After 18 months of an outdoor exhibit, online displays, and special Time & Tide podcasts, the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving museum has once again opened its doors to visitors this season.
This year’s special exhibition is “Duty and Diligence: Station Life in the U.S. Life-Saving Service.” Visitors will step back in time for an immersive experience recreating a Lifesaving Station’s environment from the turn of the 20th century. Who were the men who joined the Service, and how were they trained to endure the fury of storms, hours of strenuous rowing, and putting their lives at risk saving strangers? The exhibit tries to answer those questions by showcasing artifacts used in drills and rescues by the island’s surfmen: ordinary men doing extraordinary things. This museum and exhibit preserves and presents them in honor of their self-sacrifice. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Robert Taylor and sponsored by Novation Media.
In addition to all the great things families and visitors will find inside the museum, the Nantucket Shipwreck & Life-Saving Museum is offering outdoor programs daily during July and August, mornings and afternoons. Educators and interpreters will be on hand from 10:30am to noon and from 2:30-4pm to guide a set educational program for each day.
Monday: Breeches Buoy demonstration
Tuesday: Heaving lines and life ring tosses.
Wednesday: Rain Gutter Regatta: Boat Building Design and Race
Thursday: Marlinspike Seamanship: Basic knots – Bracelets/Monkeyfists
Friday: Marlinspike Seamanship: Ropemaking
Saturday Morning: Advanced Marlinspike Seamanship – Splicing (Attendees can make their own dog leashes!)
Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is located at 158 Polpis Road, Open Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm, Sundays 10am-4pm. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for children. For details, visit eganmaritime.org or call 508-228-2505.
