L.C. Bates Museum, Good Will-Hinckley

Come try old time toys like hoops, graces, and tops.

Launching in mid-December, the James Webb Telescope will provide better images of the universe. Explore some earth and space activities including packing the James Webb for transport into space. All outdoor programs are dependent on the weather. Programs will be canceled, if it is rainy.

Roll a hoop, spin a top, and more. All outdoor programs are dependent on the weather. Programs will be canceled, if it is rainy.

To celebrate National Thrive Outside Day, the Museum will encourage families and friends to visit the trails. A 10 a.m. program will include providing Leaf Kits for children to use as they explore the forested Good Will-Hinckley Trails. The National Thrive Outside program is part of a nationwide group of networks and collaborations working to […]

Christopher, the Wonderful, Geometric Sculpture by John Raimondi is 50 Years Old. The L. C. Bates Museum will have an outdoor 50th Birthday party for Christopher on Saturday, August 28 at 1 PM. You are invited to come visit Christopher and learn about its history. If you are not familiar with Christopher, come learn about […]

Get a closer look at nature through hands on art activities. Get your hands dirty with both pond mud and paint as we are inspired by plants, animals, and the museum collections. Camp runs June 22 – 26, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Please bring a lunch.) For ages 6–12. Cost is $110. CLICK TO […]

Mammal pelts, skulls, tracks and scat and of course the many mammal mounts in the museum will provide an engaging look at Maine’s popular mammals. Discover how the different mammals adapt to our wetland, forest and ocean habitats. Make a mammal track game and mammal craft. Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for children.

Explore the insect collections in the museum and learn about their special adaptations and life cycles. Try hands on activities to learn how insects walk with six legs, see with many lenses, pollinate flowers and camouflage. Examine invasive insects like the Emerald Ash Borer and learn about our local winter insects. Have fun making an […]

Have you ever wondered why the sky can appear to be clear blue one day, pink the next? How are clouds formed? And how do pollutants affect our atmosphere? At the end of this program, everyone gets to take home a copy of an awesome educational book from NASA! Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for […]

Use real shells try an old sailors tradition of making a valentine with seashells and small stones or make a picture using shells. All the materials will be provided just bring your ideas! Admission: $3 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, get to talk about some species that have made remarkable recoveries thanks to recent conservation efforts! Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for children.

National Squirrel Appreciation Day — it’s actually on January 21, but we will celebrate it on the preceding Saturday — is a day to learn about and celebrate the world’s cutest rodents. We might generally look at squirrels as being an unnecessary nuisance, but their existence is actually beneficial to the environment, and in urban […]

Join us in appreciating our remarkable visitor from the Arctic — the snowy owl! What adaptations does the snowy owl use to survive and thrive in frigid winter weather? Why do we see hundreds of snowy owls visiting Maine some winters, and fewer in other years? Plus, make & bring home a special owl craft! […]

Explore the museum to find and learn about sloth, baboon, duckbilled platypus, anteater, kudu, red panda, bontebok and other creatures that you don’t always notice when you visit. The collections include animals that have developed unique adaptations for living in different environments. Learn about some with horns, a mammal that lays eggs, a slow moving […]

Have you ever wondered why the sky can appear to be clear blue one day, pink the next? How are clouds formed? And how do pollutants affect our atmosphere? At the end of this program, everyone gets to take home a copy of an awesome educational book from NASA! Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for […]

Put on your wildlife biologist cap, and hone your observational skills, as we follow the clues we 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? Plus, make a bird craft to take home! Admission: $3 […]

In this guided tour, we will highlight some of the endangered, threatened and extinct species found in the museum’s collection. We also, happily, get to talk about some species that have made remarkable recoveries thanks to recent conservation efforts! Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for children.

Nothing rivals a unique, handmade holiday card. Learn the workings of our antique Adams letterpress and make your own card with an animal or holiday image to take home. Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for children.

In anticipation of our upcoming tracking walk next month, let’s take some time indoors to study the tracks we might expect to see. From the snowshoe hare to wild cats and weasels, we can learn a lot from observing not just an individual footprint, but the animal’s gait! Plus, we will talk about the special […]

Look at mammals and their skulls and teeth to learn how they are adapted to eat different foods. Look at their hoofs and feet to learn about how they are adapted to help mammals. Make a mammal craft to take home and a track game. Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for children.

Join us for a fun and educational tour of the museum’s basket collection, including fine examples of Penobscot and Passamaquoddy craftsmanship. Learn more about some of the natural materials and ingenious techniques involved. Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for children.

Take a guided tour of the museum’s Maine bird dioramas painted by Charles Hubbard. Learn to identify the birds in the dioramas and where they are found. See how Hubbard’s background paintings in the dioramas show us the birds common habitats. Make a small bird diorama. Admission: $3 for adults, $1 for children.

When winter comes to Maine, many birds migrate south, but some stay and tough it out! We will discuss some of these hardy birds, and the special adaptations and behaviors they use to survive until spring returns. We will tour the winter birds in the gallery and do a bird scavenger hunt. Admission : $3 […]

Come by anytime today to view the transit of Mercury. The 2019 Transit of Mercury across the Sun will start at 7:36 AM and continue until after 1 PM. Visit the museum to learn about the transit. It will not happen again until 2032. Do not look at it without a filtered telescope. You will […]