’s history as a community built on the talent, skill, and creativity of its members. The Festival of Wreaths will continue its tradition of
Nantucket Historical Association: Gifted Naval Officers Sword with Island Ties
The Nantucket Historical Association is pleased to announce it will receive the commissioning sword of islander and U.S. Navy Commander John Franklin Walling, who was lost at sea in 1945 while commanding the submarine USS Snook during World War II. The NHA is collecting the sword in honor of Walling’s sacrifice and to share this island family story. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, on February 2, 1912, Walling grew up on island, attending Academy Hill School and teaching sailing at the Yacht Club. He then
Nantucket Historical Association Enjoys Banner Summer for Collections Acquisitions
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is pleased to announce it has had a successful summer of new acquisitions. The NHA uses its extensive collections of art, artifacts, and archives to tell the stories of the island and its people. The curatorial staff, assisted by friends and supporters in the community, are constantly on the lookout for historic items that advance the collection and help the NHA to tell new stories. The NHA is pleased to share a number of new acquisitions listed below. Special
Nantucket Historical Association Shares Accomplishments of Property Investment Projects
This past January, the NHA Board of Trustees initiated a project to invest over $2 million in its portfolio of Historic Properties and other facilities over the next 24 months, and we are pleased to share the substantial progress that has been made within the first part of this year.Some of the most notable completed projects have been the installation of a new interior handicap elevator in the Whaling Museum Candle Factory that began operating last week. Other completed projects include installing a new
Community Foundation for Nantucket Announces 2022 Nantucket Fund Grant Recipients
Community Foundation Awards Record-Breaking $300,000 to Nantucket Nonprofits Over the past two years, the pandemic has truly magnified the needs of our island community, and the Community Foundation for Nantucket's Nantucket Fund is here to meet that need. In 2022, we are extremely proud to announce that CFN awarded just over $300,000 in grant funding to our critical nonprofit partner organizations. The Nantucket Fund focuses primarily on grants to the social services network in our Nantucket community,
