Youth Programs

We are excited to be developing and offering programs for area youth that spark and encourage curiosity, engagement, and meaning-making with the museum’s collection.

We welcome classes, camp groups, and families – and we can come to you.

Some of our recent program offerings include afterschool programs, February Vacation activities, and programs coordinated with local classes.

Robin Bray Museum-Based Learning Award

Looking for ways to stretch your classroom budget? Check out the Robin Bray Museum-Based Learning Award. This financial award designed to support student learning in and beyond the classroom.

Public Programs

Throughout the year we offer in-person and virtual programs for the public in collaboration with local organizations.

This year we are excited to offer the Connecting to Collections program series made possible by the generous support of Bangor Savings Bank.

Core to the work of museums in the 21st century is demonstrating our relevance. How do our collections, exhibits, and programs connect to topics and issues that are important to our audiences? This program series grew out of our work to find these points of connection. The eclectic collections and exhibits created by our founder John Howard Wilson, and those who followed, offer so many opportunities for this!

The four themes that make up the Connecting to Collections series for 2022 investigate our changing climate, how we understand cultures through the objects we make and use, and how history can help us better understand the world today.

• Our fascinating collection of shells inspired us to ask what shells can tell us about our oceans, past and present.

• The Inuit cultural material in our collection led us to tackle questions around the impact of a changing Arctic.

• Pieces made of clay – from Wabanaki and other Indigenous pottery to 18th and 19th century Castine Ceramics – are a starting place for learning about people and cultures across time and space through their material culture.

• And finally, looking to the stars, sun, and moon, we will explore how places and things from Stonehenge to the navigation tools on a Castine sailing ship show the deep connections between humans and the stars.

We extend a very special thank you to our friends at Bangor Savings Bank for their generous support, making Connecting to Collections possible.

Find more details about this robust program series and additional public programs on our calendar of events.

Hands-On History

A favorite part of campus is our Hands-On History. People of all ages love visiting the blacksmith shop and the woodshop year after year to experience the traditional crafts and skills demonstrated on our campus.

We look forward to continuing and building on the current hands-on history offerings to expand the visitor experience.

Hands-On History at the Wilson Museum is made possible through the generous support of Camden National Bank.