Bag Lunch Series: Through All Her Wealth of Woods and Waters: The Ipswich Wednesday Walkers
2024-04-01 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
A panel of Wednesday Walkers, Kay Evans and friends, with many years together and separately of exploring the rich trail resources in the Ipswich landscape, will share some of their experiences and welcome stories and questions from the audience. Kay is an 18 yr. Ipswich resident and “A Historical Townie” through her mother’s Gilbert line.
Members: Free | Non-members: $5

Evening Lecture Series: Step into the Arctic
2024-04-17 19:30 - 21:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Speaker: John Wigglesworth
Join John Wigglesworth to hear the story of his recent trip to the North Pole. He joined the team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) on a 2 month research cruise aboard the USCG Cutter Healy. Through pictures, John will share his experience with the science, the ship operations, the ice and the awe of standing on top of the world.
Members: Free | Non-members: $10

Out of the Blue Exhibition Opening Reception
2024-05-03 17:00 - 19:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Join us at the Ipswich Museum for the opening reception of our weekend pop-up, featuring Arthur Wesley Dow cyanotypes. Wine and finger foods to be provided! The exhibit will run Saturday and Sunday from 1-4.

Pop-Up Exhibit of Dow Cyanotypes
2024-05-04 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-05-05 13:00 - 16:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Come view the collection of Arthur Wesley Dow cyanotypes at the Ipswich Museum during this weekend-long pop-up.

Bag Lunch Series: Objects from the Museum Collection
2024-05-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Join curator, Katherine Chaison, in this show and tell lecture where she shares with the audience special items from the museum’s collection that are not generally on view. This is a popular talk with members.
Members: Free | Non-members: $5

Evening Lecture Series: The American Dream
2024-05-22 19:30 - 21:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Speaker: David Scudder
The American Dream, in the words of historian James Truslow Adams, is a dream “of a better, richer and happier life for all citizens of every rank.” He regarded it as “the greatest contribution we have as yet made to the thought and welfare of the world.” While the American Dream has been with us since the earliest white European settlers arrived here in the 17th century, what does the term mean? What have been its components and how have they affected America over the succeeding 300 or more years? David Scudder will describe the tensions between differing versions and visions of the American Dream, examine its successes and more recent attempts to reverse the progress.
Members: Free | Non-members: $10

Summer Exhibition Opening Reception - George Sherwood: UnderWater
2024-05-31 18:00 - 20:00
George Sherwood, Ipswich based sculptor, will reveal his new pieces to be displayed at the Ipswich Museum’s summer exhibit. Come be one of the first to see these works during our opening reception!
The exhibit will be open Thursday-Saturday from 10-4 and Sunday from 1-4 through October.

Bag Lunch Series: Into Each Life: A Musical Masterpiece
2024-06-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
David Grimes, composer, will talk about the creation of this important piece of work which chronicles the first 21 years of his life and the impact it had on his creative and personal development. David earned his Masters of Music at the University of Toronto and co-founded the Canadian Electronic Ensemble. His composition Increscents won the CBC National Radio Competition for young composers.
Members: Free | Non-members: $5

Evening Lecture Series: Harry and Hilda: Letters Home
2024-06-19 19:30 - 21:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Speaker: Jennifer Hamlin Church
Church will read excerpts from her new book and discuss the lively research that went into it .The book is a biography of two people who left Queen Victoria’s England alone, as teens, 30 years apart, seeking unknown opportunity in America. Subtitled “The Sparkling Life of the Lupine Lady and the Professor Who Made it Possible” the book tells the story of Harry N. Gardiner, who became a Smith College professor and founder of the American Philosophical Association, and his niece, Hilda Edwards Hamlin, the real life lupine lady of Maine, role model for the fictional Miss Rumphius (1982) who “made the world more beautiful.” The book chronicles more than a century of history on both sides of the Atlantic
Members: Free | Non-members: $10

Ipswich Museum Yard Sale
2024-07-26 12:00 - 16:00, 2024-07-27 09:00 - 13:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Come by our annual yard sale and find one-of-a-kind treasures. Cash, cards, & checks are accepted.

Bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour Visits Ipswich, MA
2024-08-31 18:00 - 19:30 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
As a kickoff to our town’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, you are cordially invited to gather at the Ipswich Museum at 6:00 pm on August 31 to begin our celebration of the 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s visit to Ipswich. Our own Nat Pulsifer will address the crowd regarding the significance and history of the event. At 7:00 pm, we will escort a horse-drawn carriage with a Lafayette impersonator from the South Green to the Ipswich Museum, where the General will be welcomed by Ipswich Select Board member Michael Doherty, reenacting the Town’s welcoming address to Lafayette in 1824. The carriage is a Bird-in-Hand Eaglet pulled by Blue, an American Quarter Horse owned and driven by Pam Stone of Essex. The program will end at 7:30. Bring a picnic, and period clothing is encouraged.

Bag Lunch Series: The Story of Bees
2024-09-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Eve and Sam Hamlin share details and their experiences as beekeepers along the marsh in Ipswich. They will give quick history of beekeeping over the years and talk about some of the challenges that all beekeepers face in today’s changing climate.
Members: Free | Non-members: $5

Evening Lecture Series: Queen Elizabeth II *This Presentation will take place at Boone Hall in Ascension Church*
2024-09-18 19:30 - 21:00 | Ascencion Church, 31 County St., Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Featuring: Sheryl Faye, actor
Back again by popular demand is Sheryl Faye and this year she has a new presentation: Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. This will be terrific.
Members: Free | Non-members: $10

Bag Lunch Series: Indigenous Heritage of the East Coast and the Migration of Indigenous People
2024-10-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Etay, Denise Cooper, Brian Young and other tribal members discuss their rich and honored heritage. The American Antiquarian Society, built on Nipmuc homelands is a repository for early Algonquian-language monographs, manuscript collections and early town records containing vital and unique information about Nipmuc and Indigenous peoples of the New England region.
Members: Free | Non-members: $5

Stylish Siblings: David Adler and Frances Elkins, Interiors at Castle Hill
2024-10-23 19:30 - 21:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
October 23 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Recent research has revealed that Great House architect David Adler collaborated with his sister, famed designer Francis Elkins, for the interiors at Castle Hill. Curator Susan Hill Dolan will discuss their tastemaker style and how it influenced what we see in the Crane mansion elsewhere.
Members: Free | Non-members: $10

Bag Lunch Series: Historic and Ecological Significance of the Butterfly Meadow
2024-11-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Mike DeRosa of DeRosa & Assoc. will discuss the Butterfly Meadow. 18th and 19th century maps for Ipswich reveal the property, located across from the Heard House, remained a rare surviving example of open space along the river as the village developed its densely settled contemporary appearance. Today, the property represents a small ecological habitat. Its proximity to the Great Marsh increases its potential to attract migrating birds and butterfly populations. Mike DeRosa will talk about the meadow’s significance and diversity of soils, plant cover and invasives. DeRosa Environmental Consulting are helping with management of the meadow.
Members: Free | Non-members: $5

Annual Meeting
2024-11-06 18:30 - 21:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Join us for a social gathering at 6:30 followed by our annual meeting at 7:00!

Tonight's Lecture is cancelled!
2024-11-20 19:00 - 21:30
Apologies for any inconvenience.

Grandma's Attic & Holiday Boutique
2024-12-07 09:00 - 15:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Come shop our annual holiday sale and find unique treasures for yourself or loved ones this holiday season!

Husifs & Notions: A tisket, a tasket, check out the IM's sewing basket!
2025-01-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Join curator Katherine Chaison and Textile Specialist Susan Landry for an exclusive exploration of 200 years of sewing baskets and boxes from the Museum’s collection. From humble handmade pieces to exquisite ornate designs, this is a must-see for anyone passionate about the art of crafting!

Members: Free | Non-members: $5

This is not Your Parents' Solar System
2025-01-15 19:30 - 21:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Speaker Scott Jewell, educator, will talk about the golden years of space exploration. Our understanding of the solar system has changed so much in the last twenty years. Come spend an evening learning about our current understanding of the inner and outer planets, the Kuiper Belt, the Oort cloud, and all the other interesting objects in our heliosphere.
Members: Free | Non-members: $10

Spark's Tavern
2025-02-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Gordon Harris, town historian, will talk about the importance of Spark’s Tavern and its role serving as a not only a watering hole but an inn, court house, and town meeting place. Ipswich did not have a town hall in the 17th century, but two very important events took place at Spark’s Tavern. It was here in 1686 that the town voted not to appoint a tax collector for the king. This is why Ipswich is known as the “Birthplace of American Independence.” Additionally, after the infamous witch trials were moved out of Salem to Spark’s Tavern, the last four accused were tried and found innocent, and outstanding charges against them were dismissed.
Members: Free | Non-members: $5

Winter Exhibit - "Fiber Arts"
2025-02-15 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-22 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-23 13:00 - 16:00
Come in Saturdays and Sundays through early Spring and view fiber arts pieces highlighting everything from Ipswich lace-making and embroidery to modern quilts.

Winter Exhibit - "Fiber Arts"
2025-02-16 13:00 - 16:00
Come in Saturdays and Sundays through early Spring and view fiber arts pieces highlighting everything from Ipswich lace-making and embroidery to modern quilts!

Ski America First (Documentary)
2025-02-19 19:30 - 21:00 | Ipswich Museum, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA, 01938, United States
Join us for an exciting presentation by speaker Tom Blake as he showcases part two of the documentary, Ski America First, filmed by Sidney Shurcliff. According to the Park Service Bulletin of 1938, superintendents of Mount Rainier and Yosemite were bracing for a surge of skiers, thanks to the stunning all-natural color film, which skiing authorities have hailed as the finest of its kind in America.
This remarkable documentary captivated over 3,000 viewers during its debut at the National Geographic Society in March 1938 and has enjoyed a dozen successful screenings across the East since then. Don’t miss your chance to experience this cinematic gem that celebrates the beauty and excitement of skiing in America!
Members: Free | Non-members: $10

Winter Exhibit - "Fiber Arts"
2025-03-01 13:00 - 16:00
Come in Saturdays and Sundays through early Spring and view fiber arts pieces highlighting everything from Ipswich lace-making and embroidery to modern quilts.
Members: Free, Non-Members: $5
