L.C. Bates Museum, Good Will-Hinckley

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 […]

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 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 […]

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. […]

Let your imagination run wild as we invent fantastic new creatures by combining parts of existing animals in the museum — using colored pencils, of course! This fun activity helps kids think about adaptations and the “creativity” we observe in some animals’ naturally selected traits. Can you invent a chimera stranger than the duck-billed platypus? […]

Come learn about some of the techniques used by NASA scientists to explore and understand our universe, through a series of fun and informative hands-on activities, including: Stomp Rockets • Mars Rover Game • Discovering Distant Planets • Moon Craters • and more! Plus, discover the construction and principles behind a working refractor telescope with […]

What do humans, bears, whales, and bats have in common? Quite a lot, it turns out! We will talk about what makes a mammal a mammal, and the adaptations we can observe in a mammal’s fur, teeth, and feet to find out who they are, and what they’re good at! Skulls and pelts will be […]

The L.C. Bates Museum’s summer 2023 exhibition, In Balance/Imbalance, features over 20 artists from Maine or with ties to the state and is the result of a collaborative effort between the L.C. Bates Museum staff and two Colby College students, Zehra Gundogdu ’25 and Anna Jaubert ’25, under the supervision of Professor Véronique Plesch. Opening […]

As part of Jane’s Walk take a walking tour of the museum’s architecture and the GWH campus near the museum including buildings, the road and pond behind the museum. We will talk about the Maine architect William Miller of Lewiston, who designed the museum and four other buildings on campus and Parker of Olmsted Firm's […]

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.

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.

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

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

October 1: Enjoy and learn about the beautiful trees in our forest on a guided tree walk. Children will receive “tree cookies” to use along the trailsand then take home. October 8: Roll a hoop, spin a top, and enjoy other outdoor old-time toys and games. October 15: Tour Maine birds and make a watercolor […]

See glacier scratch marks and an erratic. Check out the local soils and break a geode.

Blowing bubbles through a red oak twig is amazing and fun! It proves that moisture/water can move through the roots, trunk, and limb of the tree and all the way to the leaves. Come try blowing tree bubbles and other activities on September 10 at the Fall Tree Walk.

Study the common regional insects and go on walk to discover the many insects found along the trails. For children, make an insect diorama and finger puppet.

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

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.)

Explore earth and space with NISE Activity Kits and games. Learn about the James Webb telescope and send up a stomp rocket.