Maria Mitchell Association Logo

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Fall 2023 Hours and Programs

September 15, 2023

Nantucket, MA – 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-winning programs, events, and properties.


MMA Properties Updated Fall Hours – Effective the Week of September 11


MMA Aquarium (28 Washington Street): Thursday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm, through October 6

Hinchman House Natural Science Museum (7 Milk Street): Thursday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm through October 6, Friday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm October 7 through December 17

Historic Mitchell House (1 Vestal Street): Fridays, 10am - 1pm, through September 29,

*closed on September 22

Loines Observatory (59 Milk Street Ext.): Wednesdays, 8pm - 9:30pm through October 4

Research Center (2 Vestal Street): Saturdays, 11am - 1pm through December 17


Tours (self-guided, except at the Mitchell House where visitors take guided tours) are available on a rolling basis throughout the day and do not require a reservation. One all-properties MMA pass ($22 Adult, $12 Youth) includes admission to any four properties ** to be redeemed at the MMA Aquarium, Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, or Historic Mitchell House, and can be purchased in-person upon entering the properties. A single entry to the Historic Mitchell House is available ($10 Adult, $8 Youth). Please note, the property pass provides a single admission to a Stargazing Open Night, which must be registered for in advance online. The pass can be used for four total visits at any of the three other sites. Admission to all properties is FREE for MMA Members. Members receive a 10% discount on all public and private programs. Join today!


Fall Public Programs

Details and registration links for the programs featured below can be found on the MMA website’s calendar at https://www.mariamitchell.org/calendar.


Stargazing Open Nights at Loines Observatory are offered Wednesdays from 8pm - 9:30pm (two sessions) – $22 Adult, $12 Youth, free for Members, and included for those already holding an all-MMA properties pass. You must register for Open Nights in advance online at: www.mariamitchell.org/calendar for these 45-minute Observatory programs. The MMA Astronomy staff will lead constellation tours and guide visitors through different viewing stations inside and outside the observatory domes. Participants will have a chance to view astronomical objects through our historic 8-inch Alvan Clark refractor and our modern 24-inch research telescope. Get a chance to view the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and even other galaxies! Stargazing Open Nights will end for the season October 4 and shift to our “Look Up!” Program.


Feeding Frenzy is a daily program offered Thursday through Sunday, from 9am - 10am (group price is $125 - up to 5 guests). Join MMA Aquarium staff on a private tour as they feed the ever-hungry creatures at the Aquarium before it opens to the public! You will learn all about the fascinating marine animals as you observe their unique feeding behaviors. The Feeding Frenzy is extremely popular, so advance registration is required. The maximum capacity per registration is 5 guests. At least one adult must sign up with children. Feeding Frenzy ends October 6. The Aquarium will hold its annual Release Day on October 7 at 10am.


Ravenous Reptiles is a daily program offered Thursday through Sunday, from 9am - 10am ($15 per registrant). Learn about the unique adaptations of turtles, frogs, snakes, and more at the MMA Natural Science Museum! You will get to touch or hold several of the MMA Natural Science Museum display animals. If you love animals, this is a fantastic way to learn about native and non-native species up-close. Pre-registration is recommended. At least one adult must sign up with children. This program is designed to be interesting for adults and children ages 4 and up. Ravenous Reptiles ends December 17.


Nantucket Bird Walk with Ginger Andrews is offered Saturdays from 7:45am - 10: 00am ($15 per registrant). Join Ginger Andrews, Nantucket native, MMA Field Ornithologist, and Inquirer and Mirror columnist, to look for amazing Nantucket birds. With fun facts, local natural history, and humor, Andrews leads a fascinating tour. Bird Walks will explore various habitats around town and beyond, depending on the availability of participants’ transportation. Indoor study, using the collections in the Research Center, may also be used on cold or rainy days. Nantucket Bird Walk will continue throughout the fall.


Biological Collections Open Hours is offered at the Research Center on Saturdays from 11am - 1pm (Free to all). Join the MMA's Field Ornithologist, Ginger Andrews, to learn about the collections, why collections are so important to science, and examine different specimens

during each session. From specimens of birds and mammals to insects and plants, you never know what will be on display! Biological Collections will continue throughout the fall.


Beach Biology Field Trip is offered Thursdays from 10am – 11am and alternating Saturdays from 1pm - 2pm ($15 per registrant). Join Aquarium staff to learn about the fascinating biology, ecology, and geology that make Nantucket's beaches so unique. We will discover shells and bones of over 15 species of marine animals and are likely to observe live mole crabs, sand fleas, shore birds, beach insects, and seals! This program meets at the ‘Sconset Market Parking Lot, 4 Main Street, Siasconset. Participants must have their own transportation. At least one adult must sign up with children. Beach Biology Field Trip will continue throughout the fall.


Marine Ecology Field Trip is offered Thursdays and Fridays from 1pm – 3pm ($20 per registrant). Help collect, identify, and release fish, crabs, shrimp, and other marine life! The Harbor is filled with interesting animals that will amaze you in their shapes, colors, and habits. This program is part of a long-term research project and is interesting for adults and children alike. This program meets at the Washington Street Ext. parking lot. Participants must have their own transportation. At least one adult must sign up with children. Marine Ecology Field Trip will continue throughout the fall.


Bug Bonanza is offered Thursdays and Saturdays from 1pm - 2pm, and Fridays and Sundays from 11am - 12pm ($15 per registrant). Enjoy an afternoon collecting insects with the Natural Science Museum staff! We will learn how to collect insects like a scientist, use microscopes, and read dichotomous keys to identify each creature that we catch. This is a recurring program, but the specific focus and materials provided will change each week. This program is appropriate for children ages 4 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult, and all participants must register. Please check-in for this program at the front desk of the Natural Science Museum at 7 Milk Street. Bug Bonanza ends November 3.


Nature Story Hour is offered Thursdays and Saturdays from 11am - 12pm ($15 per registrant). Enjoy this program specially designed for the young explorer in your family! During each session, a MMA educator will read a nature or science related book, introduce you to one of the MMA’s animal friends, and will finish with an activity related to the story! This is a recurring program, but the specific focus and materials provided will change each week. This program is appropriate for children ages 3 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult and all participants must register. Please check in for this program at the front desk of the MMA Natural Science Museum at 7 Milk Street. Nature Story Hour ends December 17.


Nighttime Marine Ecology Field Trip is offered on September 16 (Members only complimentary event) and September 30 (Open to all) from 8pm - 9pm ($20 per registrant). Join our Aquarium staff to learn about the fish, squid, crabs, and more that come out to feed at night in the shallow water. This program meets at the MMA Aquarium at 28 Washington Street. Flashlight or headlamps will be provided, but feel free to bring your own lighting! At least one adult must sign up with children. Pre-registration is recommended.


Owl Prowl is offered on Thursdays from September 5 - September 28 with a start time 15 minutes before sunset and runs for 1.5-hours($30 per registrant). Join the MMA's Field Ornithologist, Ginger Andrews, as we listen for calls of a variety of nocturnal animals and birds. We will watch for owls as they begin their nightly activity. While an owl sighting is not guaranteed, you will certainly be able to observe several fascinating nocturnal animal species. This program is meant for adults, but children 8 and up are welcome to register with an adult guardian. Pre-registration is recommended. Owl Prowl ends September 28.


Big History Nights is offered on Thursdays from 8:15pm - 9:15pm ($15 per registrant, complimentary to all members). Join Dr. Rich Blundell, visiting Scientist-in-Residence at the MMA, for a weekly Big History Storytelling at Loines Observatory. "Big History," an academic discipline that examines history from the Big Bang to the present, has been pursued since the Renaissance. During this 60-minute visual lecture incorporating large-scale videos and the Loines Observatory telescopes, Dr. Blundell will tell the fascinating story of the cosmos and our place in it. Pre-registration is required. Big History ends September 28.


Earth Story Walk & Talk is offered on Thursdays from 10am - 11:30pm ($15 per participant). Join the MMA's visiting Scientist-in-Residence, Dr. Rich Blundell, on this 2.9 mile walk through the history of planet Earth. Each stride will account for approximately one million years of natural history. Along the way, we will stop to explore the major thresholds of geologic time and draw on the local setting whenever possible to help tell the story. Come ambulate and contemplate the established, scientific understandings, and reconsider how the events and processes of deep time have led to our current global predicament. By considering the broader scales of life on Earth, we will gain new insights to reinterpret science in more meaningful ways. Pre-registration is required. Earth Story Walk ends on September 28.


“Rockin’ Out” Nantucket is a two part exploration series of the geologic story and glacial charisma of the Grey Lady with Dr. Rich Blundell. Part One is offered on September 15 and 22 from 7pm - 8:30pm, and Part Two is offered on September 16 and 23 from 10am – 11:30am ($25 Adult, $20 Youth - both parts included) at the Maria Mitchell Association Research Center at 2 Vestal Street. I proofed the piece below for Jonelle – is this it? Its too long for here

Part One Rock Talk, is a presentation and popup rock quiz on the fascinating deep history of New England with a closer look at the glacial dynamics that shaped the Grey Lady. Through this informal conversational lecture, you’ll come to truly understand the deep nature of the beloved pile of glacial detritus we call home. Come be surprised by where and when the spectacularly diverse rocks on our trails and beaches come from and how they were made. You’re also invited to bring a pebble or stone to class because the evening will culminate in a fun “popup rock identification” session or you can try to “stump the chump” and win a prize.

Part Two Rock Walk, will follow-up to put what we learned in class into action. On a field-trip to a nearby beach, Dr. Blundell will teach you how to think like a geologist in order to decipher the secrets that rocks hold. Next summer, you’ll be able to amaze (or confuse) your friends with cool geologic science and indecipherable vocabulary. We’ll put our magma-minds toward

meditating on the subterranean stories of crystals that flow through fissures and tortuous realms of fault-zone metamorphosis. Come walk, whack, lick, and look at the stones of a bygone age. You’ll meet the Triassic basalts, metamorphosed granites, pegmatites, and porphyritic gabbros you’ve been wistfully walking over for years and finally fulfill the forgotten wishes of Devonian fishes.


Four Centuries Domestic Tour is offered on September 9 from 10am - 12pm. ($10 per participant). A unique and extremely popular collaborative walking tour with the MMA's Deputy Director & Curator of the Mitchell House, the Nantucket Preservation Trust, and the Nantucket Historical Association that looks at the changes in domestic life over four centuries and how it shaped homes, buildings, neighborhoods, and land use. Participants should meet at the Oldest House on Sunset Hill (tour will end on Main Street). The tour includes brief visits inside each building visited. No registration required.


Maria Mitchell and the Daring Daughters of Nantucket Island Walking Tour is offered on September 8 from 2pm - 4pm($15 per participant) and September 22 from 2-4pm and September 30 from 10-Noon. Join Jascin Leonardo Finger, curator of the Mitchell House, for a walking tour concerning the lives of Maria Mitchell and Nantucket’s famous and infamous women, as well as the lesser-known women of our island. Learn why whaling, Quakerism, and the isolation of an island afforded these women opportunities that women elsewhere in America at the time were not afforded. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.


The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.


                                    ### 

For Immediate Release

September 6, 2023

Contact: Molly Mosscrop

mmosscrop@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Pam Murphy and Kim Schulam of Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket as Featured Guests for the February Science Speaker Series

February 18, 2025
NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Pam Murphy and Kim Shulam of the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket (MMAN), as featured presenters for its February Science Speaker Series. Their presentation will take place on Wednesday, February 26 at 7pm via Zoom. This event is free to all. Join Pam Murphy, the MMAN Executive Director, and Kim Schulam, the MMAN Vice President and Stranding Coordinator, in a discussion on the importance of seals and other marine mammals in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem, and how we can all help keep these populations safe. The mission of the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket is to monitor, rescue, and protect marine mammals on Nantucket, advocate for their well-being, and educate the public. MMAN belongs to the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and is among thirteen organizations dedicated to protecting, rescuing, and advocating marine mammals along the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Maine. You can learn more about the animals they rescue, their partner teams, useful tips, and statistical maps here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5d29b842996d44eea0c4517f71ecca4d Pam Murphy has been involved in animal rescue for many years, from creating a Be Kind to Animals Club at the age of seven, to being one of the founders of Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals (NiSHA) in 2011; serving eight years as board president. Her extensive board experience with TWN, NiSHA, and NAC put her in a solid position to manage MMAN’s board and see it develop into a stronger organization, capable of attracting the donor support the mission deserves. A lifelong vegetarian, Pam has never been able to stand idly by when an animal is suffering. To be allowed to approach injured and entangled marine mammals legally and help was what drew her to MMAN. She became Level A trained, learning to restrain and disentangle seals and went on to attend a Cetacean Stranding Workshop with IFAW. “I have learned a great deal about marine mammals and how to help through the vast knowledge of my teammates.” Kim Schulam began visiting Nantucket in 2013 and fell in love with the remote, natural qualities of the island. A Biological Sciences major in college, she initially considered the fields of Marine Biology or Veterinary Medicine but ultimately pursued a career as a Physician’s Assistant. Now retired from medicine, she met former Stranding Coordinator Scott Leonard and learned of MMAN. She immediately joined the team and became Level A trained. She regularly attends IFAW’s Marine Mammal Mass Stranding training, and is 24-Hour HAZWOPER certified for oil spill wildlife rescue. Now a full-time resident of Nantucket, she serves as the team’s Stranding Coordinator and Board Vice President. She coordinated MMAN’s first team-conducted large whale necropsy last year and works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain the team’s Stranding Agreement as Nantucket's sole agency legally permitted to handle marine mammals. She feels strongly that humans have an obligation to marine life to help them survive given all we have done to injure them and destroy their environment. Pre-registration is required to attend Zoom. To register for Zoom, use the registration link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7UnSEop1RKyxgl0LBio2Kw#/registration This series is generously sponsored by our lead sponsor, Bank of America.  The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages ###

Good Neighbors

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • February 18, 2025
Good neighbors seem hard to come by these days. And, by these days, I mean the last thirty or more years. There are still good neighbors out there but many neighborhoods are not what they once were. People tend to be more insular, inside more often on devices, not outside tending to their yards or just sitting on the front porch. Children do not run rampant over yards and fences, multiple ages playing outside until the last gasp of daylight. Grown-ups are not inviting one another over for dinner or giving each other a hand as they once did. In elementary school, my best friend’s family moved in across the street (how lucky was I?!). Our bedrooms were directly opposite one another and we developed a flashlight signal to share from our windows. After Hurricane Gloria, without power for days, our two families gathered to clean out the refrigerators and freezers before things spoiled. Our father’s grilled it all on charcoal grills so we could have a hot feast – and save the food. Does that happen anymore? We are all more focused on ourselves than one another. The MMA recently lost a good neighbor. Nancy lived on Vestal Street for twenty-five or more years with her husband in a house that was once occupied by another good neighbor. I think a little osmosis might have been at work but also, simply, Nancy was a good neighbor. I would liken her to the “Mayor of Vestal Street.” She looked out for people, paid attention, invited her neighbors for dinner, and helped them out. She certainly helped the MMA out. She offered to garden – and re-did our Astronomer’s Cottage garden and side yard. She painted window boxes. She donated an old door she had so we could replace a rotting door we had. She donated a refrigerator – still humming along nicely in one of our dorms. She welcomed a Mitchell House intern into her home to look at the grain painting in her home from the nineteenth century as the intern worked to study the grain painting in the Mitchell House’s 1825 Kitchen. She attended our events. She was a member. She helped out in other areas of the MMA with advice and support. She swept at least weekly – if not more – the stones from our driveway that constantly tumbled into the street. She gave us plants, kept her eye on things, and looked out for our staff and interns, too. She even gave me a few dresses she could not wear and a baby gift when we brought our son home. She was a mensch. Finding out about her death knocked me down. I keep expecting her to be outside sweeping or walking her beloved dog or putting a new flower arrangement in her front window. She loved her historic home and she and her husband worked very hard to preserve it and also restore details that were lost over the last 100 or more years. She was an incredibly talented and smart person and had a whole other life in Boston where she worked for many years in human resources. I could not think of a better person to have such an occupation. She always had a smile on her face and was ready with support. Good neighbors are hard to come by. I hope that Nancy and her memory inspire a few more people to be good neighbors in this world. The step, however small, which is in advance of the world, shows the greatness of the person, whether that step be taken with brain, with heart, or with hands. – Maria Mitchell JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • February 10, 2025
Feb. 15, 1853. I think Dr. Hall (in his “Life of Mary Ware”) does wrong when he attempts to encourage the use of the needle. It seems to me that the needle is the chain of woman, and has fettered her more than the laws of the country. Once emancipate her from the “stitch, stitch, stitch,” the industry of which would be commendable if it served any purpose except the gratification of her vanity, and she would have time for studies which would engross as the needle never can. I would as soon put a girl alone into a closet to meditate as give her only the society of the needle. The art of sewing, so far as men learn it, is well enough; that is, to enable a person to take the stitches, and, if necessary, to make her own garments in a strong manner; but the dressmaker should no more be a universal character than the carpenter. I believe MM’s words are self-explanatory, no commentary needed on my part. JNLF
Show More
Share by: