Deborah Staber

Susan Beegel, noted Hemingway scholar, will give an illustrated talk on Hemingway’s lifelong passion for fishing and marine creatures of the Gulf stream that led to his Pulitzer Prize winning novel.  The L.C.Bates Museum’s 12 foot long Blue Marlin fish was caught in 1935 in Bimini by Pulizer Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway and was […]

The Central Kennebec Heritage Council invites one and all to the kickoff event for a special summer exhibition on local Maine authors. This event will be held at Fairfield Victor Grange #49, located at Rte. 23 and Rte. 139—NOT at the Museum! At 4:30, enjoy a traditional Grange Supper ($8/person.) At 7:00, Mark McPheters of […]

Join John Meader, of Northern Stars Planetarium Services, for a special presentation in his traveling, inflatable planetarium! This event will be located in the auditorium of Prescott Hall, the main building of the Good Will-Hinckley campus. Learn how birds have adapted to their environments by studying varying styles of beaks, claws, wings, and feathers. Learn […]

Join us for a free viewing of the short film done by Lauren Shaw on John Willey. John is an alumnus of GWH and will be present to do some poetry reading after the viewing. Lauren will also be in attendance. Light refreshments will be provided.   Date changed from August 8.

The L.C. Bates Museum’s summer 2021 exhibition, Marks and Tracks will host a virtual opening May 8, 2021 at 4 PM. The Marks and Tracks exhibit will showcase the work of 25 contemporary artists from Maine or with close ties to Maine that explore, in a variety of mediums, the myriad marks and tracks that […]

Taking its cue from the fall 2021 state-wide initiative and the 2021–22 Annual Humanities Theme at Colby College on Freedom and Captivity, the 2022 L.C. Bates summer exhibition, Wilderness and Culture, invites artists to engage with the meanings that these two concepts hold for the natural world and the ways in which we conceive, represent, […]

Children can explore a bird kit and make a small hummingbird feeder to take home. (This activity will take place outdoors. It is weather-dependent.)

Come explore the pond with nets in hand and celebrate all the lovely amphibians.

Color a wooden top and make a game sheet. Then have fun playing the game. Admission: $4 for adults, $1 for children

Come tour the Audubon Gallery to find the birds you will see in the winter landscape. Admission: $4 for adults, $1 for children.

In this guided tour, we will highlight some of the endangered, threatened and extinct species found in the museum’s collection. We also, happily, will talk about some species that have made remarkable recoveries thanks to recent conservation efforts! Admission: $4 for adults, $1 for children.

Put on your wildlife biologist cap, and hone your observational skills, as we follow the clues find in various birds’ beaks to learn about their lifestyles and behavior. Why do hummingbirds have long, skinny beaks, while the Red Crossbill has a unique, asymmetrical beak? Admission: $4 for adults, $1 for children.

Visit the pond, hike in the woods with binoculars in hand, view the sun, examine Maine minerals, learn about fossils, discover the life cycle of insects, make new friends and much more. Come have fun exploring the museum and its collections. For ages 6-11. Camp runs June 26 – 30, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. […]

Campers will explore and gain a better understanding about history through engaging hands on discoveries. Interactive activi-ties will use the museum’s historic collections and resources to foster camper’s understanding of our past. Campers will try out a bow drill, throw a spear, play with old toys, print on an early letter press, write with a […]

Using aquatic ecosystems, we will spend a week learning about how to design experiments, collect data, and make conclusions about our research questions. Along the way, you will learn about the plants and animals that live in and around ponds, or interact with pond environments for food, shelter, and reproduction. We will explore water chemistry […]

Campers begin by discovering the basics of our solar system. Then they will use a sun scope, plan their own planet, train like an astronaut, study moonquakes, send up stump rockets, make craters, explore clouds, and make kites to fly! The Museum Space Camp is partnering with the NASA Camp program. For ages 7–12. Camp […]

Conservator Ron Harvey will present a free workshop on object conservation. Harvey will cover preservation techniques and be able to answer participants conservation questions. The workshop is made possible by support from the Institute of Museum and Library services. Please call or email the museum to register.

Conservator Ron Harvey will present a free workshop on object conservation. He will cover preservation techniques and be available to answer participants' conservation questions. The workshop is made possible by support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Please call or email the museum to register.

Explore the best ways to care for your personal or museum collections. Come join this free workshop at the L.C. Bates Museum at Good Will-Hinckley. This collections care and storage workshop will provide training on how to better care for your historic objects or family treasures. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, this […]