Programs
Campus Tours at the Museums (June-Oct 8)
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday from 10-2
We also host historical walking tours year round.
For special events, see below.

Events Search and Views Navigation
July 2017
An Evening with Sergei Khrushchev–Simon Center for the Arts, Falmouth Academy
On Wednesday, July 19 at 7 pm, the Museums on the Green welcomes Sergei Khrushchev to Falmouth. The son of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, Sergei resides in the United States where he is a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. This appearance will be a part of the continuing commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of President John F. Kennedy. Dr. Khrushchev will be discussing how his father and President Kennedy…
Find out more »August 2017
Thursday, August 3, 6 pm: Special Movie Screening: “Patriots Day” with author Casey Sherman
RECOVERING CHAMPIONS TO HOST SPECIAL SCREENING OF PATRIOTS DAY WITH NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR CASEY SHERMAN SPECIAL SCREENING PLANNED FOR FALMOUTH MUSEUMS ON THE GREEN Recovering Champions, a substance abuse treatment center with locations in Falmouth and Sandwich, announces today it will host a special screening and discussion of the acclaimed film “Patriots Day” with celebrated author Casey Sherman on Thursday, August 3 2017 at beginning at 6 p.m. at the Falmouth Museums on the Green. “Patriots…
Find out more »Martha Hall Kelly, “Lilac Girls”. 4 pm: TO BE HELD AT ST. BARNABAS CHURCH
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France. An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes…
Find out more »Melinda Ponder, “Katharine Lee Bates: From Sea to Shining Sea”
On August 12, the birthday of Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929), poet of “America the Beautiful,” biographer Melinda M. Ponder will talk about her new book, Katharine Lee Bates: From Sea to Shining Sea. It tells the story of this brilliant trail-blazing woman—poet, teacher, community builder, and patriot—who challenged Americans to make their country the best it could become in its values and literature. Drawing on extensive research in Bates family diaries, letters, and memoirs, this biography brings Katharine to life…
Find out more »Rose Kennedy play August 12 SOLD OUT!
Rose Kennedy during "Rose Parade" Benefiting Special Olympics at State House in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage) The Woods Hole Theater Company and the Museums on the Green are pleased to present the one-woman play "Rose" by Laurence Leamer. The play features Linda Monchik as Rose Kennedy and is directed by Joan Edstrom. This is the first cooperative venture between the two organizations and is done in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of President…
Find out more »Rose Kennedy play August 13
Rose Kennedy during "Rose Parade" Benefiting Special Olympics at State House in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage) The Woods Hole Theater Company and the Museums on the Green are pleased to present the one-woman play "Rose" by Laurence Leamer. The play features Linda Monchik as Rose Kennedy and is directed by Joan Edstrom. This is the first cooperative venture between the two organizations and is done in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of President…
Find out more »September 2017
Leigh Montville, “Sting Like a Bee: Muhammad Ali vs. the United States of America, 1966-1971
With the death of Muhammad Ali in June, 2016, the media and America in general have remembered a hero, a heavyweight champion, an Olympic gold medalist, an icon, and a man who represents the sheer greatness of America. New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville goes deeper, with a fascinating chronicle of a story that has been largely untold. Muhammad Ali, in the late 1960s, was young, successful, brash, and hugely admired—but with some reservations. He was bombastic and cocky in a…
Find out more »William M. Fowler, Jr, “Steam Titans”
Steam Titans tells the story of a transatlantic fight between 1815 and the American Civil War to wrest control of the globe's most lucrative trade route. Two shipping magnates—Samuel Cunard and Edward Knight Collins—and two nations wielded the tools of technology, finance, and politics to compete for control of a commercial lifeline that spanned the North Atlantic. The world watched carefully to see which would win. Each competitor sent to sea the fastest, biggest, and most elegant ships in the…
Find out more »Michael McNaught: “Britain’s Calvary: The Battle of the Somme, 1916”
The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was one of the largest battles of the First World War. Fought between July 1 and November 1, 1916 near the Somme River in France, it was also one of the bloodiest military battles in history. On the first day alone, the British suffered more than 57,000 casualties, and by the end of the campaign the Allies and Central Powers would lose more than 1.5 million men. The Somme…
Find out more »Glenn Frankel, “High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of An American Classic” (THIS PROGRAM CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER)
It's one of the most revered movies of Hollywood's golden era. Starring screen legend Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly in her first significant film role, High Noon was shot on a lean budget over just thirty-two days but achieved instant box-office and critical success. It won four Academy Awards in 1953, including a best actor win for Cooper. And it became a cultural touchstone, often cited by politicians as a favorite film, celebrating moral fortitude. Yet what has been often…
Find out more »Bus Trip to Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem was created to celebrate outstanding artistic and cultural creativity by collecting, stewarding and interpreting objects of art and culture in ways that increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, engage the mind and stimulate the senses. It is one of the 25 largest art museums in the nation and one of the fastest growing in North America. Visitors will receive a one-hour guided tour at 11:00 am to highlight the Museum and then have another hour…
Find out more »Debra Levy: The Process of Writing a Memoir (free lecture)
Nate Dondis and memoirist Debra Levy discuss Nate’s memoir A Very Rich Man and the process of writing a memoir. Longtime Falmouth resident Nate Dondis and his memoirist Debra Levy discuss the process of writing Nate’s life story, which resulted in a 150-page book for his family. In his book A Very Rich Man, Nate discusses his ancestors’ escape from the pogroms in Russia, growing up in Fall River, learning the retail business from his father, running the Empire Men’s…
Find out more »Kevin Doyle, “Tales of the Old Stone Dock”
As Falmouth's Old Stone Dock--the early center of commerce in the town--commemorates its Bicentennial, Old Stone Dock Association President Kevin Doyle will be at the Historical Society to discuss past exploits from the region and how the dock was involved.
Find out more »Fred Morin & John Galluzzo, “A History of Massachusetts Aviation”
Explore the Bay State’s Aviation History Shortly after the Wright brothers took to the air, aviation fever gripped Massachusetts. The biggest names in the industry, including Wilbur Wright, Glenn Curtiss, and Claude Graham-White, among others, flew in for the first major air shows, further exciting the people of the Bay State about the potential of manned flight in the realms of military tactics, the expansion of commerce, and even personal transportation. By the 1920s, Massachusetts had become home to the…
Find out more »October 2017
Casey Sherman, “The Ice Bucket Challenge” (to be held at First Congregational Church, 68 Main Street, Falmouth)
While everyone knows of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the viral craze that swept the nation in summer 2014, too few know the truly inspirational story behind it. Pete Frates was a man at war with his own body. A man whose love for others was unshakable. A man who refused to fight alone, and in so doing mobilized a global army to combat one of the most devastating diseases on earth: ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. When disease crippled Frates,…
Find out more »William J. Mann, “The War of the Roosevelts: The Ruthless Rise of America’s Greatest Political Family”
The award-winning author presents a provocative, thoroughly modern revisionist biographical history of one of America’s greatest and most influential families—the Roosevelts—exposing heretofore unknown family secrets and detailing complex family rivalries with his signature cinematic flair. Drawing on previously hidden historical documents and interviews with the long-silent "illegitimate" branch of the family, William J. Mann paints an elegant, meticulously researched, and groundbreaking group portrait of this legendary family. Mann argues that the Roosevelts’ rise to power and prestige was actually driven…
Find out more »Noah Isenberg, “We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend and Afterlife of America’s Most Beloved Movie”
Casablanca was first released in 1942, just two weeks after the city of Casablanca itself surrendered to American troops led by General Patton. Featuring a pitch-perfect screenplay, a classic soundtrack, and unforgettable performances by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and a deep supporting cast, Casablanca was hailed in the New York Times as “a picture that makes the spine tingle and the heart take a leap.” The film won Oscars for best picture, best director, and best screenplay, and would go on to enjoy…
Find out more »Tom Schachtman, “How the French Saved America”
Americans today have a love/hate relationship with France, but in How the French Saved America Tom Shachtman shows that without France, there might not be a United States of America. To the rebelling colonies, French assistance made the difference between looming defeat and eventual triumph. Even before the Declaration of Independence was issued, King Louis XVI and French foreign minister Vergennes were aiding the rebels. After the Declaration, that assistance broadened to include wages for our troops; guns, cannon, and…
Find out more »Lucky 13 Beer-BQ
Join us as we usher in Autumn in Falmouth Village with a festive evening under the tent with libations and good vibrations! This 21 and over event will feature Cape Cod Beer, Cape Cod Winery, Sagamore Beach Barbecue, Inflatable Pubs of Cape Cod, and live music from Falmouth's own Crooked Coast! Tickets are $25 and include your first beer, hard cider, wine or non-alcoholic beverage. Food and beverage tickets will be available for purchase. *Preferred method of payment is cash…
Find out more »William Taubman, “Gorbachev: His Life and Times” (To be held at Falmouth Academy)
The definitive biography of the transformational world leader by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Khrushchev. When Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, the USSR. was one of the world’s two superpowers. By 1989, his liberal policies of perestroika and glasnost had permanently transformed Soviet Communism, and had made enemies of radicals on the right and left. By 1990 he, more than anyone else, had ended the Cold War, and in 1991, after barely escaping from…
Find out more »Sean McMeekin, “The Russian Revolution: A New History”
Acclaimed historian Sean McMeekin traces the events which ended Romanov rule, ushered the Bolsheviks into power, and introduced Communism to the world. Between 1917 and 1922, Russia underwent a complete and irreversible transformation. Taking advantage of the collapse of the Tsarist regime in the middle of World War I, the Bolsheviks staged a hostile takeover of the Russian Imperial Army, promoting mutinies and mass desertions of men in order to fulfill Lenin's program of turning the "imperialist war" into civil…
Find out more »November 2017
James McGrath Morris, “The Ambulance Drivers: Hemingway, Dos Passos, and a Friendship Made & Lost in War”
After meeting for the first time on the front lines of World War I, two aspiring writers forge an intense twenty-year friendship and write some of America's greatest novels, giving voice to a "lost generation" shaken by war. Eager to find his way in life and words, John Dos Passos first witnessed the horror of trench warfare in France as a volunteer ambulance driver retrieving the dead and seriously wounded from the front line. Later in the war, he briefly…
Find out more »Leonid Kondratiuk, “Massachusetts Goes to War: The 26th Yankee Division in World War One”
The 26th “Yankee” Division, composed of units from the National Guards of the New England states, was the first full US Army division to arrive in France in 1917. Approximately, 15,000 Massachusetts men served in the 26th making it the largest unit the state sent to the war. Virtually, every town had men serving in the 26th. General Kondratiuk will speak about the Yankee Division’s role in World War I.
Find out more »Joseph Williams, “The Sunken Gold: A Story of World War One, Espionage, and the Greatest Treasure Salvage in History”
"The Sunken Gold" is the story of how a British ship, HMS Laurentic, laden with forty-four tons of Allied gold bound for the United States, was sunk off the coast of Ireland by Germany and the epic struggle by divers from the British Navy to recover the treasure. The book also describes the underwater spywork conducted by the divers by breaking into sunken U-boats looking for codes, ciphers, and other secret documents. Their mission to recover the gold was highly…
Find out more »December 2017
Christmas Traditions Celebration Dec. 2-3, Dec. 8-10
Come celebrate the holidays as the 1790 Dr. Francis Wicks House is decorated for Christmas
Find out more »Bus Trip: Christmas at the Newport Mansions: SOLD OUT!!
Join us as we take a trip on December 7th to the Newport Mansions to see the Elms, Marble House and the Breakers decorated for Christmastime! The glitter of gold and the sparkle of silver will dazzle you as you tour three magnificent mansions decked out in Yuletide finery. Music, tours, and spectacular decorations highlight the celebration of Christmas at the Newport Mansions. The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House--three National Historic Landmarks and icons of the Gilded Age in…
Find out more »Special Performance: Anne Barrett as Victoria Yule
Travel back in time to Christmas 1895 with Victoria Yule as your hostess. Victoria Yule will welcome you into her parlor, complete with an antique chair, table and props, and share her plans for the upcoming Christmas festivities. Learn the history of many Christmas traditions from stories passed down to her from “Grandmama and Grandpapa”. She’ll read Dickens, display toys and handmade gifts her family will be exchanging around the Christmas tree, and in her clear soprano, sing carols of…
Find out more »Christmas Traditions with Victoria Yule
"Victoria Yule" welcomes you into her parlor and shares her plans for the 1895 Christmas season. Learn the history of many Christmas traditions, passed down to her from "Grandmama and Grandpapa." She'll read Dickens, display toys and handmade gifts that her family will be exchanging around the Christmas tree, and in her clear soprano, sing songs of the season. Travel back in time to Christmas 1895 with this fun, creative and engaging performance! Truly an audience favorite!
Find out more »January 2018
Exhibit: “Rhythms of a Faithful Journey” Collection by Robin J. Miller
The African American Journey has been a long and arduous one. Clearly it continues to have its deep challenges. There is beauty, pain and most importantly faith throughout this collection. Robin Miller is the resident artist for the Zion Union Heritage Museum in Hyannis, MA. . In 1992 she created a print ad for Pepsi honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. under the pseudonym, r.j. scribbles. Her multi-media work "Rhythms of a Faithful Journey", will show snippets of Black History on…
Find out more »February 2018
Richard Thomas, “Why Bob Dylan Matters”
When the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Bob Dylan in 2016, a debate raged. Some celebrated, while many others questioned the choice. How could the world’s most prestigious book prize be awarded to a famously cantankerous singer-songwriter who wouldn’t even deign to attend the medal ceremony? In Why Bob Dylan Matters, Harvard Professor Richard F. Thomas answers this question with magisterial erudition. A world expert on Classical poetry, Thomas was initially ridiculed by his colleagues for teaching a…
Find out more »Robertson Dinsmore, “Lightships of Cape Cod”
Illustrated talk on lightships which were floating lighthouses positioned where land based lighthouses could not be built. They marked the entrance to harbor channels and the navigational routes around reefs and shoals. The first American lightship was in 1820 and the number grew to a maximum of 55 lightships by 1900 compared to 1,460 lighthouses. The early lightships were of wood, no engines, with oil lamps and hand- rung fog bells. Later lightships had engines, built of steel, and with…
Find out more »March 2018
Dan Kennedy, “The Return of the Moguls”
How Jeff Bezos and John Henry are Remaking Newspapers for the 21st Century Over the course of a generation, the story of the daily newspaper has been an unchecked slide from record profitability and readership to plummeting profits, increasing irrelevance, and inevitable obsolescence. The forces killing major dailies, alternative weeklies, and small-town shoppers are well understood—or seem obvious in hindsight, at least—and the catalog of publications that have gone under reads like a who’s who of American journalism. During the…
Find out more »Stormy Mayo, “North Atlantic Right Whales: On the Path to Extinction”
Dr. Charles “Stormy” Mayo senior scientist and director of the Right Whale Ecology Program at the Center for Coastal Studies will discuss the status of the species and its recent decline, the impending seasonal arrival of the right whales, and the critical role that the waters off Cape Cod and the islands play in the species now-uncertain future. This talk will be extensively illustrated with slides and video taken during research conducted by aerial and vessel teams. The Center for Coastal Studies,…
Find out more »Maureen Boyle, “Shallow Graves: The Hunt for the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer”
Eleven women went missing over the spring and summer of 1988 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, an old fishing port known as the Whaling City, where Moby Dick, Frederick Douglass, textile mills, and heroin-dealing represent just a few of the many threads in the community’s diverse fabric. Investigative reporter Maureen Boyle tells the story of a case that has haunted New England for thirty years. The Crimes: The skeletal remains of nine of the women, aged nineteen to thirty-six, were discovered…
Find out more »Liza Mundy, “Code Girls”
Recruited from small Southern towns and posh New England colleges, ten thousand American women served the U.S. Army and Navy as code breakers during World War II. Under strict vows of secrecy, the women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of cryptanalysis. Their code-breaking triumphs shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. In the process, many got their first taste of the big city, became lifelong friends, and fell…
Find out more »April 2018
Miguel Moniz, “The Portuguese Migration: How they Shaped Falmouth’s History”
A history of Falmouth as told through a century of Portuguese migration: Strawberries and Portuguese civic, religious and economic associations. A special and FREE event, open to all! This talk provides a history of Falmouth from the point of view of the Portuguese settlers who began coming to the town in the decades before 1900. In a period of just a few decades, the numbers of Portuguese in the town swelled to make them not only the single largest ethnic…
Find out more »Emily Sweeney, “Gangland Boston”
A Tour Through the Deadly Streets of Organized Crime Organized criminals have played a major role in Greater Boston's history, lurking just around the corner or inside the inconspicuous building. "Gangland Boston" reveals the hidden history of these places, showing how the Italian Mafia and Irish gangs rose to power, how the Winter Hill Gang ascended to prominence, and how James "Whitey" Bulger become the most feared crime boss throughout the region. From South Boston to the North End, Chinatown,…
Find out more »Jill Farinelli, “The Palatine Wreck: The Legend of the New England Ghost Ship”
Two days after Christmas in 1738, a British merchant ship traveling from Rotterdam to Philadelphia grounded in a blizzard on the northern tip of Block Island, twelve miles off the Rhode Island coast. The ship carried emigrants from the Palatinate and its neighboring territories in what is now southwest Germany. The 105 passengers and crew on board—sick, frozen, and starving—were all that remained of the 340 men, women, and children who had left their homeland the previous spring. They now…
Find out more »2018 Heritage Award Dinner
The Falmouth Historical Society created the Heritage Award to recognize individuals or organizations who have provided outstanding leadership over time to help preserve the character, culture, stories, vistas or other aspects of Falmouth’s rich history, or have inspired others to do so, resulting in a lasting legacy. First presented in 2000 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Historical Society, this award has gone on to honor many men and women who have made a positive impact on Falmouth. This…
Find out more »Cape Cod Museum Trail’s “Festival of Museums”
The Museums on the Green is proud to be a participant in the Cape Cod Museum Trail’s Festival of Museums on April 28th 2018! This event will be held at the Hyannis Youth Center, 141 Basset Lane, Hyannis, MA, from 10 am to 4 pm The Festival of Museums is just that – a FREE one-day celebration of Cape Cod’s museums and galleries with events throughout the day. Museums and galleries from all around Cape Cod are offering a fun packed day…
Find out more »May 2018
Walking Tours and historic house tours
The Museums on the Green will be open from 10 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday, and 10 am to 1 pm Saturday, from June 4 to October 13, 2018. Guided docent tours of the 1790 Dr. Francis Wicks House are available when guests arrive at our Hallett Barn Visitors Center. Tours take about one hour and the last tour will be at 2 pm. Historical walking tours of Falmouth are available Tuesday and Thursday mornings (weather permitting) beginning…
Find out more »Casey Sherman, “Above and Beyond”
From the authors of the bestselling The Finest Hours, the riveting, deeply human story of President John F. Kennedy and two U-2 pilots, Rudy Anderson and Chuck Maultsby, who risked their lives to save America during the Cuban Missile Crisis. During an infamous thirteen-day stretch of October 1962, America faced the prospect of imminent nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Two things saved humanity: the strategic wisdom of John F. Kennedy, and the U-2 aerial spy program. Above and Beyond…
Find out more »Tori Telfer, “Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History”
When you think of serial killers throughout history, the names that come to mind are ones like Jack the Ripper, John Wayne Gacy, and Ted Bundy. But what about Tillie Klimek, Moulay Hassan, Kate Bender? The narrative we’re comfortable with is the one where women are the victims of violent crime, not the perpetrators. In fact, serial killers are thought to be so universally, overwhelmingly male that in 1998, FBI profiler Roy Hazelwood infamously declared in a homicide conference, “There…
Find out more »George Daughan, “Lexington and Concord”
The Battle of Lexington and Concord challenges the prevailing narrative of the American War of Independence. It was, author George Daughan argues, based as much in economic concerns as political ones. When Massachusetts militiamen turned out in overwhelming numbers to fight the British, they believed they were fighting for their farms and livelihoods, as well as for liberty. Benjamin Franklin was not surprised by this widespread belief. In the years prior to the Revolution, Franklin had toured Great Britain and…
Find out more »Glenn Stout, “The Selling of the Babe” (TO BE HELD AT FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, FALMOUTH)
The sale of Babe Ruth by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees in 1919 is one of the pivotal moments in baseball history, changing the fortunes of two of baseball's most storied franchises, changing the game forever and helping to create the legend of the greatest player the game has ever known. More than a simple transaction, the sale resulted in a deal that created the Yankee dynasty, turned Boston into an also-ran, sold the American people…
Find out more »June 2018
Will Englund, “March 1917”
“We are provincials no longer,” declared Woodrow Wilson on March 5, 1917, at his second inauguration. He spoke on the eve of America’s entrance into World War I, just as Russia teetered between autocracy and democracy. In the face of chaos and turmoil in Europe, Wilson was determined to move America away from the isolationism that had defined the nation’s foreign policy since its inception and to embrace an active role in shaping world affairs. Just ten days later, Tsar…
Find out more »David Powers, “Puritans and Gun Control”
PURITANS AND GUN CONTROL Done in conjunction with the Falmouth No Place For Hate alliance and the Falmouth Gun Buyback Program How did guns fit into the culture which the earliest European settlers brought with them to New England, when Massachusetts was the “wild west” frontier on the continent of North America? Is there anything in 17th century firearms regulations which can inform the present controversies about guns, violence, and freedom? In “Puritans and Gun Control,” David M. Powers explores…
Find out more »Richard Aldous, “Schlesinger: The Imperial Historian”: THIS EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO AUTHOR ILLNESS
Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (1917–2007), known today as the architect of John F. Kennedy’s presidential legacy, blazed an extraordinary path from Harvard University to wartime London to the West Wing. The son of a pioneering historian―and a two-time Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner in his own right―Schlesinger redefined the art of presidential biography. A Thousand Days, his best-selling and immensely influential record of the Kennedy administration, cemented Schlesinger’s place as one of the nation’s greatest political image makers…
Find out more »Larry Loftis, “Into the Lion’s Mouth”
“Into the Lion’s Mouth: the True Story of Dusko Popov: World War II Spy, Patriot and the Real Life Inspiration for James Bond” James Bond has nothing on British double agent Dusko Popov. As an operative for the Abwehr, SD, MI5, MI6, and FBI during World War II, Popov seduced countless women―including agents on both sides―spoke five languages, and was a crack shot, all while maintaining his cover as a Yugoslav diplomat... On a cool August evening in 1941, a Serbian…
Find out more »Elaine Weiss, “The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote”
The nail-biting climax of one of the greatest political battles in American history: the ratification of the constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote. Nashville, August 1920. Thirty-five states have ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, twelve have rejected or refused to vote, and one last state is needed. It all comes down to Tennessee, the moment of truth for the suffragists, after a seven-decade crusade. The opposing forces include politicians with careers at stake, liquor companies, railroad magnates, and…
Find out more »Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, “The Monsters: The Creation of Frankenstein”
As 2018 is the 200th anniversary of the publishing of Frankenstein, we commemorate it in a special way. Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler are prolific authors of books for adults, teenagers, and children. Their many awards include an Edgar from the Mystery Writers of America for their young-adult novel, In Darkness, Death. After encountering the story of Mary Shelley's inspiration for Frankenstein, the Hooblers began to write about the intertwined lives of the three great authors who were present. Booklist called The…
Find out more »“Inspired by Nature” collaborative children’s camp and activity
Inspired by Nature is a fun, hands- on adventure with some of the Cape's most fascinating organizations! Guided by teachers and local experts, students will spend a day with each of the collaborating host organizations: Museums on the Green, Cape Conservatory, Falmouth Art Center, Bourne Farms, NOAA Fisheries--exploring the important concept of PROGRESSION and how it influences science, technology, art, music, history--every part of our daily existence. Progression focuses on the continuous growth and development of the natural world around…
Find out more »Jessica Shattuck, “The Women in the Castle” (To be held at John Wesley Methodist Church, Falmouth)
Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once-grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resister murdered in the failed July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows. First Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her…
Find out more »July 2018
Free Fun Friday July 6
The Museums on the Green is a proud participant again this year in the Highland Street Foundation's "Free Fun Friday" program. From 10 am to 3 pm on Friday, July 6, all admissions and entertainment at the Museums will be FREE to all! Among the things you will find that day: Free Red, White and Blue ice cream, compliments of Smitty's Ice Cream in Falmouth (while supplies last!) 10 am-11 am: "The Bubble Guy" for kids…
Find out more »Howard Blum, “In the Enemy’s House”
The New York Times bestselling author of Dark Invasion and The Last Goodnight once again illuminates the lives of little-known individuals who played a significant role in America’s history as he chronicles the incredible true story of a critical, recently declassified counterintelligence mission and two remarkable agents whose story has been called "the greatest secret of the Cold War." In 1946, genius linguist and codebreaker Meredith Gardner discovered that the KGB was running an extensive network of strategically placed spies…
Find out more »Peter Eisner, “MacArthur’s Spies”
The Soldier, the singer and the spymaster who defied the Japanese during World War II On January 2, 1942, Japanese troops marched into Manila unopposed by U.S. forces. Manila was a strategic port, a romantic American outpost and a jewel of a city. Tokyo saw its conquest of the Philippines as the key in its plan to control all of Asia, including Australia. Thousands of soldiers surrendered and were sent on the notorious eighty-mile Bataan Death March. But thousands of…
Find out more »Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal, “Contemporary Maritime Piracy and the Ocean Environment”
Dr. Twyman-Ghoshal will discuss some of her research on maritime piracy in our globalized world. The talk will explore what maritime piracy is, the nature and trends of contemporary maritime piracy around the world, and an exploration of some of the root causes of Somali piracy. The conversation will delve into the relationship between the ocean environment (specifically illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing) and maritime piracy. Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal holds a Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern…
Find out more »August 2018
Eileen McNamara: “Eunice: The Kennedy Who Changed the World”
A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist examines the life and times of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, arguing she left behind the Kennedy family’s most profound political legacy. This lecture will be held at Falmouth Academy While Joe Kennedy was grooming his sons for the White House and the Senate, his Stanford-educated daughter Eunice was tapping her father’s fortune and her brothers’ political power to engineer one of the great civil rights movements of our time on behalf of millions of children and adults…
Find out more »Curtis Martin, American Whaling in the Age of Sail
This talk is designed to introduce the audience to the subject of the US whale fishery from the 17th to the early 20th century through a survey of the different facets of the industry. Mr. Martin discusses historical development, the purpose of the fishery and its economic importance, risks associated with whaling, the most important species hunted, the products of whaling, the whale ships, the crew and life on ship-board, the hunt, capture and processing of whales, the leisure arts…
Find out more »Angela Dodson, “Remember the Ladies”
From the birth of our nation to the recent crushing defeat of the first female presidential candidate, this book highlights women's impact on United States politics and government. It documents the fight for women's right to vote, drawing on historic research, biographies of leaders, and such original sources as photos, line art, charts, graphs, documents, posters, ads, and buttons. It presents this often-forgotten struggle in an accessible, conversational, relevant manner for a wide audience. Here are the groundbreaking convention records,…
Find out more »Jamie Cat Callan, “Parisian Charm School”
We all know that French women don't get fat. But their famous je ne sais quoi comes from more than just body type--something anyone can master: the old-fashioned art cultivating our inner beauty, confidence, and unique personal style, at any age. From savoring the everyday beauty around you to engaging in captivating conversations, playing dress-up, hosting impromptu dinner parties under the stars, and of course mastering the art of French flirting, the lively and inspiring lessons in this “syllabus” will…
Find out more »David Kertzer, “The Pope Who Would Be King”
The exile of Pope Pius IX and the birth of modern Europe by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Kertzer Days after the assassination of his prime minister in the middle of Rome in November 1848, Pope Pius IX found himself a virtual prisoner in his own palace. The wave of revolution that had swept through Europe now seemed poised to put an end to the popes’ thousand-year reign over the Papal States, if not indeed to the papacy itself. Disguising himself…
Find out more »September 2018
Peter Zheutlin, “Rescue Dogs”
In the follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Rescue Road, acclaimed journalist Peter Zheutlin offers a heartwarming and often humorous new look into the world of rescue dogs. Sharing lessons from his own experiences adopting Labs with large personalities as well as stories and advice from dozens of families and rescue advocates, Zheutlin reveals the surprising and inspiring life lessons rescue dogs can teach us, such as: - How to “walk a mile in a dog’s paws” to get a brand-new perspective…
Find out more »Special Night Out: Cape Cod Winery tasting and lecture with Lewis White
The Museums on the Green offers a different kind of night out--an evening of wine tasting at the Cape Cod Winery, plus a special lecture on the history of East Falmouth and the impact of the Portuguese and Azorean communities on Falmouth by local historian Lewis White. Come and enjoy a relaxing evening outside, tasting a variety of wines, while learning about our town's past. Tickets are $ 25 per person or $ 45 per couple. Reservations are recommended as…
Find out more »William Martin, “Bound for Gold” (To be held at First Congregational Church, Falmouth)
Bound for Gold continues New York Times bestselling author William Martin’s epic of American history with the further adventures of Boston rare-book dealer Peter Fallon and his girlfriend, Evangeline Carrington. They are headed to California, where their search for a lost journal takes them into the history of Gold Rush. The journal follows young James Spencer, of the Sagamore Mining Company, on a spectacular journey from staid Boston, up the Sacramento River to the Mother Lode. During his search for…
Find out more »Jamie Sayen, “You Had a Job For Life”
Absentee owners. Single-minded concern for the bottom line. Friction between workers and management. Hostile takeovers at the hands of avaricious and unaccountable multinational interests. The story of America’s industrial decline is all too familiar—and yet, somehow, still hard to fathom. Jamie Sayen spent years interviewing residents of Groveton, New Hampshire, about the century-long saga of their company town. The community’s paper mill had been its economic engine since the early 1900s. Purchased and revived by local ownership in the postwar…
Find out more »Keith O’Brien, “Fly Girls”
How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History Between the world wars, no sport was more popular, or more dangerous, than airplane racing. Thousands of fans flocked to multi‑day events, and cities vied with one another to host them. The pilots themselves were hailed as dashing heroes who cheerfully stared death in the face. Well, the men were hailed. Female pilots were more often ridiculed than praised for what the press portrayed as silly efforts to horn…
Find out more »One Time Only Collectibles Clearance Sale
Join us on September 22nd from 10 am to 3 pm as we offer a one-time only selection of collectibles and antiques for purchase. Admission is free! Tag Sale poster
Find out more »Special Event: Christina Laurie, “C is for Cape Cod” book signing
This beautiful alphabet book combines playful verse, informative text, and stunning photographs to introduce children to the wonders of Cape Cod. For each letter, a short four-line verse gives younger readers a fun introduction to the subject, and the main text provides information that will appeal to both older children and adults alike. The stunning photographs, by award-winning Cape Cod Times photographer Steve Heaslip, tell stories unto themselves – from the doleful eyes of seals to children whirling on carousels, from a…
Find out more »Jessa Piaia: “Meet Amelia Earhart: First Lady of the Air”
HISTORIC RE-ENACTOR portrays AMELIA EARHART Historic re-enactor, Jessa Piaia, will present a one-person interpretation of pioneer aviatrix Amelia Earhart entitled “Meet Amelia Earhart (1897-1937): First Lady of the Air”. The program is set in 1936, when Earhart was a popular speaker on the national circuit and preparing for take-off for the around-the-world flight in 1937. Inspired at an early age by the suffragist movement, Earhart identified with the generation of “the new woman” who had won the right to vote…
Find out more »Nancy Koehn, “Forged in Crisis”
An enthralling historical narrative filled with critical leadership insights that will be of interest to a wide range of readers—including those in government, business, education, and the arts—Forged in Crisis, by celebrated Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn, spotlights five masters of crisis: polar explorer Ernest Shackleton; President Abraham Lincoln; legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass; Nazi-resisting clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer; and environmental crusader Rachel Carson. What do such disparate figures have in common? Why do their extraordinary stories continue to amaze and…
Find out more »Pirate Night: Eric Jay Dolin, “The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates” and Marie Kesten Zahn, The Whydah Pirate Museum (to be held at First Congregational Church, Falmouth)
THIS PROGRAM WILL BE HELD AT THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF FALMOUTH Join us for a Buccaneer Duo--Eric Jay Dolin and Marie Kesten Zahn! Eric Jay Dolin, author of "Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates" Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue Waters reveals the dramatic and surprising history of American piracy’s “Golden Age”―spanning the late 1600s through the early 1700s―when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North…
Find out more »October 2018
Beer B-Q 2: October 5, 6-9 pm
Join us as we usher in Autumn in Falmouth Village with a festive evening under the tent with libations and good vibrations! This 21 and over event will feature Cape Cod Beer, Cape Cod Winery, Sagamore Beach Barbecue, Inflatable Pubs of Cape Cod, and live music from Funktapuss! Tickets are $25 and include your first beer, wine or non-alcoholic beverage. Food and beverage tickets will be available for purchase. *Preferred method of payment is cash but checks and credit cards…
Find out more »Elizabeth Cobbs, “The Hello Girls”
This is the story of how America’s first women soldiers helped win World War I, earned the vote, and fought the U.S. Army. In 1918, the U.S. Army Signal Corps sent 223 women to France. They were masters of the latest technology: the telephone switchboard. General John Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, demanded female “wire experts” when he discovered that inexperienced doughboys were unable to keep him connected with troops under fire. Without communications for even an hour,…
Find out more »Dave Bushy, “The World Looked Away: Vietnam after the War”
The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975. Millions of Vietnamese on both sides of the conflict were killed. Nearly 60,000 Americans were among those who died. You have all seen or heard about the war in the recent Ken Burns series: "The Vietnam War." But what happened after the country of South Vietnam no longer ceased to exist? What happened to the former South Vietnamese military officers and men, to their families and to their country? The newly-released book…
Find out more »Jerry Thornton, “Five Rings: The Super Bowl History of the New England Patriots (So Far)”
Since 2001 the Patriots have played in eight Super Bowl championships and won five, a run of excellence unparalleled in all of professional sports. In a league designed to ensure that no one franchise can dominate over time, New England won for over a decade and a half. A dynasty that began with an improbable run to a championship in 2001 has rebuilt, rebooted, and retooled several times over, winning most recently in 2017. But in those years, no other…
Find out more »Empowered to Buy: Home Buying Tips with Slade Mortgage
There is a lot of opportunity out there for buyers to take advantage of the current housing market. Come relax, enjoy some refreshments and learn the tools and tips of home buying in today's real estate market from Scott at Slade Mortgage, Engel & Volkers Realtor, Kara Foley, and Attorney Kevin Klauer. There will be a dynamic presentation by all three professionals and an open discussion. Tips for all Homebuyers Current market trends Obtain a FREE credit report Register by calling 508-548-0177 or online…
Find out more »November 2018
Anne Barrett as Mary Chipman Lawrence: “Life Aboard a Whaling Ship”
The morning of November 25th, 1856, Mary Chipman Lawrence set sail aboard the whaling ship Addison bound for the Pacific on a voyage that would last three and a half years. In this performance, Mary will bring forth from her meticulously kept journal, the joys and tribulations of life at sea with her husband, Captain Samuel Lawrence, and their daughter Minnie. The sights and sounds of foreign ports and their inhabitants, the sailors' sea shanties, the surprisingly robust social life…
Find out more »Christian Di Spigna, “Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren
Little has been known of one of the most important figures in early American history, Dr. Joseph Warren, an architect of the colonial rebellion, and a man who might have led the country as Washington or Jefferson did had he not been martyred at Bunker Hill in 1775. Warren was involved in almost every major insurrectionary act in the Boston area for a decade, from the Stamp Act protests to the Boston Massacre to the Boston Tea Party, and his…
Find out more »Mary Stockwell, “Unlikely General: Mad Anthony Wayne and the Battle for America”
Why did the once‑ardent hero of the American Revolution become its most scandalous general? In the spring of 1792, President George Washington chose “Mad” Anthony Wayne to defend America from a potentially devastating threat. Native forces had decimated the standing army and Washington needed a champion to open the country stretching from the Ohio River westward to the headwaters of the Mississippi for settlement. A spendthrift, womanizer, and heavy drinker who had just been ejected from Congress for voter fraud,…
Find out more »Pamela Parmal, “Quilts and the American Experience”
Pamela Parmal, the curator of Textile and Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston will be here to discuss quilts and coverlets from colonial times to the present day.
Find out more »Special Screening: “RFK in the Land of Apartheid: A Ripple of Hope”
A collaboration between The Museum on the Green and JFK Hyannis Museum A special screening and discussion with the film’s producer and director, Larry Shore. Wednesday November 14, 11:00 - 12:30 am Using previously unseen archival materials, and interviews in South Africa and the US, this fascinating documentary tells the unknown story of Senator Robert Kennedy’s important visit to South Africa in June 1966 during the worst years of Apartheid. The film evokes the connections between the American Civil…
Find out more »December 2018
Christmas Traditions at the Museums
Wicks House Tours: Happy Days are Here Again See Schedule Below This season’s Christmas Traditions tour picks up one year later at the Wicks House. It’s December 1918 now. The war has finally ended. Rationing is over. Our boys are finally coming home. Happy days are here again. But change is in the air. Women are vying for the vote. Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties aren’t that far away. Find out what…
Find out more »Glenn Stout and Richard Johnson, “The Pats: A History of the New England Patriots”
The definitive narrative history of the New England Patriots. The definitive, lively, and robust history of the New England Patriots, from Billy Sullivan to Bill Belichick and everything in between The New England Patriots have become a dynasty, though it didn’t begin that way. Love ’em, hate ’em, the Pats have captured this country’s attention like no other franchise. From two award-winning authors, this is the first complete story of a legendary team and its five championship trophies. In the…
Find out more »Casey Sherman and David Wedge, “12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption”
The thrilling behind-the-scenes account of how the most sensational scandal in NFL history culminated in the greatest comeback in sports history, featuring dozens of exclusive interviews with Patriots players--including Tom Brady himself. In January 2015, rumors circulated that the New England Patriots--a team long suspected of abiding by the "if you ain't cheating you ain't trying" philosophy--had used under-inflated footballs in their playoff victory against the Indianapolis Colts. As evidence began to build, however, a full on NFL investigation was…
Find out more »January 2019
ANNUAL MEETING
Looking back. Looking forward. Having fun. Join us as we review 2018 and preview the upcoming season! Members will also vote on proposed changes to the bylaws and the Falmouth Historical Society's Board of Directors. The annual meeting is also open to prospective members. It's a great time to learn more about the organization and mix and mingle withpeople who love making history together. Light refreshments will be served. FOR REVIEW FALMOUTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY BYLAWS 2019 SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO…
Find out more »February 2019
“Hockey: A Global History” with Andrew Holman
Hockey: the coolest game ever. Lace ‘em up tight because we’re going back to the beginning, and we have centuries to go. This fast-paced sport shot out of the shinny ponds of Saskatchewan, sped south to the United States and raced through Europe and Asia to become the worldwide phenomenon it is today. Meet hockey’s organizational visionaries and on-ice stars. Learn how the equipment advanced and the rules evolved. Visit the venues and relive the games. Find out how corporations…
Find out more »Wednesday History Walk
Grab your scarf and mittens and lace up your walking boots. Here’s a new opportunity to get some exercise--and a lesson in Falmouth's history. Tom Mountford has created a shorter version of his summer history walks around town. The one-hour tour will be held on Wednesdays, February 13, March 20 and April 10, weather permitting. The route is over mostly flat, paved ground. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required, but are requested.…
Find out more »Whodunnit? The Lizzie Borden Myster Continues with Christopher Daley
Lizzie Borden took an axe And gave her mother forty whacks. And when she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one. We all know the ditty, but few know the facts behind the infamous, unsolved double-murders that rocked the Fall River community in August 1892. Historian Christopher Daley takes us back to that fateful summer day when Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally killed in their home. He’ll recount the day’s events and the police investigation that…
Find out more »March 2019
“Making Music American: 1917 and the Transformation of Culture” with Douglas Bomberger
1917. It was unlike any other year in American history. Or American music. As the United States entered World War I, a new musical genre that suited the world’s frantic mood burst onto the national scene. JAZZ. German musicians who had dominated classical music were forced from the stage and New Orleans natives Nick LaRocca and Freddie Keppard popularized the new sound taking its place. Patriotism was at an all-time high. African-American bandleader James Reese Europe turned the Fifteenth New…
Find out more »“Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919” with Stephen Puleo
Commemorate the 100th anniversary of an historic Boston tragedy. Molasses flood. If those two-words don’t have you consumed with curiosity already, read on! Shortly after noon on January 15, 1919, a 50-foot-tall steel tank collapsed, disgorging its contents—2.3 million gallons of molasses--on Boston’s waterfront. Incredibly, this 15-foot-high wave of dark syrupy substance, travelling 35 miles per hour, killed 21 people, injured 150 more and destroyed just about everything in its path. The unusual story of the Great Boston Molasses Flood…
Find out more »“Adrift: A True Story of Tragedy on the Icy Atlantic and the One Who Lived To Tell About It” with Brian Murphy
It’s 1856. One hundred passengers—mostly Irish immigrants--have boarded a small ship sailing from Liverpool to New York. Only one will survive: Crewman Thomas W. Nye of Fairhaven. This is his story. It’s also the story of the thirteen other souls who made it into the lifeboat with him when an iceberg tore the ship asunder and set them adrift in the icy Atlantic four hundred miles off the coast of Newfoundland. They had no supplies, just a few blankets, some…
Find out more »Wednesday History Walk
Grab your scarf and mittens and lace up your walking boots. Here’s a new opportunity to get some exercise–and a lesson in Falmouth’s history. Tom Mountford has created a shorter version of his summer history walks around town. The one-hour tour will be held weather permitting. The route is over mostly flat, paved ground. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required, but are requested. Please call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. SPONSOR
Find out more »“When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland’s Freedom” with Christopher Klein
We’re reaching deep into the “History Vault” for this one. About one year after the American Civil War ended, a group of veterans dusted off their guns to fight for their homeland: Ireland, the Emerald Isle. A one-armed war hero, an English spy who had infiltrated rebel forces, and a radical who had staged his own funeral were among the Irish American Revolutionaries, now banded together for a cause. Their mission was to take the British province of Canada and…
Find out more »IT’S BACK! Rum Running on Cape Cod with Don Wilding
Forget cranberries or cod. During Prohibition (1920-1933), rum was the cash crop on Cape Cod. Cape Cod historian Don Wilding will tell us how the country’s "Noble Experiment" turned into a profitable and potentially dangerous undertaking for the locals about a century ago. The story takes place under the cover of darkness, as farmers and fisherman headed off shore and took to the seas to “Rum Row.” There, they met ships laden with the criminal, yet coveted, alcohol and brought…
Find out more »The FIRST First Lady: Anne Barrett as Martha Washington
Anne Barrett HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE In 1759, the beautiful and wealthy widow Martha Dandridge Custis married the handsome and successful soldier George Washington. This decision would lead her from the battlefields of the American Revolution to the highest echelons of the infant republic. Later eulogized as “the worthy partner of the worthiest of men,” she used her acute social sense to meet the expectations of her country and define the role of First Lady. We’ll catch up with “Lady Washington” in…
Find out more »April 2019
Wednesday History Walk
Here’s a new opportunity to get some exercise–and a lesson in Falmouth’s history. Tom Mountford has created a shorter version of his summer history walks around town. The one-hour tour will be held weather permitting. The route is over mostly flat, paved ground. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required, but are requested. Please call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected].
Find out more »“The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team that Helped Win World War II” with Anne R. Keene
While the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals were winning pennants and facing off in the World Series, another group of players was fighting it out on a skinned-out college field in North Carolina in 1943. They wore the Cloudbuster Nine baseball jersey. They were fighter-pilots-in-training at an elite naval academy that shaped American heroes like George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford, John Glenn and Paul “Bear” Bryant. This unlikely wartime team trained on and off the baseball diamond…
Find out more »“K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches” with Tyler Kepner
Splitters, spitters, sinkers, sliders. It’s time to play ball. Baseball. And for Tyler Kepner, the New York Times’ national baseball writer, it’s all about the pitch. Ten of 'em. He got 18 of the 25 pitchers with the most strikeouts in the history of the sport to spill their priceless secrets--players like Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Bob Gibson, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez. Twenty-two Hall of Famers—guys like Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, Mariano Rivera, and Clayton…
Find out more »My Memoir: “A Local Boy” with David Gouveia
His story begins in Taunton and spans over 60 years, through the Civil Rights Movement, The Cuban Missile Crisis and many other important events in American history. He is the son of Portuguese immigrants, part of a hard-working, close-knit family that values its culture and customs like “The Pig Stabbing.” He attended medical school and served in the military. In 1964, he returned home to begin a surgical career that would place him at the center of life in the…
Find out more »“Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America’s Founding Father” with Peter Stark
Our modern-day story starts with the author, Peter Stark. While researching the most unpopulated, still-wild places of the United States for a project, he obtained a NASA satellite photo of the country at night. The abundant clusters of lights were cities. To his surprise, one of the darkest, blankest spots was Western Pennsylvania. There, among the vast wilderness, he found young George Washington…and the subject of his next story. Two decades before Washington led America to independence, the naïve, temperamental,…
Find out more »“Damnable Heresy: William Pynchon, the Indians, and the First Book Banned (and Burned) in Boston” with David Powers
William Pynchon was charged with speaking the unspeakable and publishing the unprintable. He wrote the first book banned in Boston—which was also the first book burned in Boston. His unorthodox theological musings certainly stirred things up for the Puritan pioneer, entrepreneur and founder of Springfield, Massachusetts. So did his extraordinary relationships with the Native people he lived among during a time of great hostilities between cultures. This talk takes us back to early New England to find out what all…
Find out more »2019 Heritage Award Dinner
THIS YEAR'S RECIPIENTS: VIRGINIA, VICKY & CAROLYN Vicky Lowell, Carolyn Partan and Virginia Valiela are the recipients of this year’s Heritage Award. Join us for cocktails, dinner and camaraderie at this fabulous fete, honoring three residents who have made a lasting impression in our community in many ways. The Falmouth Historical Society created the award in 2000 to commemorate its 100th anniversary and to honor individuals who have provided outstanding leadership, while inspiring others as well. Over the years, we’ve…
Find out more »May 2019
Volunteer Outreach Day
Have a blast in past! Volunteering at the Museums is a great way to give back to the community--and have a lot of fun doing it. At this special event, you'll meet the Museums' staff and volunteers, tour every building on campus, visit the Whaling Wives Gift Shop for a special 20% discount, and learn about all the volunteer opportunities there are throughout the year. You don't have to "do it all." Do what you'll enjoy! VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES DOCENTS…
Find out more »“A Nation Forged by Crisis: A New American History” with Jay Sexton
Before every earthquake, there’s the inevitable rumble. In his latest book, historian Jay Sexton focuses on the rumblings--foreign threats, economics, slavery, immigration and other global concerns--that brought “violent earthquakes,” periods of crisis, to our shores. He believes that centuries of disruptions have forged our nation more than anything we could have done by design. What is the nation’s narrative? What will our unpredictable future bring? The answers might be found by revisiting our turbulent past. SPONSOR Eight Cousins Books,…
Find out more »Wednesday History Walk
Grab your sneaks! Here’s a new opportunity to get some exercise–and a lesson in Falmouth’s history. Tom Mountford has created a shorter version of his summer history walks around town. The one-hour tour will be held weather permitting. The route is over mostly flat, paved ground. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required, but are requested. Please call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected].
Find out more »“Death March Escape: The Remarkable Story of a Man Who Twice Escaped the Nazi Holocaust” with Jack Hersch
In June 1944, the Nazis locked eighteen-year-old Dave Hersch into a railroad boxcar and shipped him from his hometown of Dej, Hungary, to Mauthausen Concentration Camp, the harshest, cruelest camp in the Reich. After ten months in the granite mines of Gusen, the nearby sub-camp, Dave weighed less than 80 pounds and was more dead than alive. As Allied forces drew close, the Nazis put him on a death march to Gunskirchen Concentration Camp, over thirty miles away. Soon after,…
Find out more »“Code Name Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became World War II’s Most Highly Decorated Spy” with Larry Loftis: Special Time: 1:00 pm
The most decorated spy of WWII wasn’t Dusko Popov, the guy who inspired the James Bond series. The spy wasn’t even a guy. In 1942, while the war was in full swing, Odette Sansom decided to follow in her war-hero father’s footsteps and become an SOE Agent. Britain’s super-secret organization aided the resistance movements and conducted espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance against the Axis powers in occupied Europe. After five failed attempts and one plane crash, Odette landed in occupied France,…
Find out more »“New World, Inc.: The Making of America by England’s Merchant Adventurers” with John Butman
The venture was daunting. The motive was profit. Only those with an extraordinary appetite for risk need apply. Long before the Mayflower sailed (some seventy years prior, to be more exact), a small group of English merchants formed the world’s first joint-stock company. Its name--The Mysterie, Company, and Fellowship of Merchant Adventurers for the Discovery of Regions, Dominions, Islands, and Places Unknown--was as formidable as its purpose: to seek new markets and trading partners for England, a small and relatively…
Find out more »“King Philip’s War: the History and Legacy of America’s Forgotten Conflict” with Michael Tougias
NOTE VENUE CHANGE: First Congregational Church, 68 Main Street, Falmouth This largely-forgotten war was one of America’s first and costliest. It started in 1675 when the leader of the Wampanoag tribe began an uprising to take back some of the land the colonial settlers controlled. His native name was Metacom; the English called him Philip. Ironically, he was the son of Massasoit, the sachem who helped the pilgrims get established. Soon the Nipmucks and tribes along the Connecticut River joined…
Find out more »“Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack” with Steve Twomey
Warnings, clues, missteps, assumptions. In late November of 1941, Washington sent an ominous message to the commander of the Pacific Fleet, warning Hawaii of possible danger. But the intel was vague; the threat was unclear. Although the commander’s intelligence unit had lost track of Japan’s biggest aircraft carriers, he assumed they were far away. Meanwhile, a Japanese spy was counting the warships in the harbor and reporting to Tokyo. While we know what happened next, we may not know exactly…
Find out more »June 2019
The D-Day Invasion and its Ties to Cape Cod, with Joe Yukna
D-Day was the start of the Great Crusade to free Europe from Nazi domination. It may surprise you to know that what many name consider to be the most important date in history, has many ties to good Olde Cape Cod. Join us for an hour-long, illustrated talk with Joe Yukna, co-founder of the Cape Cod Military Museum, as we explore the June 6th 1944 landings on the Beaches of Normandy. The photo on the left is of the…
Find out more »“The Heart of Everything that is Valley Forge” by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
December 1777. King George III’s army has pummeled the Continental Army into submission, the Continental Congress is in exile, and the American Revolution appears to be lost just 18 months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The beleaguered troops stagger into a small Pennsylvania encampment 23 miles northwest of British-occupied Philadelphia. They’re physically and morally defeated, barely equipped or expected to survive the frigid winter ahead. Their commander in chief, George Washington, is decidedly at the lowest point…
Find out more »“American Crisis: George Washington after Yorktown” with William M. Fowler, Jr. (to be held at First Congregational Church of Falmouth)
SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 11:00 AM | NO CHARGE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, FALMOUTH "American Crisis: George Washington after Yorktown," presented by William M. Fowler Jr. View the George Washington Inaugural Bible Attend the First Presentation of the Katharine Lee Bates Historian Award The George Washington Inaugural Bible, that was used during the inauguration of our first president on April 30, 1789, will be the centerpiece for a special presentation in concert with the Masons’ Marine Lodge A.F. & A.M. in…
Find out more »Around the Sound Cruise with a Dixieland Jazz Band!
A NEW ISLAND QUEEN ADVENTURE While we've had a fabulous time cruising in the fall, it's time to set sail in the spring. The weather is a little bit warmer, the air is a little bit sweeter, and the days are a little bit longer. Oh, almost forgot. We're bring along the "Downtown Dixie Strutters," who have been tearing up the music scene since the mid 1980's. This Dixie trio will have your toes tappin' and your hands clappin'. Food provided by…
Find out more »“The Book that Changed America: How Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Ignited a Nation” with Randall Fuller
Charles Darwin’s book, On the Origin of Species, can still spark lively conversations at 21st century dinner parties. Imagine what people were talking about in 1860, shortly after it was published. On New Year’s Day, abolitionist and schoolmaster Franklin Sanborn hosted a dinner party. Henry David Thoreau, local superintendent Bronson Alcott (Louisa May Alcott’s father) and Asa Gray, a professor of natural history at Harvard, were present. Child welfare reformer Charles Loring Brace was the guest of honor. He arrived,…
Find out more »CANCELLED “Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide” by Tony Horwitz
CANCELLED. We were saddened to learn that Mr. Horwitz recently passed away. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to his family. READ The best-selling author of Confederates in the Attic returns to the South and the Civil War era for an epic adventure following the trail of America's first and foremost landscape architect: Frederick Law Olmsted. In the 1850s, young Olmsted was a restless farmer in search of a mission. He found it as an undercover correspondent for the up-and-coming New York Times.…
Find out more »“The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War” with Benn Steil
Winner of the 2018 American Academy of Diplomacy Douglas Dillon Award It’s the wake of World War II, the dawn of the Cold War. Britain’s empire is collapsing; Stalin’s is on the rise; the United States is in the thick of it. Our mission: to reconstruct the economy in western Europe and, at the same time, discourage its countries from embracing communism. The Marshall Plan is a massive, costly and ambitious undertaking with heavy opposition. Stalin is determined to crush…
Find out more »July 2019
“When Montezuma Met Cortes: The True Story of the Meeting That Changed History” with Matthew Restall
Here’s what most can agree on. On November 8, 1519, the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés first met Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, at the entrance to the capital city of Tenochtitlan. As the story goes, the bold and brilliant military genius and a few hundred plucky conquistadors overcame overwhelming odds to defeat the mighty Aztec empire and create a wave of colonial invasions across the hemisphere. But is that what really happened? In this sweeping revisionist account, Matthew Restall busts more…
Find out more »Free Fun Friday
Join a historic house tour, view the new exhibits and attend a reading of the "Declaration of Independence." A visit from The Bubble Guy, free popcorn and ice cream from Smittys add to this fun, family event. New this year--"Reading Frederick Douglas Together," a public reading of Douglass's 1851 Fourth of July address, "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" To our knowledge, this is the first public reading in Falmouth. This historic occasion is a collaboration among the…
Find out more »Free Fun Friday!
Sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation, the Museums on the Green are proud participants once again in Free Fun Friday! We are open from 10 am to 3 pm and all visitors to the Museums will be admitted for free that day. Additionally, we will be serving complimentary ice cream from Smitty's Ice Cream in Falmouth, and will have a series of events going on. Among the offerings: * "The Bubble Guy" for kids from 10 am to noon …
Find out more »“War and Peace: FDR’s Final Odyssey, D-Day to Yalta, 1943-1945” with Nigel Hamilton
He wrote the Mantle of Command: FDR at War, 1941-1942, which was long-listed for the National Book Award. He followed it with Commander in Chief: FDR’s Battle with Churchill, 1943. We were fortunate to talk to him here after each book was released. Now best-selling and award-winning biographer Nigel Hamilton has completed his three-part saga of FDR at war…and we’ll get to meet him once again at the Museums on the Green for the stunning conclusion. This is a story…
Find out more »“Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in US Naval History” By Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic
In 1945, the USS Indianapolis completed a top-secret, high-speed trip from California to the Pacific Islands to deliver parts of Little Boy, the first nuclear weapon ever used in combat. It was the most highly classified naval mission of the war--but it was not their most dangerous. Just days later, two Japanese torpedoes struck the ship when she was sailing alone in the center of the Philippine Sea. The Indianapolis immediately turned into a fiery cauldron and sunk within minutes--300…
Find out more »The First Wave: The D-Day Warriors Who Led the Way to Victory, with Alex Kershaw
It all started in the predawn darkness of June 6, 1944. They were the first to fight when the stakes were highest and the odds longest. Meet the remarkable men who carried out D-Day’s most perilous missions: the first American paratrooper to touch down on Normandy soil; the glider pilot who braved antiaircraft fire to crash-land mere yards from the vital Pegasus Bridge; the brothers who led their troops onto Juno Beach under withering fire; and the French commando, returning…
Find out more »Grassroots Baseball with Jean Fruth along with Jeff Idelson
Jeff Idelson, Retiring President of the NBA Hall of Fame and Museum Peter Gammons, Celebrated Sportswriter & Media Personality Jean Fruth, Award-Winning Photographer When Jeff Idelson, the retiring president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, calls--you pick up the phone. Fast. When he pitches you an idea for a talk about a new baseball book at the Museums on the Green, you don't hesitate. You say, "Absolutely, what date works for you?" When he asks if…
Find out more »“The Age of Living Machines” with Susan Hockfield
The former president of MIT talks about the next technology revolution and how it will change our lives. A century ago, discoveries in physics came together with engineering to produce an array of astonishing new technologies: radios, telephones, televisions, aircraft, radar, nuclear power, computers, the Internet, and a host of still-evolving digital tools. These technologies reshaped our world so radically that we can no longer conceive of life without them. Now, world-renowned neuroscientist Susan Hockfield says new discoveries in biology…
Find out more »The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal, with William Burns
William J. Burns spent three decades as an American diplomat and played a central role in the most consequential diplomatic episodes of his time. Our time. The bloodless end of the Cold War. The collapse of post-Cold War relations with Putin’s Russia. The post-9/11 tumult in the Middle East. The secrete nuclear talks with Iran. With compelling detail, incisive analysis and newly declassified cables and memos, he recounts some of the seminal moments of his career and delivers a rare…
Find out more »August 2019
Children’s Puppet Show: The Twig Family in the Oak Tree
The Twig Family in the Oak Tree BY DEBORAH COSTINE NATURE PUPPETS This is a happy, gentle story (best for ages 3 and up) about a family of imaginary “twig” people who live in harmony with nature. They are Leaf, Fern and their daughter Mossy. The Oak Tree provides them with everything they need to live and be happy. They grind the acorns into dough for bread. They collect rainwater to drink. And, the leaves give them oxygen for fresh…
Find out more »CANCELLED: “The Civil Wars of Julia Ward Howe” with Elaine Showalter
CANCELLED: To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the feminist pioneer and writer of Battle Hymn of the Republic Heiress. Poet. Author. Lecturer. Feminist. Pacifist. Abolitionist. Julia Ward Howe wrote a mildly shocking sexual novel that was published to good reviews. She also wrote the unforgettable words to the Civil War anthem, Battle Hymn of the Republic, after visiting the Union troops in Washington, DC the previous day. She helped to establish Mother’s Day and became a groundbreaking…
Find out more »Sand and Soil: Creating Beautiful Gardens on Cape Cod with C.L. Fornari
TO BE HELD AT THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 68 MAIN STREET, FALMOUTH While some aspects of Cape and Islands gardening have remained the same for decades, there are other facets of growing in this area that have changed. Warmer falls and newly introduced insects or diseases present challenges or prompt changes in some landscaping practices. Data from the latest research and adjustments in how we choose to support wildlife or protect our waterways mean altering old ways of maintaining yards…
Find out more »“Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11” with Mitchell Zuckoff
September 11, 2001. It was the worst day in modern American history. This is a mesmerizing, minute-by-minute account of that day. The horror. The heroism. The humanity. Boston Globe reporter Mitchell Zuckoff was there in the days and months after the attacks. He wrote about the victims and their families. Now, many years later, we hear the intimate stories of the people most affected by the events of that day—again or for the very first time: an out-of-work actor stuck…
Find out more »Paul Clerici, “A History of the Falmouth Road Race”
SPECIAL FREE TALK How many stories start like this? "It all began in a bar a long, long time ago..." Well, this 7-mile road race--which hits especially close to home--started just like that. Since then participation has swelled from 100 runners to 13,000 annually, bringing legendary Olympians and champions to Falmouth for the chance to compete. The history of this fascinating race spans 47 years, and Clerici, an award-winning journalist and freelance writer, will share the behind-the-scenes tales and tidbits…
Find out more »“Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet” with Will Hunt
Hold onto your seat because you’ll never believe what’s under your feet. That’s right, we’re going underground. Our tour guide is Will Hunt, a man obsessed with anything below ground. It all started when he was sixteen years old. After discovering an abandoned tunnel that ran beneath his house in Providence, Rhode Island, he was hopelessly hooked on exploring underground worlds: from the derelict subway stations and sewers of New York City to sacred caves, catacombs, tombs, bunkers and ancient…
Find out more »Falmouth’s Forgotten Natives, with Connor Cobb
Who lived in what we now call Falmouth before the town was settled by British colonists? What happened to those natives after colonists became neighbors? With the help of evidence from town and state archives we can begin to piece together Falmouth's Native American past, from the settlement of the town up until the late 18th century. In this talk Connor Cobb, a Falmouth resident and lover of local history, will shed light on a forgotten and overlooked chapter…
Find out more »George Marshall: Defender of the Republic, with David Roll
Winston Churchill called him World War II's "organizer of victory." Harry Truman said he was "the greatest military man that this country ever produced." Even as a young officer, George Marshall was heralded as a genius. During WWI, his reputation grew when he planned and executed a nighttime movement of more than a half million troops from one battlefield to another that led to the armistice. Between wars, he helped modernize combat training and re-staffed the U.S. Army's officer corps…
Find out more »September 2019
Anxiety Warrior with Brian Beneduce
Brian Beneduce had just gotten married and was boarding the plane for his honeymoon trip. Although his bride, Robbie, knew he had a fear of flying, she had no idea what was going through his mind as the plane rumbled down the runway and lifted into the sky. The Thing—the three-headed beast inside him—began to take over, leading him to pray the plane would fall out of the sky and crash so he could finally relieve himself of his fear.…
Find out more »Historic Trolley Tours of Falmouth: Every Wednesday, 10 am, from Sept. 11 to Oct. 9, 2019
LEARN ABOUT FALMOUTH'S MARITIME PAST IN THE COMFORT OF AN AIR-CONDITIONED TROLLEY! The Museums on the Green will again be providing guided and narrated historic Trolley Tours of Falmouth, to be held each Wednesday morning at 10 am from September 13 to October 11th. Passengers will be escorted throughout the town on an comfortable coach as they learn about Falmouth's past. A special stop will be made at Highfield Hall for a quick visit there as well. Tickets for each…
Find out more »NEW LOCATION: Massachusetts in the Women’s Suffrage Movement with Barbara Berenson
NEW LOCATION: First Congregational Church 68 Main Street, Falmouth Long before the Civil War, Lucy Stone and other Massachusetts abolitionists opposed women's exclusion from political life. They launched the organized movement at the first National Woman's Rights Convention, held in Worcester. After the war, state activists founded the Boston-based American Woman Suffrage Association and Woman's Journal to lead campaigns across the country. Their activities laid the foundation for the next generation of suffragists to triumph over tradition. Author Barbara Berenson…
Find out more »Intrigues, Lies and Deceptions: Allied Strategic Deception During the Second World War with Michael McNaught
It took an untold number of weapons to win World War II: tanks, submachine guns, flame throwers, rifles, and grenades. But one of the Allies’ most powerful weapons was the art of deception. Elaborate plots, phantom armies, fictious radio transmissions, controlled leaks, double agents and other clever ruses spun a deadly web of deception for the enemy. Local historian Michael McNaught will unravel some of the greatest military secrets and strategies taking place off the battlefield at this fascinating talk.
Find out more »“Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait?: Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson and the Fight for the Right to Vote” with Tina Cassidy
The day before Woodrow Wilson took the presidential oath of office in 1913, he expected a throng of onlookers when he arrived in Washington. He was upstaged by one woman--twenty-five-year old Alice Paul—and 8,000 suffragists, who marched with banners and floats down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. A half million spectators, supporters and detractors watched. The New York Times called it “one of the most impressively beautiful spectacles ever staged in this country.” The new president called the spectacle’s…
Find out more »October 2019
Preserving Old Ironsides Across Three Centuries with Margherita Desy
The USS Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. President George Washington named the wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy after the United States Constitution. She was launched in 1797, one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. The vessel is most noted for her actions during the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom, when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships, one of…
Find out more »A Visit with the Night Watchman
Our Annual Haunting with (Of Course) a Historical Twist Around Halloween, the veils between worlds thin out. Historical sites are magnets for spirits, and the 1790 Dr. Francis Wicks House seems to be the epicenter of ghostly activity. Don't miss this all new, slightly spooky haunted experience. As in the past, visitors embark on a 20-minute tour through the Wicks house with their escort, the Museums’ Night Watchman. What happens inside the house is a closely guarded secret, but the…
Find out more »November 2019
1620: The First Year with Christopher Daley
They came seeking religious freedom. They found an untamed, inhospitable and dangerous wilderness. They struggled with deprivation, disease and death. Through the grace of God and with the help of the "People of the Dawn," they survived. As the 400th Anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims approaches, travel back to 1620 and relive their first year: the difficult voyage over the Atlantic, the landing on Cape Cod shores, the “first encounter” with the Wampanoag Nation, the move onward to…
Find out more »Special Movie Presentation: “They Shall Not Grow Old”
In 2018, the Imperial War Museum commissioned Academy Award-winning producer Peter Jackson to use original footage from their archives to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. This special presentation will show the movie on Veterans Day.
Find out more »The Game: Harvard, Yale and America in 1968, with George Howe Colt
On November 23, 1968, there was a turbulent and memorable football game: the season-ending clash between Harvard and Yale. The final score was 29-29. To some of the players, it was a triumph; to others a tragedy. And to many, the reasons had as much to do with one side’s miraculous comeback in the game’s final forty-two seconds as it did with the months that preceded it, months that witnessed the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy,…
Find out more »“Short Skirts, Oh My! A History of Women’s Rights” with Anne Barrett
When Abigail Adams begged her husband to "remember the ladies" in drafting a new code of laws, John wrote back that he "could not but laugh" at her extraordinary suggestion. While it took almost 150 years, in the early part of the 20th century, women were working, voting, and experiencing the first taste of freedoms unheard of before. In this talk, Anne Barret traces the exciting social and historical milestones in the fight for women's rights. -- I long to…
Find out more »This Land is Their Land, with David Silverman
In March 1621, when Plymouth's survival was hanging in the balance, the Wampanoag sachem (or chief), Ousamequin (Massasoit), and Plymouth's governor, John Carver, declared their people's friendship for each other and a commitment to mutual defense. Later that autumn, the English gathered their first successful harvest and lifted the specter of starvation. Ousamequin and 90 of his men then visited Plymouth for the “First Thanksgiving.” The treaty remained operative until King Philip's War in 1675, when 50 years of uneasy…
Find out more »December 2019
An Olde Country Christmas: Readings from Washington Irving
This special presentation of stories and seasonal songs takes us back to England at Christmas time in the early 19th century Washington Irving is far better known for two other works, “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Those short stories and his Christmas essays, were published as installments in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. The essays, told from the perspective of a fictional English gentleman, are based on the holiday festivities and traditions Irving savored…
Find out more »Holiday Happenings~Saturday, December 7
Gingerbread House for Kids Saturday, December 7, 1:00-3:00 pm Free Activity While Hansel and Gretel had to wander deep into the forest to find a house made entirely of treats, little ones will find one of their own very close to home. This fun, free, make-and-take activity is especially suited for toddlers, 'tweens and kids in between. Holiday Shopping: Museums Whaling Wives Gift Shop Saturday, December 7, 9:30-4 pm Shop for ornaments, books, jewelry, magnets, trinket boxes, key chains, t…
Find out more »Christmas Traditions in Boston, with Anthony Sammarco
In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony banned the celebration of Christmas because of its seasonal excess. (Bah humbug!) It wasn't until the mid 19th century when a German immigrant introduced the Christmas tree and Louis Prang brought his colorful Christmas cards to the city, that Bostonians began to show some holiday spirit. This festive book recalls it all: caroling and hand bell ringing on Beacon Hill, the Nativity scene and display on Boston Common, hot fudge sundaes at Baileys and…
Find out more »“Ahab’s Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick,” with Richard J. King
Author and SEA professor Richard J. King talks about his new book, “Ahab’s Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick” and its connections to Falmouth whaling captain Lewis Lawrence. Captain Lawrence sailed the Pacific in the same era as Melville. His unique, data-heavy logbook and chart reveal how 19th-century whalemen understood their impact on whales and the rest of the global ocean. “Ahab’s Rolling Sea” tells the story of Melville’s relationship with the watery world: what he witnessed and read,…
Find out more »“The Lobsters’ Night Before Christmas,” a reading for children & families with Christina Laurie
In this undersea retelling of the holiday classic, Sea Santa makes his annual Christmas journey, pulled in his clamshell sleigh by his eight faithful minnows. Sweet and clever rhyme by Christina Laurie and beautiful watercolor paintings by Elizabeth Moisan illustrate his visit to a family of lobsters on the night before Christmas.
Find out more »January 2020
“Dogfight Over Tokyo” with John Wukovits
DOGFIGHT OVER TOKYO The Last Air Battle of the Pacific War It was the early morning of August 15, 1945. When Billy Hobbs and his fellow Hellcat aviators from Air Group 88 lifted off from the venerable Navy carrier USS Yorktown, they had no idea they were about to carry out the final air mission of World War II. Two hours later, Yorktown received word from Admiral Nimitz that the war had ended and that all offensive operations should cease. As they…
Find out more »Annual Meeting
Looking back. Looking forward. Having fun. Join us as we review 2019 and preview the upcoming season! Members will also vote on the Falmouth Historical Society's Board of Directors. The annual meeting is also open to prospective members. It's a great time to learn more about the organization and mix and mingle with people who love making history together. Light refreshments will be served. Saturday, January 25, 10 am Museums on the Green Cultural Center 55 & 65 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth
Find out more »February 2020
Winter History Walk
WINTER HISTORY WALK Get some exercise--and a history lesson! Tom Mountford has created a shorter version of his summer history walks around town. The route is over mostly flat, paved ground. The tour will take off--weather permitting--at ten. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. NEXT WALK: TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 10 AM
Find out more »“One Base at a Time” with David R. Mellor
ONE BASE AT A TIME How I Survived PTSD and Found My Field of Dreams In the summer of 1981, David Mellor was just a baseball-crazed kid, a star high school pitcher dreaming of someday taking the mound in Fenway Park for his beloved Boston Red Sox. That dream was derailed in a McDonald’s parking lot when he was hit by a racing car, thrown into the air and pinned to a wall. His knee was severely damaged; his hopes…
Find out more »March 2020
“America’s First Freedom Rider” with Jerry Mikorenda
AMERICA'S FIRST FREEDOM RIDER Elizabeth Jennings, Chester A. Arthur, and the Early Fight for Civil Rights It wasn’t easy to get around New York City in 1854. Omnibus accidents were commonplace. The Five Points gangs regularly attacked pedestrians. Pickpockets, drunks and kidnappers were part of the daily street scene. And, rival police forces watched and argued over who should help. But none of this was on Elizabeth Jennings’s mind the day she climbed the platform onto the Chatham Street horsecar.…
Find out more »“Influenza” with Dr. Jeremy Brown: To be held at Lawrence School, Falmouth
INFLUENZA The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History While the United States was embroiled in the Great War overseas, a lethal enemy was at work stateside as well. In October 1918 alone, 195,000 Americans died, making it the deadliest month in American History. The killer was influenza. It infected about 500 million people—one third of the world’s population. At least 50 million people died worldwide, with about 675,000 deaths in the United States. Now, more than a…
Find out more »Entries Welcome for Katharine Lee Bates Community Poetry Fest
CALLING ALL POETS! We are now accepting entries for our annual Katharine Lee Bates Poetry Fest, which was established over two decades ago to celebrate literacy, originality and creativity and to remember the Falmouth-born poet who wrote, among many other works, “America the Beautiful.” Submissions from poets of all ages are welcome. Poems must be original, unpublished works of 25 lines or less. Each entrant can submit up to three different poems. The submission deadline is before 3 pm on…
Find out more »May 2020
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Man Who Never Was: Operation Mincemeat” with Mark Schmidt
Our First-Ever Virtual Talk! THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS: OPERATION MINCEMEAT Executive Director Mark Schmidt Wars are usually won by actions of strength, bravery and guile. But, sometimes, they're won by great feats of imagination. Take Operation Mincemeat. It was one of the most successful single deceptions of World War II--and probably the luckiest. The mission: convince the Nazis the Allies would land in Sardinia instead of Sicily. The masterminds: two completely different British agents, with an assist from Ian…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Sudden Courage” with Ronald Rosbottom
SUDDEN COURAGE Youth in France Confront the Germans from 1940-1945 On June 14, 1940, German tanks rolled into Paris. Eight days later, France accepted a humiliating defeat and foreign occupation. Most citizens adapted; many even allied themselves with the new fascist leadership. Yet others refused to capitulate and joined the French Resistance. But, this is not your typical war story. It’s a coming-of-age story during the war. Among this shadow army of Jews, immigrants, communists, workers, writers, police officers and…
Find out more »June 2020
VIRTUAL TALK: “Yale Needs Women” with Anne Gardiner Perkins
YALE NEEDS WOMEN How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant Special Surprise: The author will talk with two women interviewed for the book 1969 was a landmark year. More than 350,000 rock-n-roll fans flocked to Woodstock, the Boeing 747 jumbo jet made its debut, and the Apollo 11 mission put the first two men on the moon. What else? Yale University, dedicated to graduating “one thousand male leaders every year” finally opened its…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Crowded Hour” with Clay Risen
THE CROWDED HOUR Theodore Roosevelt, The Rough Riders and the Dawn of the American Century When America declared war on Spain in 1898, the US Army numbered 26,000 men, scattered around the country. Hardly an army at all. In fact, Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders was born out of desperation. At first glance, they were a motley group of volunteers—heavier on Ivy League athletes and Arizona cowboys than traditional soldiers. But what they lacked in experience, they made up for in…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Hunting Whitey” with Casey Sherman
HUNTING WHITEY The Inside Story of the Capture & Killing of America's Most Wanted Crime Boss The wait is over. Boston reporters Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge deliver again—this time the definitive story of the legendary South Boston mob boss—and longtime FBI informant--James “Whitey” Bulger. The leader of Boston’s Winter Hill Gang was #1 on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. He was indicted for nineteen counts of murder, racketeering, narcotics distribution, and extortion. But it was his sixteen-year flight from…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Jefferson’s White House” with James B. Conroy
JEFFERSON'S WHITE HOUSE Monticello on the Potomac Welcome to the White House. Jefferson’s White House, “a lovely Irish-Palladian white palace set in the mud and muck” of the nation’s capital, under construction and fraught with the political tension of a young and ambitious nation. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to occupy the White House for an entire term, let alone two, and the one who shaped it—literally and figuratively—the most. James B. Conroy, author of the award-winning Lincoln’s White…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Coast to Coast in 48 Hours” with Anne Barrett
COAST TO COAST IN 48 HOURS On July 7, 1929, Charles Lindbergh’s dream of coast-to-coast travel came true. That’s when Transcontinental Air Transport (T.A.T.) began providing passenger service between New York and Los Angeles using airplanes by day and trains by night. The ambitious trip across the country on what would become known as the “The Lindberg Line” took 48 hours, cutting the 72 hour travel time by rail alone by two-thirds. A one-way ticket cost $338, more than half…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman” with Erica Dunbar
SHE CAME TO SLAY The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman Everybody knows she was one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad. Everybody knows she risked her life to lead hundreds of slaves to freedom. But there’s so much more to know about the indomitable and indefatigable Harriet Tubman. She was a fierce suffragist, advocate for the aged, and spy for the Union army. She was also the first women to lead an armed expedition during the…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “How to Get Rid of a President” with David Priess
HOW TO GET RID OF A PRESIDENT History's Guide to Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives Party intrigue, personal betrayals, conspiracies, and backroom shenanigans. Just another day in politics. And, when it comes to term limits, there are no limits to what people have done and will continue to do to remove unpopular, unable or unfit chief executives. Yes, the American presidency has seen it all, from rejecting a sitting president’s renomination bid and undermining their authority in office…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Ghosts of Eden Park” with Karen Abbott
THE GHOSTS OF EDEN PARK The Bootleg King, the Women who Pursued Him, and the Murder That Shocked Jazz-Age America Move over Al Capone. There was once a bigger bootlegger than you. In the early days of Prohibition, George Remus quit practicing law and started trafficking whiskey. By the summer of 1921, The teetotaler owned 35 percent of all the liquor in the United States and the title “King of the Bootleggers." Remus became a multi-millionaire--with the emphasis on multi.…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “This Gulf of Fire” with Mark Molesky
THIS GULF OF FIRE The Destruction of Lisbon or Apocalypse in the Age of Science and Reason Please Note Time Change: 6:30 pm Start On All Saints Day 1755, tremors from an earthquake measuring 9.0 (or higher) on the Moment Magnitude Scale swept from the Atlantic seabed toward the Iberian and African coasts. Lisbon, one of the wealthiest cities in the world and the capital of a vast global empire, was directly in their path. Within minutes, much of the…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “In Black and White” with Wil Haygood
IN BLACK AND WHITE The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr. Please Note Special Start Time 3:00 pm Everybody knew Sammy Davis Jr. He grew up in Vaudeville, swung through the sixties with Frank, Dean and the other cool cats in the Rat Pack, strolled down Broadway, lit up the silver screen, and recorded hits like “Hey There,” “Something’s Gotta Give” and “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone.” Well, people are still talking about “Mister Show Biz”—including Wil Haygood. …
Find out more »July 2020
VIRTUAL TALK: “Night of the Assassins” with Howard Blum
NIGHT OF THE ASSASSINS The Untold Story of Hitler's Plot to Kill FDR, Churchill, and Stalin Tehran, 1943. Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin have planned a top-secret conference. The problem—the Nazis had already learned about it. Although the war is undoubtedly lost, Hitler sees it as his last chance to turn the tide. A new set of Allied leaders just might be willing to make a more reasonable peace. But first, he’d have to take…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Fire and Fortitude” with John C. McManus
FIRE AND FORTITUDE The US Army in the Pacific War, 1941-1943 Please Note Change of Date While the Marines are celebrated as the victors of the Pacific, the often unsung Army soldiers did most of the fighting—and dying—in the war against Japan. This is their story. It starts with Pearl Harbor, a rude awakening for a military woefully unprepared for war. It ends with Makin, a sliver of coral reef where the increasingly desperate Japanese tested the army’s might. In…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Honorable Exit” with Thurston Clarke
HONORABLE EXIT How a Few Brave Americans Risked All to Save Our Vietnamese Allies at the End of the War Please Note Special Start Time 3:00 pm The iconic photograph of the Fall of Saigon shows desperate Vietnamese scrambling to board a helicopter evacuating the last American personnel from Vietnam. It is an image of U.S. failure and shame. Or is it? This groundbreaking revisionist history reveals the less-known acts of American heroism that saved more than one-hundred-thousand South Vietnamese…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Washington’s End” with Jonathan Horn
WASHINGTON’S END The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle This story begins where most leave off. After eight years as president, George Washington exits the office and enters what would become the most bewildering stage of his life. Surrendering power proved to be more difficult than he imagined and brought his life to an end he never expected. Nor will you. With every page turn of this astonishingly true story, you’ll discover something you never knew about Washington’s forgotten last years:…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Thomas Jefferson’s Education” with Alan Shaw Taylor
THOMAS JEFFERSON’S EDUCATION This beautifully written history about Thomas Jefferson’s campaign to save Virginia through education reveals the origins of a great university in the dilemmas of slavery. It also reveals a lot about Jefferson himself, who was never quite the egalitarian we wish him to be. Although he was devoted to educating his granddaughters and once proposed educating all white children in Virginia, he narrowed his goal to building an elite university. Jefferson believed that by educating the sons…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “America the Ingenious” with Kevin Baker
AMERICA THE INGENIOUS How a Nation of Dreamers, Immigrants, and Tinkerers Changed the World The skyscraper and subway car. The telephone and telegraph. The safety elevator and the safety pin. All made in America. Not to mention the microprocessor, amusement park, MRI, supermarket, Pennsylvania rifle, or that magnificent Golden Gate Bridge. Without doubt, America is a nation of inventors, tinkerers, researchers, and adventurers. People like the Edisons, the Bells, and the Carnegies--plus less celebrated folks like Youphes and Loeb Strauss,…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Impeachers” with Brenda Wineapple
THE IMPEACHERS: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation It was a dangerous time in America. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and Vice-President Andrew Johnson became “the Accidental President,” the country was in turmoil. Congress was divided over how the Union should be reunited: when and how the secessionist South should regain full status, whether former Confederates should be punished, and when and whether black men should be given the vote. Devastated by war and…
Find out more »August 2020
VIRTUAL TALK: “Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington” with Ted Widmer
LINCOLN ON THE VERGE: Thirteen Days to Washington February 11, 1861. On the eve of his 52nd birthday, Abraham Lincoln boarded a train. The President-Elect of the United States was on the way to the White House for his inauguration, an inauguration Southerners vowed to prevent by any means necessary. He was uncertain what he would find when he arrived there—if he arrived there. Bankrupt and rudderless, the government was on the verge of collapse. To make matters worse, he…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “A Furious Sky: The Five Hundred Year History of America’s Hurricanes” with Eric Jay Dolin
A FURIOUS SKY: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricane Each year, hurricanes menace North America from June through November. Each one is as powerful as 10,000 nuclear bombs. Each one, from the nameless storms that threatened Columbus’s New World voyages, to the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 which had the highest death toll of any natural disaster in American history, has a story. They also have heroes, such as Benjamin Franklin who made important discoveries about these megastorms and Benito Vines,…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Pleasures of Age: Old Women and Political Power in the Women’s Suffrage Movement” with Corinne Field
THE PLEASURES OF AGE: Old Women and Political Power in the Women's Sufrage Movement On her seventieth birthday in 1885, suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton delivered a speech on "The Pleasures of Age". She declared that "fifty not fifteen is the heyday of woman's life." While touring the country in the 1870s, Sojourner Truth turned her embodied performance of old age into a political claim for financial reparations owed formerly enslaved people. By the 1890s,…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers” with Doug Swanson
CULT OF GLORY The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers Saddle up. We’re heading West for some Lone Star history. It’s 1823. Texas is still part of Mexico. And, this very wild and very violent frontier surely needs tamin’. Enter the Texas Rangers. Early on, the propertied power structures of Texas used this bold and brutal bunch as enforcers, protectors and officially sanctioned killers. They fought the fierce Comanches, chased outlaws, and served in the U.S. Army during…
Find out more »VIRTUAL RE-ENACTMENT: Sheryl Faye as Susan B. Anthony
SUSAN B. ANTHONY Re-Enactor, Sheryl Faye This is going to be the best party ever. One of the most famous women in American history is celebrating her 200th birthday this year—and you’re invited. Susan B. Anthony was born February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts. The famous social reformer and activist devoted her life to racial, gender and educational equality and played a prominent role in the women’s suffrage movement. We can only imagine the stories she’ll tell: perhaps she’ll share…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Sword and the Shield” with Peniel Joseph
THE SWORD AND THE SHIELD The Revolutionary Lives of Malcom X and Martin Luther King, Jr. "The Sword and the Shield" is a landmark. It is what happens when one of America's greatest historians of African America shines the same light on two of African America's greatest historical figures. Peniel Joseph deploys his supreme talents as a biographer and movement historian to interweave the world-shattering lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X."―Abram X. Kendi, author of "How to…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Seducing and Killing Nazis: Dutch Resistance Heroines of World War II” with Sophie Poldermans
SEDUCING AND KILLING NAZIS Hannie, Truus and Freddie: Dutch Resistance Heroines of WWII This is the astonishing true story of three teenage Dutch girls, Hannie Schaft and sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen. When Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in World War II, they fought back. They found safe houses for Jewish children and gathered vital intelligence for the Resistance. They also seduced high-ranking Nazi officers, lured them into the woods and killed them. They did what they did "because it…
Find out more »September 2020
VIRTUAL TALK: “Cape Cod and the Tea Crisis of 1773” with Mary Beth Norton
CAPE COD AND THE TEA CRISIS OF 1773 Everyone knows about America's famous "tea party." On December 16, 1773, American Patriots dressed as natives tossed 343 chests of East India Company tea into Boston Harbor. However, few know that five days earlier a fourth ship bound for Boston wrecked on Cape Cod--and some of its cargo remained here. In fact it was the only EIC tea that actually became available to the colonists. Historian Mary Beth Norton is the first…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “They Knew They Were Pilgrims” with John Turner
THEY KNEW THEY WERE PILGRIMS: Plymouth Colony and the Contest for American Liberty Sinners or saints? In 1620, separatists from the Church of England set sail across the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower. They saw themselves as spiritual pilgrims, seeking the freedom to worship God in accordance with their understanding of the Bible. Others have an alternative, more dispiriting view of the Pilgrims. In it, they were religious zealots who persecuted dissenters, stole land and waged war with the Native peoples. …
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Dynasty” with Jeff Benedict
THE DYNASTY They had never won a championship. They were nearly bankrupt. And, they were the laughingstock of the NFL. But that all changed in 1994 when Robert Kraft acquired the franchise and brought head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady on board. Since then, the New England Patriots have made ten trips to the Super Bowl and won six. Their twenty-year reign atop the NFL stands as the longest in league history. How did they do it? Acclaimed…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Formation: A Woman’s Memoir of Stepping Out of Line” with Ryan Leigh Dostie
FORMATION: A Woman's Memoir of Stepping out of Line Named by "Esquire" as one of the Best Nonfiction Books of the Year Ryan Dotie never imagined herself on the front lines of a war halfway around the world. But a conversation with an Army recruiter in her high-school cafeteria changed the course of her life. After being hired as a linguist in Military Intelligence, she needed to find a space for herself in the testosterone-filled world of the Army barracks. She…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Atomic Spy: The Dark Lives of Klaus Fuchs” with Nancy Thorndike Greenspan
ATOMIC SPY: The Dark Lives of Klaus Fuchs German by birth. British by naturalization. Communist by conviction. Klaus Fuchs was a brilliant scientist, a fearless Nazi resister and an infamous spy. In 1950, he was convicted of espionage for handing over the designs of the plutonium bomb to the Russians, putting an end to America's nuclear hegemony and single-handedly heating up the Cold War. Fuchs was one of the most dangerous agents in American and British history. But, was he…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “When Women Won the Right to Vote: History, Myth, and Memory” with Lisa Tetrault
WHEN WOMEN WON THE RIGHT TO VOTE: History, Myth, and Memory How well do you know the 19th Amendment? When women achieved passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, they did not win the right to vote—despite repeated claims that they did. Just what, then, did the women’s suffrage amendment do? Join Dr. Lisa Tetrault for a discussion of this often misinterpreted and misunderstood history and discover how 1920 is part of a much larger and longer story about the…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Einstein’s War” with Matthew Stanley
EINSTEIN'S WAR: How Relativity Trimphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War "Stanley is a storyteller par excellence."--The Washington Post The Great War, the industrialized slaughter that bled Europe from 1914 to 1918, shaped Albert Einstein’s life and work. Although he never held a rifle, he formulated the mind-bending theory of general relativity while blockaded—and literally starving--in Berlin. While some of his colleagues were fighting against rabid nationalism or inventing chemical warfare, Einstein was struggling to craft relativity and persuade…
Find out more »October 2020
VIRTUAL TALK: Demagogue: “The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy” with Larry Tye
DEMAGOGUE The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy He’s been called the most dangerous demagogue in American history. Perhaps no other man has caused so much damage in such a short time. When Joe McCarthy finally made it to the Senate, he flailed around in search of an agenda. Finally, after three years, he hit upon one: anti-communism. By recklessly charging everyone from George Marshall to much of the State Department with treason, he whipped the nation into…
Find out more »VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE: Belva Lockwood for President: Campaign Rally for the First Woman Presidential Candidate
BELVA LOCKWOOD FOR PRESIDENT Anne Barrett as the First Woman Presidential Candidate A woman president? Why not? After all, it's 1884! Meet the indomitable Belva Ann Lockwood: American attorney, politician, educator and author, and the first woman to run a full national presidential campaign. She once said, "I cannot vote but I can be voted for." Listen to her lively campaign speech, detailing her early struggles to break free of social conventions, her fight to be admitted to the Supreme…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Furious Hours” with Casey Cep
FURIOUS HOURS Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee There are two stories here. The first goes back to the 1970s, down into the Deep South. Reverend Willie Maxwell, a rural preacher, was accused of murdering five of his family members to collect the money from the insurance policies he took out on them. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror” with W. Scott Poole
WASTELAND: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror The War to End all Wars remade the world’s map and created new global powers. It also brought destruction and carnage no one had ever seen before. The apocalyptic-like world of 1918 was nothing like the world of 1914. Four years of machine guns, poison gas and mortar shells wrought a new reign of suffering and terror. Millions were injured. Millions more were killed. By war’s end, its horrors had…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution” with Lindsay Chervinsky
THE CABINET: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution George Washington took his oath of office as the first President of the United States in 1789. Two and a half years later, he called his first cabinet meeting. Seriously? That’s right. The US Constitution hadn’t created or provided for such a body. In fact, the delegates to the Constitution Convention had explicitly rejected the idea. Faced with diplomatic crises, domestic insurrections, constitutional challenges and a Congress lacking help,…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “A History of Theater on Cape Cod” with Susan Mellen
A HISTORY OF THEATER ON CAPE COD Theater on the Cape began in 1916 when a group of artists and writers in Provincetown mounted a production of a one-act play, Bound East for Cardiff, by a little-known playwright, Eugene O’Neill. They staged the play in a rickety old theater on a wharf in what was then little more than a sleepy fishing village. From that artists’ colony—and others like it across the Cape and Islands—it grew into the constantly expanding…
Find out more »CANCELLED: The Watchman’s Night Off
BECAUSE OF POOR WEATHER PREDICTIONS FOR THIS WEEKEND, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE WATCHMAN’S NIGHT OFF A Slightly Spooky (Free!) Outdoor Event We've reimagined our annual haunting! While the historic houses will be closed, the campus will be decorated with pumpkins, and spectral visitors are expected to pop in to stir things up on the Watchman’s night off. The ghostly cast includes “Night Watchman” veterans, as well as new participants who want to tap into their inner…
Find out more »November 2020
VIRTUAL TALK: “In the Wake of the Mayflower: The First Encounter” with Karen Rinaldo and Kevin Doyle
IN THE WAKE OF THE MAYFLOWER The First Encounter In the Wake of the Mayflower is the story of life after the Mayflower's arrival--from The First Encounter through the 50 years of peace that ended with King Philip's War. It highlights the mutually-dependent relationship between the Pilgrims and the indigenous Wampanoags, documented in Karen Rinaldo's depiction of "The First Thanksgiving /1621." This painting has been met with critical acclaim by historians, the National Park Service and Wampanoag leaders for its positive eye on…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Boston Massacre: A Family History” with Serena Zabin
THE BOSTON MASSACRE: A FAMILY HISTORY Fact. On a late winter evening in 1770, British soldiers shot and killed five local, unarmed citizens. However, from the very beginning, one fascinating truth has been obscured from this often-told story: the conflicts between the British troops and the increasingly rebellious colonists leading up to the historic event were not just political. They were also personal. Very personal. In an antagonistic 1768 decision by army officers, the first British troops sent to subdue…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The FIRST First Ladies” with Michelle Coughlin
THE FIRST FIRST LADIES The Informal Political Power of Early American Women During the 17th and early 18th centuries, social class was ever-so important. And, despite the entrenched tradition of patriarchy, high-ranking women could wield more power than lower-status men. Meet the first First Ladies. The wives of the governors of America's original thirteen colonies were married to politics—literally and figuratively. Because of this, they were particularly well placed to leverage their talents, status and influence to achieve personal and…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “No Useless Mouth” with Rachel Herrmann
Please Note Time Change, Now Scheduled for Noon NO USELESS MOUTH: Waging War and Fighting Hunger in the American Revolution In the era of the American Revolution, guns weren’t the only weapons of war. Hunger was also at the center of every power struggle. In peaceful times, gifts of food, ceremonial feasts and a shared experience of hunger were part of the diplomacy between the British, Patriots and Native Americans. However, when diplomacy failed, food became a powerful tool of…
Find out more »2021 Season Pass
2021 SEASON PASS Here's something to talk about! Purchase a Season Pass, and you can attend any talk, any time this year for a fabulously low price. Our first talk is January 5. We have 28 talks scheduled--so far! The savings get better and better the more talks we add. But hurry, this offer is available through January 15, 2021 only! Let's do the math. (Hint, it's a great time to become a member!) MEMBERS Individual Ticket Price $5 28…
Find out more »December 2020
VIRTUAL TALK: “Rebel Cinderella” with Adam Hochschild
From Rags to Riches to Radical, the Epic Journey of Rose Pastor Stokes
This is the stuff of fairy tales: poor Russian immigrant falls madly in love with the heir to a great American Fortune. She is Rose Pastor. He is James Graham Phelps Stokes, the crown prince of the Phelps Stokes dynasty. Member of the legendary 400 families of New York high society. Friends with the Morgans and the Vanderbilts. And he’s totally smitten, too.
Whaling Wives Gift Shop Open
Great gifts to stuff into stockings and put under the tree
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Women with Silver Wings” with Katherine Landeck
The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Pilots of World War II
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. She had escaped Nashville’s debutante scene at the age of 22 and headed to Hawaii for a fresh start as a flight instructor. When the bombs began to fall, Fort and her student were in the middle of a lesson. They barely made it back to ground that ill-fated morning.
Whaling Wives Gift Shop Open
Great gifts to stuff into stockings and put under the tree
Find out more »SPECIAL: Gingerbread House Kits & Teddy Bear Kits
Purchase a Gingerbread House or Teddy Bear Kit for the little ones on your list, then join our virtual workshop for instructions and fun activities.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Franklin and Washington: The Founding Partnership” with Edward J. Larson
Benjamin Franklin was an abolitionist freethinker from the urban north. George Washington was a slaveholding general from the agrarian south. These vastly different men had a three-decade bond that helped forge the United States.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads and the Making of Modern America” with Michael Hiltzik
Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America
In 1869, when the final spike was driven into the Transcontinental Railroad, few were prepared for its seismic aftershocks. America's railways, once a hodgepodge of short, squabbling lines, soon exploded into a titanic industry helmed by speculators, crooks, and visionaries.
VIRTUAL TALK: “When It Was Grand” with LeeAnna Keith
The Radical Republican History of the Civil War
In 1862, the ardent abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison summarized the events tearing the United States apart: “There is a war because there was a Republican Party. There was a Republican Party because there was an Abolition Party. There was an Abolition Party because there was Slavery.” Garrison’s simple statement expresses the essential truths at the heart of LeeAnna Keith’s When It Was Grand.
VIRTUAL TALK: “How Ike Led” with Susan Eisenhower
The Principles Behind Eisenhower's Biggest Decisions
By Susan Eisenhower, a DC policy strategist, security expert and Ike's granddaughter
Few people have made decisions as momentous as Eisenhower. Even fewer have had so many diverse decisions to make. From D-Day to Little Rock, from the Korean War to the Cold War crises, from the Red Scare to the Missile Gap controversies, Ike was able to give America eight years of peace and prosperity by relying on a core set of principles.
Whaling Wives Gift Shop Sale
Almost everything on sale during this one day event!
Find out more »Historical Walking Tours of Falmouth: Winter/Spring 2021
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »January 2021
Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Walls Have Ears” with Helen Fry
Not all wars are won with weapons. Some are won by spies and stings. During World War II, the British turned stately homes like Trent Park in North London and the Latimer House and Wilton Park in Buckinghamshire into prisons for high-ranking German officers and commanders. After giving them “phony” interrogations, they gave them luxury accommodations.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Congress at War” with Fergus Bordewich
Most history books give Abraham Lincoln all the credit for winning the Civil War. This original perspective puts the House and Senate at the center of the conflict, showing how Congress took drastic measures to defeat the Confederacy.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Uncrowned Queen” with Nicola Tallis
Against a lavish backdrop of pageantry and ambition, court intrigue and war, historian Nicola Tallis illuminates how a dynamic, brilliant woman orchestrated the rise of the Tudors. In 1485, Henry VII became the first Tudor king of England. He owed much of his victory to his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Marooned: Jamestown, Shipwreck, and a New History of America’s Origin” with Joseph Kelly
Legend goes that the colony in Jamestown was a false start. It’s often told as a cautionary tale of lazy louts who hunted gold until they starved or shiftless settlers in need of the hard discipline of martial law. Yet, author Joseph Kelly comes to a radically different and decidedly American interpretation of these first Virginians.
Find out more »Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Last Million: Europe’s Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War” with David Nasaw
At the end of World War II, millions of lost and homeless concentration camp survivors, POWS, slave laborers, political prisoners and Nazi collaborators in flight from the Red Army overwhelmed Germany, a nation in ruins. British and American soldiers attempted to repatriate them. But after exhaustive efforts, many refused to go home or had no homes to return to. They were referred to as the Last Million.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Bound by War” with Christopher Capozzola
This is an epic story of two nations, two allies with shared history. It is also the story of a very uneven partnership. It is the story of the United States and the Philippines. And it is an important story to tell.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Quarantine: How I Survived the Diamond Princess Coronavirus Crisis” with Gay Courter
It started with a dazzling two-week southeast Asian cruise. It became a twelve-day ordeal aboard ship in Tokyo. Just as Gay and Phil Courter were about to disembark from the Diamond Princess, they suddenly found themselves at the epicenter of a global crisis over a contagious new virus.
Find out more »February 2021
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Craft” with John Dickie
Insiders call it the Craft. It was founded in London in 1717. Within two decades, it had spread across the globe. Today, its members number six million worldwide, over a million in the United States alone. It is one of the most famous, most influential and most misunderstood of all secret brotherhoods. And, at times, it has been the most feared. It is Freemasonry.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Woman Who Stole Vermeer” with Anthony Amore
Rose Dugdale was born into extreme wealth. She had an idyllic childhood in Devonshire, was presented to Elizabeth II at the court’s annual debutante ball and earned her PhD in economics from Oxford. She also joined the IRA, spearheaded the first aerial terrorist attack in British history and pulled off the biggest art theft of her time.
Find out more »Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “12 Seconds of Silence” with Jamie Holmes
They were an unlikely wartime team, an eccentric and eclectic band of American physicists, engineers, inventors and everyday Joes and Janes. They worked in a secretive organization known only as Section T. Their mission: to build something that would help the Allies knock enemy airplanes out of the air.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “George Washington, Entrepreneur” with John Berlau
Describe George Washington in three words. General. Statesman. Businessman. Wait--businessman? Just when you think you know everything there is to know about our first president, along comes a book like George Washington, Entrepreneur. While Washington was indeed a gifted general and a political pragmatist, he was also a patron of inventors, inveterate tinkerer and heavyweight thinker.
Find out more »2021 Annual Meeting of Membership
Because of COVID 19 and social distancing practices, the 2021 Annual Meeting of Membership will be held virtually on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 10:00. Members are asked to register to attend, and a Zoom link will be emailed to you. There is no cost to attend. Please click on the following links to get: Zoom Link to Annual Meeting 2020 Annual Meeting Minutes 2021 ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA BOD Handbook Bios 2021
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Citizen Reporters” with Stephanie Gorton
He was an Irish immigrant, who, despite bouts of mania, overthrew his impoverished upbringing and bent the New York media world to his will. She was his steadying hand, a notoriously fearless journalist who defied the gender expectations of her time. Meet S.S. McClure and Ida Tarbell. Together, with their reporters Ray Stannard Baker and Lincoln Steffens, they created one of the most influential magazines in American history: McClure’s.
Find out more »Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Apocalypse Factory” with Steve Olson
It began with plutonium. Or maybe it really began with fear—fear that the Germans would be the first to weaponize the atom. That’s the real reason, in a matter of months, the United States built the vast Hanford nuclear facility on the banks of the mighty Columbia River in eastern Washington State. There, far from prying eyes, they charged scientists like Glenn Seaborg and Enrico Fermi, with finding a way to create the substance at the core of the most destructive weapons ever developed: plutonium.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Enemy of All Mankind” with Steven Johnson
Henry Every was one of the 17th century’s most notorious pirates. The press published wildly popular—and wildly inaccurate—reports of his nefarious exploits. The British government offered enormous bounties for his capture, alive or (preferably) dead. Every and his crew pulled off one of the most lucrative crimes in history which triggered the first international manhunt and the trial of the century. But that’s not really their legacy.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Voyage of Mercy” with Stephen Puleo
More than 5,000 ships left Ireland during the great potato famine in the late 1840s, transporting the starving and the destitute away from their stricken homeland. The USS Jamestown was the first vessel to sail in the other direction. In March 1847, Captain Robert Bennet Forbes and his crew left Boston loaded with precious food to help the millions of Irish citizens unable to escape.
Find out more »March 2021
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Hunt for History” with Nathan Raab
On The Trails of the World's Lost Treasures--from the letters of Lincoln, Churchill, and Einstein to the Secret Recordings Onboard JFK's Air Force One
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Ghosts of Martha’s Vineyard” with Thomas Dresser
Thomas Dresser never saw a ghost or thought they existed—until he sat down to write this book. So what changed the local historian’s mind? Too many eerie tales that have stood the test of time.
Find out more »Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Romanov Sisters” with Helen Rappaport
Olga. Tatiana. Maria. Anastasia. The Russian Grand Duchesses were among the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early twentieth century. Yet, over the years, most only remember their tragic end in a basement at Ekaterinburg in 1918.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Ice at the End of the World”with Jon Gertner
Greenland. Population 56,000. Five times the size of California. It’s covered in an ice sheet 700 miles wide and 1,500 miles long. That’s nearly three quadrillion tons of bone-chilling ice. For the last 150 years, explorers and scientists have sought to understand this remote and mysterious island.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Indomitable Florence Finch” with Robert Mrazek
Florence Finch was an unlikely warrior. Her mother was Filipino; her father was an American serviceman. As World War II drew close to the Philippines, Florence fell in love with a dashing American naval intelligence agent, Charles “Bing” Smith, stationed in Manila. When Bing was killed in battle, the mild-mannered housewife became a fervent resistance fighter.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Eleanor and Hick” with Susan Quinn
They couldn't have been more different. Eleanor came from one of the nation’s most powerful political families; her marriage to her distant cousin Franklin Roosevelt took her straight to the White House. Lorena Hickok, known as Hick, grew up in rural South Dakota and worked as a servant girl after escaping from an abusive home. At different points, they were lovers, confidantes, professional advisors, and caring friends. Together, they played significant roles in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “On Account of Race” with Lawrence Goldstone
By the end of Reconstruction, more than 500,000 African Americans had registered to vote across the South. The vast majority were former slaves. By 1906, less than ten percent remained. Beginning in 1876, the Court systematically dismantled both the equal protection guarantees of the Fourteenth Amendment, at least for African Americans, and what seemed to be the guarantee of the right to vote in the Fifteenth.
Find out more »Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Chicago’s Great Fire” with Carl S. Smith
Almost 150 years ago, most of Chicago burned to the ground. The fire started in Catherine and Patrick O’Leary’s barn on October 8, 1871 and grew out of control quickly by jumping branches of the Chicago River twice on its relentless northeastward path through the city’s three divisions.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Sermons in Stone: The Stone Walls of New England” with Susan Allport
In 1871 there were 252,539 miles of stone walls in New England and New York―enough to circle the earth ten times. But what do we actually know about them? Who built them, and why?
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Men on Horseback” with David A. Bell
George Washington. Napoleon Bonaparte. Toussaint Louverture. Simon Bolivar. If the revolutionary world wanted to do without kings and queens, who would lead? Without divine right, what would give leaders their authority? Military valor? The consent of the people? Their own Godlike qualities? These four “men on horseback” all struggled with this question.
Find out more »April 2021
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Other Madisons” with Bettye Kearse
For thousands of years, West African griots (men) and griottes (women) have recited the stories of their people. Without this oral tradition, Bettye Kearse would never have known she is a descendant of President James Madison and his slave, and half-sister, Coreen.
Find out more »Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “How to Hide an Empire” with Daniel Immerwahr
This is the story of the United States outside the United Sates. It is the expansive tale of America’s global conquests, the actual territories this country has inhabited and governed to build an empire.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “A Game of Birds and Wolves” with Simon Parkin
Winston Churchill knew the outcome of the war rested on the battle for the Atlantic. What he didn’t know was his solution would evolve from a game.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Rome 1960: The Summer Olympics that Stirred the World” with David Maraniss
The 1960 Rome Olympics: 18 days of theater, suspense, victory and defeat. Some of the most honored athletes in Olympic history competed there: decathlete Rafer Johnson, sprinter Wilma Rudolph, Ethiopian marathoner Abebe Bikila, and Louisville boxer Cassius Clay, who at eighteen seized the world stage for the first time, four years before he became Muhammad Ali.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Eagles of Heart Mountain” with Bradford Pearson
In the spring of 1942, the United States government forced 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes in California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona and sent them to incarceration camps across the West. Nearly 14,000 landed behind barbed wire fences on the outskirts of Cody, Wyoming, at the base of Heart Mountain.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Daughters of Yalta” with Catherine Grace Katz
Three edgy superpowers. One tension-filled week. The Yalta Conference in February 1945 threatened to tear the wartime alliance among Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin apart—just when victory was close at hand. But there’s more to this story: three intelligent (and very glamorous) young women were also there: Anna Roosevelt, Sarah Churchill and Kathleen Harriman.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Shipwrecks of Cape Cod” with Don Wilding
The Castagna. The Francis. The Montclair. The Jason. The Portland. The Peruvian. The Onondaga. The Eldia. For centuries, the Outer Beach of Cape Cod has seen great shipwrecks and even greater rescues.
Find out more »Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »POSTPONED and RESCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS SEASON: VIRTUAL TALK: “The Last Days of John Lennon” with Casey Sherman
What happens when a bestselling novelist hooks up with a hard-hitting Boston-based true crime writing team? An explosive new book about the last days of a music legend: John Lennon. “We were the best bloody band there was,” the former Beatle said. “There was nobody to touch us.” Nobody except the nowhere man.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “No Man’s Land” with Wendy Moore
It took a global war and a pandemic to blaze this trail. A month after war broke out in 1914, doctors Flora Murray and Louisa Garrett Anderson set out for Paris. They opened a hospital in a luxury hotel and treated hundreds of casualties plucked from France's battlefields.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Hidden Valley Road” with Robert Kolker
Don and Mimi Galvin seemed to be living the American dream. The established script for a family like this was: work hard, set goals, move up, be happy. But there was another story behind the scenes: psychological breakdown, shocking violence, hidden abuse. By the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys were diagnosed as schizophrenic. How could all this happen to one family?
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Second Most Powerful Man in the World” with Phillips Payson O’Brien
The second most powerful man in the world was Admiral William D. Leahy. Aside from FDR, no American did more to shape World War II. Not Douglas MacArthur. Not Dwight Eisenhower. Not even the legendary George Marshall.
Find out more »FREE VIRTUAL TALK: “The Witches: Salem 1692” with Stacy Schiff
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the national bestseller "Cleopatra" unpacks the mystery of the Salem Witch Trials.
Find out more »May 2021
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Karen Rinaldo: MAY 1st Session SOLD OUT!
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Hitler’s First 100 Days” with Peter Fritzsche
When Germans Embraced the Third Reich
This is the chilling story of the beginning of the end. In the early 1930s, Germans were ravaged by the economic depression and pulled to political extremes both left and right. Then, in the spring of 1933, the country turned itself inside out. The deeply divided fractured republic gave way to a one-party dictatorship. The rise of Hitler.
VIRTUAL TALK: “Jefferson’s Daughters” with Catherine Kerrison
Three Sisters, White and Black, in a Young America
Thomas Jefferson had three daughters. The similarities end there. Two were white and free; one was black and enslaved.
VIRTUAL TALK: “Agent Jack” with Robert Hutton
The True Story of MI5's Secret Nazi Hunter
Eric Roberts was a balding, seemingly inconsequential bank clerk from Cornwall, England. But, he had a winning smile and an uncanny ability to make people trust him. He also had an extraordinary amount of nerve—something you needed when you were a British spy. His code name was Agent Jack. Posing as Jack King, he helped uncover and neutralize the threat of fascism on British shores during WWII—which wasn’t as invisible as people thought at the time.
Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »“The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Karen Rinaldo
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “War Fever” with Randy Roberts
Boston 1918. The deadly Spanish flu spread. The streets emptied. The war raged on. The enemy seemed to be lurking everywhere: prowling in submarines off the coast of Cape Cod, arriving on passenger ships in the harbor. Anyone who looked or sounded German was suspect. A fever gripped the city and wouldn’t let go.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “In the Cauldron” with Lew Paper
Terror, Tension, and the American Ambassador's Struggle to Avoid Pearl Harbor
In the second half of 1941, America was tightening its noose around Japan’s neck. President Roosevelt’s economic sanctions were crippling the country, but its leaders refused to yield to American demands. Roosevelt thought it was just a matter of time. Joseph Grew, America’s ambassador to Japan, knew time had nothing to do with it.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Cross of Snow: The Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow” with Nicholas Basbanes
This is the first major literary biography of America’s most beloved nineteenth century poet in more than 50 years. It’s time to remember the life, the times, the works--the soul--of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Barbizon” with Paulina Bren
The Hotel That Set Women Free
Sure, Manhattan’s got the Plaza, the Algonquin and the Waldorf Astoria. But young women with a suitcase and a dream checked into The Barbizon. The iconic hotel was built on 140 East 63rd Street in Manhattan in 1927 at the height of the Roaring Twenties. It was intended to be a haven for “modern women” seeking careers in the arts. It became a magnet for ambitious young women who wanted adventure, independence and big-city careers. Not to mention fame and fortune, too.
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Karen Rinaldo: THIS DATE IS SOLD OUT!
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »Museum Monday at the Museums on the Green
Visit us May 17 FREE! View our exhibits and the new Wick's Gallery, see what's blooming in the gardens and stop by the Whaling Wives Gift Shop.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Goering’s Man in Paris” with Jonathan Petropoulos
Bruno Lohse was a charismatic art dealer in Berlin. He was also an SS officer and one of the most notorious art plunderers in history. Hermann Göring appointed him to Hitler’s art looting agency in Paris. There, he helped supervise the systematic theft and distribution of more than 30,000 artworks, taken largely from French Jews. He also helped the Nazi leader amass an invaluable private collection of plundered works—and apparently helped himself to some pieces he admired, too.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Olive the Lionheart” with Brad Ricca
In 1910, Olive MacLeod received word that her fiancé, the famous naturalist Boyd Alexander, was missing in Africa. So, she did what any Scottish aristocrat in the early twentieth century would do. She went to find him.
Find out more »Historical Walking Tour of Falmouth
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS OF FALMOUTH WINTER/SPRING 2021 The Museums on the Green is offering historical walking tours of Falmouth now through May on the first and third Friday of every month. The tour will take off–weather permitting–at 10:00 am. Please be at the Hallett Barn Visitor Center by 9:45. Reservations are not required but are requested. Call 508.548.4857 ext. 14 or email [email protected]. Adult admission $5. TOUR DATES January 1, 2021 January 15, 2021 February 5, 2021 February 19, 2021…
Find out more »“The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Karen Rinaldo: THIS DATE IS SOLD OUT!
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Without Precedent” with Joel Richard Paul
He was born in Virginia in 1755. Although the rough-cut frontiersman had little formal education, he became one of the nation’s preeminent lawyers and politicians. Meet John Marshall. He was at the center of every political battle—from the nation’s founding in 1776 for the next 40 years.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Becoming Dr. Seuss” with Brian Jay Jones
The definitive, fascinating, all-reaching biography of Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss made our childhood’s whimsical and wonderful, magical and musical. A green Grinch who stole Christmas, a mischievous cat with a funny striped hat, and an elephant on a mission to rescue a tiny village of Whos. What would he dream up next?
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Ravenmaster” with Christopher Skaife
It is said that if the Tower of London’s ravens should ever leave, the Crown will fall and Britain with it. That puts more than a little pressure on the Ravenmaster which, surprisingly, is a serious title indeed. Get a behind-the-scenes account of life with the legendary ravens at the world’s eeriest monument.
Find out more »“The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Karen Rinaldo: THIS DATE IS SOLD OUT!
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »June 2021
VIRTUAL TALK: “Faster” with Neil Bascomb
How a Jewish Drive, an American Heiress and a Legendary Car Beat Hitler's Best
As Nazi Germany pushed the world toward war in 1938, there was another race in progress. The Grand Prix in Pau, France. Adolf Hitler wanted to reign supreme there, too. His elite racing team had millions upon millions in resources and driver Rudi Caraccioloa, whose killer instincts had put him at the top of the racing world. Now meet the underdogs...
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Doctors Blackwell” with Janice Nimura
In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell did the impossible. She became the first woman in America to receive an M.D. Her younger sister also did the impossible. In fact, Emily was the more brilliant physician.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TRIVIA NIGHT with the CAPE COD TRIVIA BROTHERS
Join us for the Museums’ first-ever virtual trivia night. Now, we know what you’re thinking. The trivia questions are NOT just about history. We’re switching things up and mixing in music, movies, literature sports, current events—you name it! This is a multi-topic, multi-generational game. You can play it alone or build a team to help you score points. The top winners will receive prizes--and bragging rights!
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Stolen” with Richard Bell
Imagine this: a Reverse Underground Railroad. A black market network of human traffickers and slave traders who stole thousands of legally free African Americans from their families in order to fuel slavery’s rapid expansion in the Antebellum South. It happened in Philadelphia.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Winter Army: The 10th Mountain Division in World War II” with Maurice Isserman
World War II. The German Wehrmacht had many well-trained and battle-hardened mountain divisions. At the start of the war, the US Army had none. So they did what Americans do: they started from scratch. They turned a wild idea into a reality and created a unique military fighting force, the 10th Mountain Division.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Mayflower” with Nathaniel Philbrick
MAYFLOWER A Story of Courage, Community, and War A 2007 Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History The story of the Plymouth Colony began in peril and ended in war. When the Mayflower’s religious refugees arrived in Plymouth Harbor, the Native Americans were facing their own crisis. Diseases spread by European fisherman were killing them. In the beginning, the Wampanoag’s charismatic and calculating chief, Massasoit, and the Pilgrim’s pugnacious military officer, Miles Standish, maintained a fragile working relationship between the…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “In Search of a Kingdom” with Laurence Bergreen
The Spaniards called him “El Draque.” The dragon. The red-haired, hot-tempered Englishman was one of the most successful pirates ever to sail, making fortunes pillaging galleons laden with New World silver and gold. He was also the most wanted. King Philip II of Spain offered a reward of 20,000 ducats for his capture or death. (That’s about $8 million today.)
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “How Baseball Happened” with Thomas Gilbert
Baseball history is straight out of left field. You may have heard that Abner Doubleday or Alexander Cartwright invented the game. Neither did. You may think that a club called the Knickerbockers played the first game in 1846. They didn’t. And, for the record, baseball wasn’t born in Cooperstown, Hoboken or New York City, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings weren’t the first professional club, and Jackie Robinson wasn’t the first to cross baseball’s color line.
Find out more »FREE VIRTUAL TALK: “A Brief History of Whaling in the United States” with Michael Pregot
The whaling industry drove the early American economy. By the early 1800s, it was one of the most profitable enterprises in the United States, second only to textiles. Whale products were so valuable that people made fortunes. They also lost fortunes. Some lost their lives. While a life at sea seems like a great venture for some and adventure for others, whaling expeditions were dangerous. The competition was fierce. The elements were harsh. The journeys were long. The outcome of each voyage was unknown.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Breaking Ice & Breaking Glass” with Sandra Stosz
Before retiring, she made The Daily Beast’s list of “150 Women Who Shake the World.” She is Admiral Sandy Stosz, USCG (ret). And she is a woman of “firsts” The first women to command an icebreaker on the Great Lakes, the first woman to lead a US Armed Forces service academy, and the first woman assigned as deputy commandant for mission support, directing one of the Coast Guard's largest enterprises. Now, the woman who has commanded two ships and led large Coast Guard organizations during times of crisis and complexity has written her first book
Find out more »July 2021
SPECIAL RAFFLE: Win a Luxurious Two-Night Stay at the Palmer House
"Pampered at the Palmer House" Raffle You've passed this Victorian beauty dozens--if not hundreds--of times. Now, you have the chance to experience the unforgettable hospitality of the Palmer House Inn for yourself. Picture this. You'll spend two heavenly nights in a romantic king-sized room at this chic boutique inn. Throughout your stay, the Inn's culinary wizards will spoil you with afternoon goodies, homemade breakfasts and gourmet blended coffee. No detail is overlooked here. The Palmer House proves that the perfect…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Boston’s Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them” with Joseph Bagley
Great armchair tour: Boston’s fifty oldest buildings. Great tour guide. Joseph Bagley is the city archaeologist of Boston, a historic preservationist and a staff member of the Boston Landmarks Commission.
Find out more »On Campus Event: Independence Day at the Museums
Join us as we celebrate America's 245th birthday! Local personalities will read excerpts from the letters of Massachusetts’ own Abigail and John Adams expressing their desires and concerns about achieving liberty, deliberations by the Second Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence that Congress adopted on July 4, when Americans now celebrate Independence Day.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Kidnapping Club” with Jonathan Daniel Wells
We're heading east to Gotham. Home of the “The New York Kidnapping Club.” Although slavery had been outlawed in here by the 1830s, this powerful network of judges, lawyers and police officers circumvented anti-slavery laws and sanctioned the kidnapping of free and fugitive African Americans.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “John Marshall: The Final Founder” with Robert Strauss
At the turn of the 19th century, John Marshall became the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. At the time, the Supreme Court met in the basement of the new Capitol building in Washington—which is just about what the executive and legislative branches thought of the judiciary. Marshall changed all that.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “North by Shakespeare” with Michael Blanding
The case: Find the true origins of William Shakespeare’s work. The sleuth: contemporary renegade scholar Dennis McCarthy. The suspect: Sir Thomas North, an Elizabethan courtier. Using plagiarism software, McCarthy has found direct links between North’s published and unpublished writings and Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and other Shakespeare’s plays. What’s more, Shakespeare’s plotlines seem lifted straight from North’s colorful life.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “South to Freedom” with Alice Baumgartner
Not everyone knows the Underground Railroad ran in two directions. While the North was salvation for many US slaves before the Civil War, thousands of people went south. Mexico had abolished slavery in 1837, making it the Promised Land for thousands.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Terror to the Wicked” with Tobey Pearl
The year: 1638. The setting: Providence, near Plymouth Colony. The crime: A runaway indentured servant brutally stabs and robs a young Nipmuc tribesman returning home from trading beaver pelts. With his last breath, the victim reveals the details of the attack to Providence’s governor, Roger Williams. An all-out manhunt, dramatic capture and tension-filled murder trial follows. It is the first trial the two-year-old Plymouth Colony has faced.
Find out more »HYBRID TALK: “They Call Me Pathfinder” with Mark Epstein
Mark Epstein’s father started calling him “Pathfinder” when he was 10 years old. The unusual nickname came from the Pathfinder sleeping bags he sold in his Charlie’s Surplus sporting goods store in Worcester. It took Mark a while to grow into the moniker. As a kid, he had dreams of playing basketball, but his lack of motivation sidelined him. Later, a divorce sent him south to Charleston, SC without a plan. While struggling to put his life back together, he found his path as an educator, school counselor, basketball coach and advocate for equality.
Find out more »August 2021
VIRTUAL TALK: “Madhouse at the End of the Earth” with Julian Sancton
In 1897, the young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail on a three-year expedition to the icy continent of Antarctica, the unchartered end of the earth. After a series of costly setbacks, he had two options: turn back in defeat or sail deeper into the freezing waters toward glory—the first expedition to reach the magnetic South Pole. De Gerlache chose glory.
Find out more »August Adventures: Free Admission to the Museums on the Green
On Campus Event: August Adventure Day Saturday, August 7, 10 am-2 pm Free Campus Admission, Free Walking Tour! During the month of August 2021, the Highland Street Foundation is partnering with special Massachusetts cultural institutions to provide one free activity each day for 31 days--and the Museums on the Green is the August 7 stop! Our 10 am historical walk will be free for all. Just arrive at the Hallett Barn at 9:45. Visitors will also be able to tour…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Gun, The Ship and the Pen” with Linda Colley
The United States Constitution was written in 1787. The first three words are “we the people.” But we are not the first or the only people to create a written governing document.
Find out more »VIRTUAL EVENT: Katharine Lee Bates Poetry Contest
KATHARINE LEE BATES POETRY CONTEST READINGS Join our second Virtual Poetry Fest! Once again, we will celebrate everyone--six year olds to seniors-- who submitted original, unpublished poems. Many of the poets will read their own works; family members and friends will read others. This annual event is free and open to all. It was established over two decades ago to celebrate literacy, originality and creativity and to remember the Falmouth-born poet who wrote, among many other works, “America the Beautiful.”…
Find out more »CHILDREN’S EVENT: Teddy Bear Picnic—Build Your Own Bear! SOLD OUT!!
Annual Teddy Bear Picnic: A Make and Take Affair Cost Per Bear Kit $15 Our in-person event is back! Make a bear with your children or grandchildren and take it home for more fun. Each "Bear Kit" ($15) comes with a bear, stuffing, t-shirt, birth certificate, and other bear-y cool things. This is the Museums' most popular children's event, so reservations are required and quantities are limited. Many thanks to The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod for sponsoring this event.…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Holly” with Julian Rubenstein
It was the last evening of summer in 2013. Five shots rang out in the Holly, a part of northeast Denver. African American families fleeing the Jim Crow South had settled in this area, which, over time, become the “invisible city” within a historically white metropolis. Shootings weren’t uncommon in the Holly. But the identity of the shooter that night came as a total shock.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Free World” with Louis Menand
Pulitzer Prize Winning Scholar and Critic Louis Menand show us that the Cold War was not just a contest of power. It was a contest of ideas: economic, political, artistic and personal that shaped American culture.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Victory for the Vote” with Doris Weatherford:
The Fight for Women's Suffrage and the Century that Followed
Nancy Pelosi’s forward to Victory for the Vote reminds us “that the trailblazing suffragists did not wait for change, they worked for change!” And work they did!
VIRTUAL TALK: “Valcour: The 1776 Campaign that Saved the Cause of Liberty” with Jack Kelly
Remember when America’s scrappy navy took on the full might of Britain’s sea power? Probably not. It was the least known campaign of the Revolutionary War. It was also one of the most crucial.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Last Mona Lisa” with Jonathan Santlofer
In August of 1911, Vincent Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Exactly what happened in the two years before its recovery is a mystery. Many replicas of the famous painting exist, and more than one historian has wondered if the one returned to the Louvre is a fake. Now, present-day art professor Luke Perrone digs for the truth behind his most famous ancestor—you guessed it--Peruggia.
Find out more »September 2021
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Love Proof” with Madeleine Henry
The New York Times named it a New and Noteworthy book. Critics are calling it “smart, sexy and scientific” “whip-smart and undeniably unique” and “worth every minute spent reading it.”
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Tecumseh and The Prophet” with Peter Cozzens
When settlers spilled across the Appalachians to exploit lands won from the British in the War of Independence, they disregarded on thing: the rightful owners of the land. This is the untold story of the two Shawnee brothers who retaliated against the threat.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line” with Mari K. Eder
Gena Turgel was a prisoner who worked in the hospital at Bergen-Belsen. There, she cared for the young Anne Frank who was dying of typhus. Sisters Ida and Louis Cook sponsored refugees, helped smuggle their jewelry, furs and other valuables out of occupied territories and established temporary housing for immigrant families in London. The list goes on: a world tennis champ who became a spy, a Polish immigrant who worked for the OSS, a Jewish refugee who became a partisan to fight the Nazis. These are the girls who stepped out of line, the women who served, fought, struggled and made things happen—in and out of uniform during World War II.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Fears of a Setting Sun” with Dennis Rasmussen
Fill in the blank. By the end of their lives, most of our founding fathers—including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson—felt that America’s constitutional experiment was __________________. The correct answer: utter failure. In fact, these visionaries didn’t think the republican government they built would last beyond their own generation.
Find out more »Heritage Award Event
Falmouth Historical Society 21st Annual Heritage Award: Women of Achievement Honoring Penelope Duby, Margaret Gifford, Barbara Kanellopoulos, Sharon Nunes & Pamela Rothstein The Falmouth Historical Society established this award in 2000 to mark its 100th anniversary and to recognize individuals or organizations who have provided outstanding leadership and made significant contributions to the Falmouth community. We selected and announced these recipients in early 2020. However, due to the pandemic, we had to postpone our plans for a celebratory gathering until…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Lost Founding Father: John Quincy Adams” with William J. Cooper
He was overshadowed by his brilliant father, humiliated in office after the contested election of 1824, viciously assailed by populist opponents for being slippery and effete, and then resoundingly defeated by the western war hero Andrew Jackson in the 1828 election which ushered in an era of unparalleled expansion. John Quincy Adams has never basked in the historical spotlight—until now.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Ponzi Scheme” with David Kruh
Charles Ponzi, circa 1920 (Wikipedia) THE PONZI SCHEME A Slide Show and Talk Long before Bernie Madoff made off with about $64.8 billion in other people’s money, there was a guy named Ponzi. Charles Ponzi. Carlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi (1882-1949) was born and raised in Italy. He arrived in Boston aboard the S.S. Vancouver in 1903 with a few dollars and change in his pocket. Years later, he told the New York Times, “I landed in this country…
Find out more »October 2021
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Invention of Miracles” with Katie Booth and Brian Greenwald
What if your greatest invention overshadowed your life’s mission? What if your life’s work, though well-intentioned, harmed those you wanted to help most? Alexander Graham Bell’s mother was deaf; his wife, Mabel Hubbard, was, too. His goal in life was to teach deaf students to speak. In fact, he championed “oralism” and went to considerable lengths to stamp out American Sign Language altogether. His greatest invention, the telephone, was the surprising outcome of his effort to create a speech reading machine. The Invention of Miracles looks at this genius in an entirely different way.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Kennedy’s Avenger” with David Fisher
No crime in history had more eyewitnesses. It was November 24, 1963, two days after President Kennedy was shot. Jack Ruby, a troubled nightclub owner, slipped quietly into the Dallas police station and assassinated the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Mercury Rising” with Jeff Shesol
It was a perilous time, the height of the Cold War. The Soviets built the wall in Berlin and were testing the most destructive bombs in nuclear history. They were also beating the United States to every major milestone in space. It the United States couldn’t compete in the race to the heavens, how could it compete with the Soviets on Earth?
Find out more »IN PERSON TALK: “Drunk” with Edward Slingerland (To be Held at Cape Cod Winery, East Falmouth, MA)
Now here’s a book worth toasting: Drunk. Join us for an afternoon at Cape Cod Winery for an entertaining and enlightening deep dive into humanity’s oldest indulgence: drinking.
Find out more »On Campus Presentation: “The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Karen Rinaldo
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Ground Breaking” with Scott Ellsworth
And then they were gone. More than one-thousand homes and businesses. Restaurants, movie theaters, churches, doctors’ offices, a hospital, a public library, a post office. Looted, burned, and bombed from the air. In the spring of 1921, Tulsa’s infamous “Black Wall Street” was wiped off the map—and erased from the history books—in less than twenty-four hours.
Find out more »On Campus Presentation: “The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Artist Karen Rinaldo
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »Cancelled Due to Weather: “The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Artist Karen Rinaldo
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »November 2021
FREE VIRTUAL TALK: “Red Comet” with Heather Clark
This highly anticipated biography of Sylvia Plath was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography. Writer Glennon Doyle called it “one of the most beautiful biographies I have ever read.” Laura Freeman of The Times (London) said, “I would not have wished it shorter.”
Find out more »On-Campus Presentation: “The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Artist Karen Rinaldo
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »SOLD OUT! On Campus Presentation: “The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Artist Karen Rinaldo
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »RESCHEDULED: “Grave Undertakings: The Old Burying Ground Walking Tour”
Explore Falmouth’s earliest and most mysterious burial ground on our new 45-minute guided walking tour. Hear the forgotten stories of the town’s first settlers, discover the final resting places of many Revolutionary War soldiers, and view the headstones of the unfortunate who were lost at sea, killed by a whale, struck by lightning, or fell off a wharf and drowned. You guide will also reveal the symbolic—and sometimes bizarre—meanings behind the epitaphs and engravings within.
Find out more »FREE VIRTUAL TALK: “Thanksgiving Traditions in Boston” with Anthony Sammarco
Thanksgiving has been celebrated nationally on and off since 1789. While Governors of Massachusetts had proclaimed a local holiday of Thanksgiving, Sarah, J. Hale, the editor of Goey’s Lady’s Book, promoted a National Day of Thanksgiving.
Find out more »On-Campus Presentation: “The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Artist Karen Rinaldo
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »On-Campus Presentation: “The First Thanksgiving-1621” with Artist Karen Rinaldo
“The First Thanksgiving-1621” by Karen Rinaldo is the inaugural exhibit in the new gallery at the Dr. Francis Wicks House. Since the painting will be returned to its owner in Wisconsin later this year, this is a rare opportunity to view the work and meet the artist at the same time.
Find out more »FREE HYBRID EVENT: “Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy” with Nathaniel Philbrick
When George Washington became president in 1789, the United States of America was still a loose and quarrelsome confederation and a tentative political experiment. Washington undertook a tour of the ex-colonies to talk to ordinary citizens about his new government, and to imbue in them the idea of being one thing--Americans. In the fall of 2018, Nathaniel Philbrick embarked on his own journey into what Washington called "the infant woody country" to see for himself what America had become in the 229 years since.
Find out more »FREE VIRTUAL TALK: “On Corruption in America” with Sarah Chayes
Author Sarah Chayes thinks the United States resembles some of the most corrupt countries in the world. She says that corruption is an operating system of sophisticated networks in which government officials, key private-sector interests, and out-and-out criminals interweave. Their main objective: not to serve the public but to maximize returns for network members.
Find out more »December 2021
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Howe Dynasty” with Julie Flavell
In December 1774, Benjamin Franklin met Caroline Howe in a London drawing room for “half a dozen Games of Chess.” These meetings weren’t about board games. That was the cover story. Caroline’s brothers—British General Sir William Howe and Richard Admiral Lord Howe—were there. They were all part of a last-ditch attempt to forestall the outbreak of the American War of Independence.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Quiet Zone” with Stephen Kurczy
The last truly quiet town in America lies deep in the Appalachian Mountains: Green Bank, West Virginia. While astronomers at the Green Bank Observatory use the latest technology to search the depths of the universe, residents live device-free. No WiFi. No iPads. There is a ban on anything emanating radio frequencies that might interfere with the Observatory’s telescope.
Find out more »IN-PERSON-ONLY EVENT: “I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye” with Ivan Maisel
Longtime ESPN writer Ivan Maisel never thought he’d write a story like this. In February 2015, he received a call that would change his life forever: his son’s car had been found abandoned in a parking lot next to Lake Ontario. Two months later, Max's body was found in the lake.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream” with Dean Jobb
His weapon of choice was poison. His victims were mostly women. In the span of 15 years, he murdered as many as ten people in the United States, Britain, and Canada, a death toll with almost no precedent in the late nineteen century. He was as brazen as Jack the Ripper. In fact, many people claimed he was the notorious serial killer. In truth, he was Thomas Neill Cream. Dr. Thomas Neill Cream.
Find out more »January 2022
Free In-Person Event: “Martha’s Vineyard in the American Revolution” with Thomas Dresser
In 1778, two key events--one involving three young women and the second involving an armada of forty naval ships—convinced Vineyard Patriots to fight against British incursions on the Island and, more broadly, on American soil. Local author Thomas Dresser reveals the unheralded contributions of islanders to the fight for freedom.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “America and Iran: A History” with John Ghazvinian
This complex story begins in the eighteenth century. America’s Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams had great respect for the Persian Empire. In turn, Iranians saw America as an ideal to emulate for their own government. So, how did two countries that once had such heartfelt admiration for each other became such committed enemies?
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Surprising Stephen A. Douglas” with Reg Ankrom
They called him the Little Giant. But Illinois’ Stephen A. Douglas packed a lot of power and persuasion into his five-foot-four-inch frame. He was a U.S. senator, leader of the Democratic Party and one of two Democratic Party nominees for president in the 1860 election. The debates he held with Abraham Lincoln are some of the most famous in American history. Well, we all know how that election turned out. But Douglas never belonged where the history books put him: in Lincoln’s shadow.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “An Atlas of Extinct Countries” with Gideon Defoe
Countries die. Sometimes it’s murder, sometimes it’s by accident, and sometimes it’s because they were so ludicrous, they didn’t deserve to exist in the first place. Occasionally they explode violently. A few slip away almost unnoticed. Often the cause of death is either “got too greedy” or “Napoleon turned up.” Now and then they just hold a referendum and vote themselves out of existence.
Find out more »CANCELLED-VIRTUAL TALK: “All the Frequent Trouble of Our Days” with Rebecca Donner
In 1932, Mildred Harnick began holding secret meetings in her apartment. Together, this small band of political activists wrote leaflets that denounced Hitler and called for revolution. Under the cover of night, they slipped the leaflets into mailboxes, public restrooms, and phone booths around Berlin. Mildred also began helping Jews escape, plotting acts of sabotage, and recruiting more and more working class Germans to the cause. By 1940, hers was the largest underground resistance group in Berlin.
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “The Confidence Men” with Margalit Fox
A lawyer. A mechanic. A Ouija board. One of the greatest cons ever. But Harry Jones and Cedric Hill weren’t your typical Confidence Men. They were British officers imprisoned in a remote Turkish POW camp during World War I.
Find out more »February 2022
VIRTUAL TALK: “The Nine” with Gwen Strauss
The Nine follows the true story of the author’s great aunt Hélène Podliasky, who led a band of nine female resistance fighters as they escaped a German forced labor camp and made a ten-day journey across the front lines of WWII from Germany back to Paris. The nine women were all under thirty when they joined the resistance. They smuggled arms through Europe, harbored parachuting agents, coordinated communications between regional sectors, trekked escape routes to Spain and hid Jewish children in…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Stampede” with Brian Castner
In 1897, the United States was mired in the worst economic depression that the country had yet endured. So when all the newspapers announced gold was to be found in wildly enriching quantities at the Klondike River region of the Yukon, a mob of economically desperate Americans swarmed north. Within weeks tens of thousands of them were embarking from western ports to throw themselves at some of the harshest terrain on the planet--in winter yet--woefully unprepared, with no experience at…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “A Shot in the Moonlight” with Ben Montgomery
After moonrise on the cold night of January 21, 1897, a mob of twenty-five white men gathered in a patch of woods near Big Road in southwestern Simpson County, Kentucky. Half carried rifles and shotguns, and a few tucked pistols in their pants. Their target was George Dinning, a freed slave who'd farmed peacefully in the area for 14 years, and who had been wrongfully accused of stealing livestock from a neighboring farm. When the mob began firing through the…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Dress Codes” with Richard Thompson Ford
Dress codes are as old as clothing itself. For centuries, clothing has been a wearable status symbol; fashion, a weapon in struggles for social change; and dress codes, a way to maintain political control. Merchants dressing like princes and butchers’ wives wearing gem-encrusted crowns were public enemies in medieval societies structured by social hierarchy and defined by spectacle. In Tudor England, silk, velvet, and fur were reserved for the nobility, and ballooning pants called “trunk hose” could be considered a…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Veritas” with Ariel Sabar
In 2012, Dr. Karen King, a star religion professor at Harvard, announced a breathtaking discovery just steps from the Vatican: she'd found an ancient scrap of papyrus in which Jesus calls Mary Magdalene "my wife." The mysterious manuscript, which King provocatively titled "The Gospel of Jesus's Wife," had the power to topple the Roman Catholic Church. It threatened not just the all-male priesthood, but centuries of sacred teachings on marriage, sex, and women's leadership, much of it premised on the…
Find out more »March 2022
CANCELLED!!!IN PERSON TALK: “A History of America in Ten Strikes” with Erik Loomis
A History of America in Ten Strikes―published in the wake of the teachers' strike that swept the country in 2018―challenges all of our contemporary assumptions around labor, unions, and American workers. Labor historian Erik Loomis recounts ten critical workers' strikes in American labor history in "chapters are self-contained enough to be used on their own in union trainings or reading groups" (Labor Notes), and adds an appendix detailing the 150 most important strikes in American history. These labor uprisings do…
Find out more »In Person Talk: “Nobska” with Ben Carnavale
Locals and tourists alike pass Nobska Lighthouse in Woods Hole on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, every day. We take comfort in Nobska's beauty and powerful fourth-order beam. Folks on Martha's Vineyard and parts of the Elizabeth Islands also enjoy Nobska as do mariners out at sea but from different perspectives and for different reasons. We take a close look inside Nobska with photos and text to reveal the history from one of America's most beloved lighthouse-Nobska CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Our Team” with Luke Epplin
In July 1947, not even three months after Jackie Robinson debuted on the Brooklyn Dodgers, snapping the color line that had segregated Major League Baseball, Larry Doby would follow in his footsteps on the Cleveland Indians. Though Doby, as the second Black player in the majors, would struggle during his first summer in Cleveland, his subsequent turnaround in 1948 from benchwarmer to superstar sparked one of the wildest and most meaningful seasons in baseball history. In intimate, absorbing detail, Luke…
Find out more »VIRTUAL TALK: “Blood and Treasure” with Tom Clavin
The explosive true saga of the legendary figure Daniel Boone and the bloody struggle for America's frontier It is the mid-eighteenth century, and in the 13 colonies founded by Great Britain, anxious colonists desperate to conquer and settle North America’s “First Frontier” beyond the Appalachian Mountains commence a series of bloody battles. These violent conflicts are waged against the Native American tribes whose lands they covet, the French, and finally against the mother country itself in an American Revolution destined…
Find out more »IN PERSON TALK: “Red Line” with Joby Warrick
From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Black Flags, the thrilling unknown story of America’s mission in Syria: to find and destroy Syria’s chemical weapons and keep them out of the hands of the Islamic State In August 2012, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was clinging to power in a vicious civil war. When secret intelligence revealed that the dictator might resort to using chemical weapons, President Obama warned that doing so would cross “a red line.” Assad did it anyway, bombing the Damascus…
Find out more »April 2022
Virtual Talk: “The Fabric of Civilization” with Virginia Postel
The story of humanity is the story of textiles -- as old as civilization itself. Since the first thread was spun, the need for textiles has driven technology, business, politics, and culture. In The Fabric of Civilization, Virginia Postrel synthesizes groundbreaking research from archaeology, economics, and science to reveal a surprising history. From Minoans exporting wool colored with precious purple dye to Egypt, to Romans arrayed in costly Chinese silk, the cloth trade paved the crossroads of the ancient world.…
Find out more »Special Event-Patriots, Pirates and a Poet: A Family Friendly Walking Tour
Learn about the little girl who was known for croaking in singing class, who wrote the most famous song in America. Who was on the mid-night ride, when he wasn't casting bells? Find out how local children made their own footballs. Were pirates legal during the Revolutionary War? Can you imagine a trading ship rolling by your house on the street where you live? If you think school is tough, think about working as a blacksmith assistant or scullery maid…
Find out more »IN PERSON TALK: “Allegiance” with Tamsen Evans George
He was intimately involved in all the strategy and planning to bring liberty to this new republic. Born in Boston, his adventures as a doctor took him from apprentice o Dr. Joseph Warren, to siege lines in Cambridge and Bunker Hill, then as surgeon in the Continental Army in the Hudson Highland with General George Washington. At West Point, hew was in the room when Benedict Arnold's treachery was discovered. He became a congressman in Washington during its firs days…
Find out more »Volunteer Recruitment Event at Museums on the Green
The international nonprofit, Points of Light, recognizes the week of April 17th as National Volunteer week. So we want to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers for your ongoing support, and to extend a special invitation to you to attend our Thursday, April 21st Volunteer Recruitment event. This is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with other committed MOG volunteers and to meet the strangers who will become our new, friendly volunteers. REGISTER HERE
Find out more »IN PERSON TALK: ‘Sea Captains of Cape Cod” with Dr. Michael Pregot
Whether you call Cape Cod a man-made island or describe it as a geographic peninsula connected to the mainland by bridges, there is one non-debatable fact. Cape Cod is surrounded by water on all four sides, jutting out prominently into the Atlantic Ocean. This characteristic accounts in large measure for its history, its economic development, its aesthetic beauty, and its maritime legacy. This narrative explores the connection that each Cape Cod town has to the sea as demonstrated through its…
Find out more »May 2022
IN PERSON TALK: “Coffeeland” with Augustine Sedgewick
The epic story of how coffee connected and divided the modern world Coffee is an indispensable part of daily life for billions of people around the world. But few coffee drinkers know this story. It centers on the volcanic highlands of El Salvador, where James Hill, born in the slums of Manchester, England, founded one of the world’s great coffee dynasties at the turn of the twentieth century. Adapting the innovations of the Industrial Revolution to plantation agriculture, Hill…
Find out more »Museums on the Green Member + 1 Guest Appreciation Party
Come mingle with old friends and make some new ones. The 2022 Season is filled with new and exciting exhibits!!! REGISTER HERE
Find out more »July 2022
Declaration of Independence / Frederick Douglass Reading
It was on July 2, 1776 that the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain. Two days later on July 4, Congress approved Jefferson's document that laid out the reasons for their decision. On the anniversary of the official vote to establish a new nation, please join us for our annual reading of the Declaration of Independence. This will be followed by a reading of excerpts from Frederick Douglass's speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of…
Find out more »Grave Undertakings: A Walk through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in town ended up here eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. Avoid the congestion of the street fair by parking at 157 Locust St. (300 Committee offices). When the walk is over around 11:30, you'll still have time to explore the fair! Pre-registration required. Museum Members $ 5 Non-Members $ 10 REGISTER HERE
Find out more »Grave Undertakings: A Walk through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in town ended up here eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. Saturday, July 16, 10 am Pre-registration required Walk starts at Cemetery Lane Park in lot at 157 Locust St. (300 Committee offices) Museum Members $ 5 Non-Members $ 10 REGISTER HERE
Find out more »Antique Sale: Donations Being Accepted
Too Much Stuff? Donate it to Museums on the Green Antique Sale Due to staffing issues, we will not be accepting donations on July 23, but please bring your items on July 30, to the Hallett Barn, 55 Palmer Ave., between 10-2. We will gratefully accept items in good condition, such as small furniture, jewelry, pottery, vintage kitchen items, linens, rugs, and toys.
Find out more »Sea Shanty: A Maritime Musical Event
The Sea Shanty Musical Event is a family event celebrating our Maritime History in Falmouth. It will include maritime storytelling; an hour of Sea Shanty music by the local trio Rum Soaked Crooks; and maritime games and activities for kids. Guests may enjoy a picnic supper on the lawn, with a variety of choices available to purchase from The Filling Station Food Truck, menu by Andrew Swain. Tickets are $15 for Adult Members; $20 for Adult Non-Members and $5 for…
Find out more »August 2022
Grave Undertakings: A Walk Through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
Every Wednesday in August (August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31) from 10 am - 11:30 am From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in town ended up here eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. Park at 157 Locust St. (300 Committee offices). Pre-registration is required. The tour guide cannot take payment. Museum Members $ 5 Non-Members $ 10 REGISTER HERE
Find out more »Teddy Bear Picnic
Annual Teddy Bear Picnic: A Make and Take Affair The Teddy Bear Picnic is almost here! Make a bear with your children or grandchildren and take it home for more fun. Each “Bear Kit” ($15) comes with a bear, stuffing, t-shirt, birth certificate, and other bear-y cool things. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Adults are not charged for admission. This is the Museums’ most popular children’s event, so reservations are required and quantities are limited. Many thanks to…
Find out more »Katharine Lee Bates Poetry Fest
August 12, 2022, is the 163rd birthday of Falmouth’s famous poet, Katharine Lee Bates, author of the patriotic poem “America the Beautiful." On August 12, from 2-4 pm in the Cultural Center, the Falmouth Historical Society will hold its 23rd annual Katharine Lee Bates Poetry Fest. Local poets young and old will read samples of their work, and the winners in each division will be announced. We invite all to participate in this annual celebration. Admission is free. Poetry submissions…
Find out more »Members Only Antique Sale Preview
Please join us for wine, appetizers, and a private look at the items donated for our Annual Antique Show. Meet and mingle with other supporters of the Museums. Admire and purchase new treasures, on the evening before the sale is opened to the general public. This is a free event for all members. New members are especially welcome! REGISTER HERE FOR THE MEMBERS ONLY PREVIEW
Find out more »Antique Sale
Shop for hidden treasures! Antique Sale will be held on Saturday, August 20, 9:30-3:00 Admission is $ 7 ($ 6 with Goosefare promotional card) Children under 12 are free No earlybirds Thirty antique vendors will be on site. Donated vintage items also will be on sale. Proceeds support the work of the Falmouth Historical Society at Museums on the Green
Find out more »September 2022
Goodbye Pat!
You are welcome to come to an appreciation breakfast to say good bye to Past President Patricia Dottore for her service. She will be leaving Falmouth to be closer to her family down South. We invite everyone to join us in saying farewell. The breakfast is free, but please register to let us know how many visitors to expect. REGISTER HERE
Find out more »Grave Undertakings: A Walk through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in Falmouth ended up here eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our tour guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. NOTE: Please park in the 300 Committee lot at 157 Locust Street. Use the crosswalk to cross Locust St. and head towards the large boulder of the Mariners' Memorial. Opposite the Memorial, across Mill Rd., join your tour guide at the top of Cemetery…
Find out more »Grave Undertakings: A Walk through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in Falmouth ended up here eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our tour guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. NOTE: Please park in the 300 Committee lot at 157 Locust Street. Use the crosswalk to cross Locust St. and head towards the large boulder of the Mariners' Memorial. Opposite the Memorial, across Mill Rd., join your tour guide at the top of Cemetery…
Find out more »Nooks and Crannies Tour: The Hidden Spaces at Museums on the Green
Go behind the scenes for an original tour with the Museums' new Executive Director, Rachel Lovett, to explore historic spaces not normally open to the public in the 1790 Wicks House and 1730 Conant House. Participants will see the remnants of beautiful wallpaper in closets, look at etchings made in glass windows with diamond rings, and even hear quirky stories about eccentric former occupants. Come and discover these spaces in a completely new light. Advanced registration is required. Limited amount…
Find out more »Grave Undertakings: A Walk through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in Falmouth ended up here eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our tour guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. NOTE: Please park in the 300 Committee lot at 157 Locust Street. Use the crosswalk to cross Locust St. and head towards the large boulder of the Mariners' Memorial. Opposite the Memorial, across Mill Rd., join your tour guide at the top of Cemetery…
Find out more »October 2022
Grave Undertakings: A Walk Through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in Falmouth ended up here eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our tour guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. NOTE: Please park in the 300 Committee lot at 157 Locust Street. Use the crosswalk to cross Locust St. and head towards the large boulder of the Mariners' Memorial. Opposite the Memorial, across Mill Rd., join your tour guide at the top of Cemetery…
Find out more »Harvest House Tour
Harvest House Tour The tour will feature seven distinctly different properties. Several historic houses on the Town Green date back to the 1700 and 1800's they tell the story of the colorful characters who founded Falmouth. There will be three homes in the town's prestigious seaside neighborhood of Belvidere Plains, two homes in The Moors, one of the earliest community associations dating back to 1925, they feature panoramic views of Martha's Vineyard and Vineyard Sound. Each home will be staged…
Find out more »Art’s Falmouth – JAZZ STROLL 2022
ArtsFalmouth’s Jazz Stroll 2022 will be held Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 6 to 8:30 PM along Main Street and Palmer Ave in downtown Falmouth. All performances are an hour long, and are free and open to the public. The Bill Taylor Quartet performs at Museums on the Green, 55 Palmer Avenue, from 7 to 8 PM. Saxophonist Bill Taylor leads the quartet with mellow jazz improvisations.
Find out more »Scandals, Crimes, and Disasters Walking Tours
All tour participants will receive a free appetizer from Estia Greek Restaurant on Main Street, good for the night of the event. Are there ever any “things that are best forgotten?” Perhaps, but we believe these particular scandals, crimes, and disasters can remind us that history was real life before it was written down. In this brand-new walking tour about the other side of local history. From petty feuds and social spats to serious crimes of robbery and murder, we…
Find out more »Sins, Sips, and Secrets
This October we invite you to join us for a night at the Museum. On an interactive tour, participants will visit the 1790 Dr. Francis Wicks House to hear a different story in each room of Falmouth’s nefarious and unearthly past. Using first person accounts, diaries, and newspaper records, you will hear things about the actual fears about the night, wayward travelers, and spirits in times past. During the event, a complimentary bar will be available from 5pm to 8pm,…
Find out more »Scandals, Crimes, and Disasters Walking Tours
All tour participants will receive a free appetizer from Estia Greek Restaurant on Main Street, good for the night of the event. Are there ever any “things that are best forgotten?” Perhaps, but we believe these particular scandals, crimes, and disasters can remind us that history was real life before it was written down. In this brand-new walking tour about the other side of local history. From petty feuds and social spats to serious crimes of robbery and murder, we…
Find out more »Wicked at Wicks: A Children’s Halloween Celebration at the Falmouth Museums on the Green
Come down to the Falmouth Museums on the Green for a fun family Halloween event. The event will include trick-or-treating at several historic properties on our campus including the 1790 Dr. Francis Wicks House, pumpkin painting, storytelling, and a costume parade. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about local history, including stories about Halloween in Falmouth in years past. Come dressed to impress and enjoy the best of fall in Falmouth. $10 per child. Member’s children are $5.…
Find out more »November 2022
The Making of an Exhibition: A Curator’s Lecture on the Charles Willson Peale exhibition at the Hammond-Harwood House Museum
Our Executive Director, Rachel Lovett, will be giving a lecture on her recent exhibition "Ambition: Charles Willson Peale in Annapolis" which she created at her former institution, the Hammond-Harwood House Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. Have you ever wondered how an exhibition is developed? In this lecture, participants will get a behind the scenes look at the making of the exhibition Ambition: Charles Willson Peale in Annapolis. Rachel Lovett, former Hammond-Harwood House curator, will discuss the concept for the show, how…
Find out more »December 2022
Christmas with the Conants
Saturday December 10th, 2022 Tours at 3pm and 4pm This holiday season join the Falmouth Museums on the Green for a program filled with cheer, crafts, and stories of yesteryear. In the early 20th century, the Conant family lived in the house that now serves at the headquarters for the museum. Their daughter Eleanor fondly remembered her time in the house and later wrote Cape Cod Yesteryears: The Life and Short Stories of Eleanor Conant Yeager. In the memoir, she…
Find out more »January 2023
Annual Members’ Meeting
Annual Members' Meeting January 21st, 2023, 10am in the Cultural Center Looking towards Spring and what's ahead, as well as a review of last year! Election of Board of Directors - Voting by Current Members only - Please RSVP online via link below, or by phone. Candidate information can be found here: 2023 Board bios. Please join us after the meeting for refreshments and an opportunity to socialize. RSVP Here 2023 Board bios
Find out more »Winter Walk: In Search of the Captain’s Best Mate
Saturday, January 28th at 2pm In this winter walking tour, discover the homes of sea captains and their families including those featured in our exhibition, Better Together: Falmouth Families at Sea 1852-1886. This special tour will be held before our member’s exhibition opening and invites participants to spend an afternoon exploring Falmouth’s maritime past. Participants of the walking tour will be invited to the member’s only exhibition opening at 3pm, which includes a champagne toast, white wine, and light appetizers. $20 Non…
Find out more »Better Together: Falmouth Families at Sea 1852-1886
Exhibition Opening Members Only Reception at Conant House on Saturday, January 28, 3pm to 4:30pm. Remarks at 3:30pm. In nineteenth century Falmouth the life of a Whaling Captain was full of adventure on the high seas, dangerous encounters, and exploration to lands beyond their wildest imaginations. Whaling voyages could take up to four or five years and only the Captains were allowed to take their families aboard ship. For the families who did select to stay together during the voyage,…
Find out more »February 2023
Winter Walk: From Falmouth with Love
Saturday February 11th at 10am This February discover love stories connected to Falmouth’s more amorous past in honor of Saint Valentine’s Day. The tour will explore diverse sets of couples whose love stories continue to inspire us today. The tour will end at a local restaurant where participants will receive a coupon for a free appetizer. Non Members $20/Members $5. Walk leaves from Conant House at 65 Palmer Avenue. Register Here - 20 person limit Event Sponsored by Falmouth Jewelry…
Find out more »Love Letter to Cape Cod Film Event
Falmouth Historical Society Members Event, Free. General Public $20. Includes wine and chocolate treats. Enjoy Valentine's Day this year by celebrating the treasures of Cape Cod's architectural history! Protect Our Past in partnership with the Falmouth Museums on the Green is proud to introduce our 30 minute film “Love Letter To Cape Cod.” The cultural history of Cape Cod is in danger like never before. Once Gone, Lost Forever. The film addresses the challenges facing everyone who loves the…
Find out more »Winter Walk: From Falmouth with Love
Saturday February 18th at 10am This February discover love stories connected to Falmouth’s more amorous past in honor of Saint Valentine’s Day. The tour will explore diverse sets of couples whose love stories continue to inspire us today. The tour will end at a local restaurant where participants will receive a coupon for a free appetizer. Non Members $20/Members $5. Walk leaves from Conant House at 65 Palmer Avenue. Register Here - 20 person limit Event Sponsored by Falmouth Jewelry…
Find out more »Make and Take Program: Faces of Falmouth
The Falmouth Museums on the Green is pleased to offer a free children’s program on Saturday, February 25. This program is part one of a four part Winter/Spring series for families. In this special program families are first invited to our portrait gallery where they will learn about the two special portraits of the Lewis family from the 1790’s and participate in an interactive discussion to learn about their clothes and their daily lives here in Falmouth. After the gallery,…
Find out more »March 2023
Women’s History Month
Women's History Month Course - Activities
Find out more »Remember My Name – Celebrating the Women of Falmouth
In honor of Women’s History Month, these walking tours delve into the less familiar history of Falmouth as we introduce you to a few of the notable women who made – and continue to make – their mark in Falmouth. Along the way, you will meet educators, abolitionists, suffragettes and storytellers. The tour features their stories and will give you new insight into the history of Falmouth. We begin in Conant House with a visit to the exhibition, “Better Together:…
Find out more »Remember My Name – Celebrating the Women of Falmouth
In honor of Women’s History Month, these walking tours delve into the less familiar history of Falmouth as we introduce you to a few of the notable women who made – and continue to make – their mark in Falmouth. Along the way, you will meet educators, abolitionists, suffragettes and storytellers. The tour features their stories and will give you new insight into the history of Falmouth. We begin in Conant House with a visit to the exhibition, “Better Together:…
Find out more »The Medical World of Dr. Francis Wicks of Falmouth
In honor of National Doctor’s Day, this talk offers an introduction to medical ideas and practices in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Massachusetts, both among physicians like Francis Wicks, who lived and worked in Falmouth, as well as midwives, bonesetters, surgeons, and non-credentialed practitioners who made medicines at home. The Society owns the house where Wicks lived. The talk will be given by Dr. Olivia Weisser is Associate Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She has a Ph.D.…
Find out more »Dearly Departed: The Art of Mourning Past & Present
This exhibition is in conjunction with the Falmouth Art Center. Dearly Departed: The Art of Mourning Past & Present is open to the public from March 31 to April 24 in the Landrau-Partan Gallery at the Falmouth Art Center. The show features a collection of four pieces of silk embroidery by sixteen-year-old female Falmouth contemporaries made in the early 19th century make mourning. The pieces featured silk embroidery, watercolor, and often verre-eglomise (reverse glass painted frames). The imagery includes urns, weeping…
Find out more »April 2023
The Art of Mourning Past & Present
Free and Open to the Public at the Falmouth Art Center. Event is Sponsored by Oak Grove Cemetery Association of Falmouth, Inc. Join Falmouth Historical Society’s Executive Director, Rachel Lovett, for a half hour lecture on early 19th century mourning art. This lecture is in conjunction with the exhibition Dearly Departed: The Art of Mourning Past & Present which is open to the public from March 31 to April 24 in the Landrau-Partan Gallery. The show features a collection of four pieces of…
Find out more »Saving the Land that Feeds Us: A Joint Event with Farming Falmouth & the Falmouth Historical Society
Thursday, April 27th 5:30pm to 7pm Falmouth’s history -- and its future -- is connected to the land. This special joint event will take guests behind the scenes and into Falmouth’s agricultural past to view the Museum’s collection of farm tools. Drinks will be served with a flight of appetizers, many with a local twist. Guests will hear from farm and conservation leaders about the urgency of saving farmland before it’s lost forever -- and learn about a bold new plan from…
Find out more »May 2023
Whaling Wives of Falmouth
Thursday, May 4 at 4pm $20 Non-Members/ $10 Members. Includes appetizers and wine. Limited capacity. Back by popular demand whaling scholar Carolyn Partan will illustrate the adventurous lives of ship captain’s wives who went to sea in the mid to late nineteenth century. This lecture in conjuncture with the special exhibition, Better Together: Falmouth Families at Sea 1852-1886. Register Here
Find out more »Opening Day 2023!
Come see us on our Opening Day of the Season!
Find out more »Sales by the Sea: Historic Falmouth Businesses – Exhibition Opening Reception
Join us for the opening reception of our newest exhibition - Sales by the Sea: Historic Falmouth Businesses! Members & Guests Only - Please register online The coastal topography has defined the character of those who have lived and worked in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts. From whaling to tourism, the town has thrived off its rich connection to the sea over the last three hundred years. Beach tourism drove the town to create new businesses and accommodate visitors by rail,…
Find out more »Cape Cod Museum Trail – Museum Mondays in May
Visit us for Free today for Museum Monday!
Find out more »What to Expect in Martha’s Vineyard in the Roaring Twenties: Radicals and Rascals
What to Expect in Martha’s Vineyard in the Roaring Twenties: Radicals and Rascals Book Lecture Wednesday, May 24th at 4pm With Tom Dresser $20 Non-Member/$10 Members includes light refreshments and option to purchase the book. The 1920s was a unique era in American history. On Martha’s Vineyard, the 20s unfolded on a dual track: locals were influenced by national news, but still carried on in their own ways. The Spanish Flu was a worldwide pandemic. About 30…
Find out more »Falmouth Garden Club Plant Sale
Featuring a variety of mature perennials! Garden Club members are busy potting up favorite plants from their gardens. Don't miss the opportunity to add them to your collection. Happening at the Museums on the Green.
Find out more »*Wicks House tours are closed on May 30th & 31st and June 2nd & 7th. Conant House will be open for tours for free.*
*Wicks House tours are closed on May 30th & 31st and June 2nd & 7th. Conant House will be open for tours for free.*
Find out more »June 2023
Grave Undertakings: A Walk through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in Falmouth ended up in the graveyard eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our tour guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. NOTE: Please park in the 300 Committee lot at 157 Locust Street. Use the crosswalk to cross Locust St. and head towards the large boulder of the Mariners' Memorial. Opposite the Memorial, across Mill Rd., join your tour guide at the top…
Find out more »Grave Undertakings: A Walk through Falmouth’s Old Burying Ground
From the most respected minister to the lowliest outcast, everyone in Falmouth ended up in the graveyard eventually. See their markers and hear their stories as our tour guide leads you through this hidden gem of a cemetery. NOTE: Please park in the 300 Committee lot at 157 Locust Street. Use the crosswalk to cross Locust St. and head towards the large boulder of the Mariners’ Memorial. Opposite the Memorial, across Mill Rd., join your tour guide at the top…
Find out more »23rd Annual Heritage Award Celebration
Saturday, June 10th, 2023 23rd ANNUAL HERITAGE AWARD CELEBRATION A Community Celebration Honoring Brenda Swain for her 19 years of service with the Falmouth Service Center, which opened in 1983. Enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and camaraderie as we go back to 1983 at this fabulous Falmouth fete, honoring a resident who has made a lasting impression on our community. Saturday, June 10th | 5 -7pm, Presentation at 5:45pm, $83/Ticket Dress your Best - 80's Attire is Encouraged! The Cultural Center…
Find out more »2023 Katharine Lee Bates Poetry Fest
Museums on the Green of Falmouth Historical Society Presents 2023 KATHARINE LEE BATES POETRY FEST Write a poem! Win a prize! (Prizes include gift certificates) The Poetry Fest will be held Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 4 PM at our Cultural Center, 55 Palmer Ave., Falmouth, MA Hope to see you there! It is fun; it is free. Refreshments included. 2023 student entry form 2023 adult entry form 2023 adult entry form
Find out more »Cooking with Margaret Conant
Cooking with Margaret Conant Thursday, June 15 2023 at 5:30pm, Falmouth Museums on the Green Step back more than one hundred years into Margaret Conant’s kitchen, a room that would have been the heart of the historic Conant house, now owned by the Falmouth Historical Society located on Falmouth’s Village Green. In the 1920s, Margaret and her husband William ran a boarding house on the premises; this was a perfect fit for Margaret because she was a graduate of the…
Find out more »Arts Alive Weekend at The Falmouth Museums on the Green (Falmouth Historical Society)
Arts Alive Weekend at The Falmouth Museums on the Green (Falmouth Historical Society) Saturday, June 17th 10am to 2pm The Falmouth Museums on the Green (Falmouth Historical Society) will offer free Guided House Tours & a Walking Tour (10:30am) on Saturday June 17th from 10am to 2pm, with tours leaving every half hour (last tour at 1:30pm). The tours will feature the historic c. 1790 Dr. Francis Wicks House. The tour travels through time from 1790-1960 to hear about different periods…
Find out more »July 2023
Cape Cod Learning Tours – Talk-Oh Tuesdays – Lectures Every Tuesday Night
Cape Cod Learning Tours - Lectures Every Tuesday Night Talk-Oh Tuesdays A weekly series featuring local scientists, historians and naturalists that will entertain and inform you! From the energy producing plankton to "How to Understand Everything" (really). Every Tuesday 7:00-8:30pm, Museums on the Green, July 11 to August 29 Advance registration required: $10 General public, $5 MoG Members - Located in our Cultural Center. Registration is through the Cape Cod Learning Tours website, links below: Register - General Public Register…
Find out more »Art & Wellness: Stretch and Sketch Series
The Falmouth Historical Society is thrilled to present a new exciting Art & Wellness Stretch and Sketch Series. The programs start with a short 20-minute art talk given by the Society’s Director, American art historian, Rachel Lovett, about different paintings in our collection followed by a 45 minute yoga session in the beautiful garden paired with the theme of the painting talk. Amy Littlefield will lead a yoga and meditation class, accessible for all levels. The practice will help students…
Find out more »Outcasts: the Penikese Island Leper Hospital 1904-1921
Outcasts: the Penikese Island Leper Hospital 1904-1921 A partnership program with the Falmouth Jewish Congregation and the Falmouth Museums on the Green July 24 at 5pm Free and Open to the Public. Space limited, reservations required. Join acclaimed author and poet Eve Rifkah for a performance based on her book Outcasts: the Penikese Island Leper Hospital 1904-1921. Ms. Rifkah will read poetry from this moving collection based on the lives of inhabitants of the Penikese Island leper hospital on Penikese…
Find out more »Wish You Were Here: Postcards from the Past
Wish You Were Here: Postcards from the Past Wednesday, July 26 3pm to 5pm Free and Open to the Public thanks to the Falmouth Cultural Council. Limited capacity, please pre-register. To interpret the story of Falmouth’s past and bring its history to life in an engaging way, Alice Kociemba has initiated a new project, Wish You Were Here: Postcards from the Past. “These postcards are like time travel,” Kociemba says. “They capture the spirit of the past and bring the people…
Find out more »August 2023
Highland Street Foundation – August Adventures – Free Day
Tours of the fabulous c.1790 Wicks House and Conant House galleries will be available 10am to 2pm along with a walking tour of the Village Green at 10:30am. We'll also have an Eye-Spy game for kids! August Adventures 2023 provides access and opportunities to new and old partners highlighting the geographical and cultural diversity of the Massachusetts arts and culture community. Museums on the Green will be open with Free Admission on August 5th, 2023!
Find out more »A History of the Falmouth Road Race
“A History of the Falmouth Road Race" Wednesday, August 16th Admission by Voluntary Donation. Space Limited Please Pre-Register on Eventbrite. Come hear bestselling author Paul Clerici on Wed., August 16, at 11 a.m., at the Falmouth Historical Society Museums in the Green, Cultural Center, 55 Palmer St., Falmouth, as he discusses his “A History of the Falmouth Road Race,” the first and only book entirely about the great Cape Cod race. In a new multimedia presentation, hear about how it…
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