Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Fall 2023 Hours and Programs

September 15, 2023

Nantucket, MA – The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), your portal to Nantucket’s Natural world, announces its schedule for another fall, full of science education, research, and exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island through its award-winning programs, events, and properties.


MMA Properties Updated Fall Hours – Effective the Week of September 11


MMA Aquarium (28 Washington Street): Thursday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm, through October 6

Hinchman House Natural Science Museum (7 Milk Street): Thursday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm through October 6, Friday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm October 7 through December 17

Historic Mitchell House (1 Vestal Street): Fridays, 10am - 1pm, through September 29,

*closed on September 22

Loines Observatory (59 Milk Street Ext.): Wednesdays, 8pm - 9:30pm through October 4

Research Center (2 Vestal Street): Saturdays, 11am - 1pm through December 17


Tours (self-guided, except at the Mitchell House where visitors take guided tours) are available on a rolling basis throughout the day and do not require a reservation. One all-properties MMA pass ($22 Adult, $12 Youth) includes admission to any four properties ** to be redeemed at the MMA Aquarium, Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, or Historic Mitchell House, and can be purchased in-person upon entering the properties. A single entry to the Historic Mitchell House is available ($10 Adult, $8 Youth). Please note, the property pass provides a single admission to a Stargazing Open Night, which must be registered for in advance online. The pass can be used for four total visits at any of the three other sites. Admission to all properties is FREE for MMA Members. Members receive a 10% discount on all public and private programs. Join today!


Fall Public Programs

Details and registration links for the programs featured below can be found on the MMA website’s calendar at https://www.mariamitchell.org/calendar.


Stargazing Open Nights at Loines Observatory are offered Wednesdays from 8pm - 9:30pm (two sessions) – $22 Adult, $12 Youth, free for Members, and included for those already holding an all-MMA properties pass. You must register for Open Nights in advance online at: www.mariamitchell.org/calendar for these 45-minute Observatory programs. The MMA Astronomy staff will lead constellation tours and guide visitors through different viewing stations inside and outside the observatory domes. Participants will have a chance to view astronomical objects through our historic 8-inch Alvan Clark refractor and our modern 24-inch research telescope. Get a chance to view the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and even other galaxies! Stargazing Open Nights will end for the season October 4 and shift to our “Look Up!” Program.


Feeding Frenzy is a daily program offered Thursday through Sunday, from 9am - 10am (group price is $125 - up to 5 guests). Join MMA Aquarium staff on a private tour as they feed the ever-hungry creatures at the Aquarium before it opens to the public! You will learn all about the fascinating marine animals as you observe their unique feeding behaviors. The Feeding Frenzy is extremely popular, so advance registration is required. The maximum capacity per registration is 5 guests. At least one adult must sign up with children. Feeding Frenzy ends October 6. The Aquarium will hold its annual Release Day on October 7 at 10am.


Ravenous Reptiles is a daily program offered Thursday through Sunday, from 9am - 10am ($15 per registrant). Learn about the unique adaptations of turtles, frogs, snakes, and more at the MMA Natural Science Museum! You will get to touch or hold several of the MMA Natural Science Museum display animals. If you love animals, this is a fantastic way to learn about native and non-native species up-close. Pre-registration is recommended. At least one adult must sign up with children. This program is designed to be interesting for adults and children ages 4 and up. Ravenous Reptiles ends December 17.


Nantucket Bird Walk with Ginger Andrews is offered Saturdays from 7:45am - 10: 00am ($15 per registrant). Join Ginger Andrews, Nantucket native, MMA Field Ornithologist, and Inquirer and Mirror columnist, to look for amazing Nantucket birds. With fun facts, local natural history, and humor, Andrews leads a fascinating tour. Bird Walks will explore various habitats around town and beyond, depending on the availability of participants’ transportation. Indoor study, using the collections in the Research Center, may also be used on cold or rainy days. Nantucket Bird Walk will continue throughout the fall.


Biological Collections Open Hours is offered at the Research Center on Saturdays from 11am - 1pm (Free to all). Join the MMA's Field Ornithologist, Ginger Andrews, to learn about the collections, why collections are so important to science, and examine different specimens

during each session. From specimens of birds and mammals to insects and plants, you never know what will be on display! Biological Collections will continue throughout the fall.


Beach Biology Field Trip is offered Thursdays from 10am – 11am and alternating Saturdays from 1pm - 2pm ($15 per registrant). Join Aquarium staff to learn about the fascinating biology, ecology, and geology that make Nantucket's beaches so unique. We will discover shells and bones of over 15 species of marine animals and are likely to observe live mole crabs, sand fleas, shore birds, beach insects, and seals! This program meets at the ‘Sconset Market Parking Lot, 4 Main Street, Siasconset. Participants must have their own transportation. At least one adult must sign up with children. Beach Biology Field Trip will continue throughout the fall.


Marine Ecology Field Trip is offered Thursdays and Fridays from 1pm – 3pm ($20 per registrant). Help collect, identify, and release fish, crabs, shrimp, and other marine life! The Harbor is filled with interesting animals that will amaze you in their shapes, colors, and habits. This program is part of a long-term research project and is interesting for adults and children alike. This program meets at the Washington Street Ext. parking lot. Participants must have their own transportation. At least one adult must sign up with children. Marine Ecology Field Trip will continue throughout the fall.


Bug Bonanza is offered Thursdays and Saturdays from 1pm - 2pm, and Fridays and Sundays from 11am - 12pm ($15 per registrant). Enjoy an afternoon collecting insects with the Natural Science Museum staff! We will learn how to collect insects like a scientist, use microscopes, and read dichotomous keys to identify each creature that we catch. This is a recurring program, but the specific focus and materials provided will change each week. This program is appropriate for children ages 4 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult, and all participants must register. Please check-in for this program at the front desk of the Natural Science Museum at 7 Milk Street. Bug Bonanza ends November 3.


Nature Story Hour is offered Thursdays and Saturdays from 11am - 12pm ($15 per registrant). Enjoy this program specially designed for the young explorer in your family! During each session, a MMA educator will read a nature or science related book, introduce you to one of the MMA’s animal friends, and will finish with an activity related to the story! This is a recurring program, but the specific focus and materials provided will change each week. This program is appropriate for children ages 3 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult and all participants must register. Please check in for this program at the front desk of the MMA Natural Science Museum at 7 Milk Street. Nature Story Hour ends December 17.


Nighttime Marine Ecology Field Trip is offered on September 16 (Members only complimentary event) and September 30 (Open to all) from 8pm - 9pm ($20 per registrant). Join our Aquarium staff to learn about the fish, squid, crabs, and more that come out to feed at night in the shallow water. This program meets at the MMA Aquarium at 28 Washington Street. Flashlight or headlamps will be provided, but feel free to bring your own lighting! At least one adult must sign up with children. Pre-registration is recommended.


Owl Prowl is offered on Thursdays from September 5 - September 28 with a start time 15 minutes before sunset and runs for 1.5-hours($30 per registrant). Join the MMA's Field Ornithologist, Ginger Andrews, as we listen for calls of a variety of nocturnal animals and birds. We will watch for owls as they begin their nightly activity. While an owl sighting is not guaranteed, you will certainly be able to observe several fascinating nocturnal animal species. This program is meant for adults, but children 8 and up are welcome to register with an adult guardian. Pre-registration is recommended. Owl Prowl ends September 28.


Big History Nights is offered on Thursdays from 8:15pm - 9:15pm ($15 per registrant, complimentary to all members). Join Dr. Rich Blundell, visiting Scientist-in-Residence at the MMA, for a weekly Big History Storytelling at Loines Observatory. "Big History," an academic discipline that examines history from the Big Bang to the present, has been pursued since the Renaissance. During this 60-minute visual lecture incorporating large-scale videos and the Loines Observatory telescopes, Dr. Blundell will tell the fascinating story of the cosmos and our place in it. Pre-registration is required. Big History ends September 28.


Earth Story Walk & Talk is offered on Thursdays from 10am - 11:30pm ($15 per participant). Join the MMA's visiting Scientist-in-Residence, Dr. Rich Blundell, on this 2.9 mile walk through the history of planet Earth. Each stride will account for approximately one million years of natural history. Along the way, we will stop to explore the major thresholds of geologic time and draw on the local setting whenever possible to help tell the story. Come ambulate and contemplate the established, scientific understandings, and reconsider how the events and processes of deep time have led to our current global predicament. By considering the broader scales of life on Earth, we will gain new insights to reinterpret science in more meaningful ways. Pre-registration is required. Earth Story Walk ends on September 28.


“Rockin’ Out” Nantucket is a two part exploration series of the geologic story and glacial charisma of the Grey Lady with Dr. Rich Blundell. Part One is offered on September 15 and 22 from 7pm - 8:30pm, and Part Two is offered on September 16 and 23 from 10am – 11:30am ($25 Adult, $20 Youth - both parts included) at the Maria Mitchell Association Research Center at 2 Vestal Street. I proofed the piece below for Jonelle – is this it? Its too long for here

Part One Rock Talk, is a presentation and popup rock quiz on the fascinating deep history of New England with a closer look at the glacial dynamics that shaped the Grey Lady. Through this informal conversational lecture, you’ll come to truly understand the deep nature of the beloved pile of glacial detritus we call home. Come be surprised by where and when the spectacularly diverse rocks on our trails and beaches come from and how they were made. You’re also invited to bring a pebble or stone to class because the evening will culminate in a fun “popup rock identification” session or you can try to “stump the chump” and win a prize.

Part Two Rock Walk, will follow-up to put what we learned in class into action. On a field-trip to a nearby beach, Dr. Blundell will teach you how to think like a geologist in order to decipher the secrets that rocks hold. Next summer, you’ll be able to amaze (or confuse) your friends with cool geologic science and indecipherable vocabulary. We’ll put our magma-minds toward

meditating on the subterranean stories of crystals that flow through fissures and tortuous realms of fault-zone metamorphosis. Come walk, whack, lick, and look at the stones of a bygone age. You’ll meet the Triassic basalts, metamorphosed granites, pegmatites, and porphyritic gabbros you’ve been wistfully walking over for years and finally fulfill the forgotten wishes of Devonian fishes.


Four Centuries Domestic Tour is offered on September 9 from 10am - 12pm. ($10 per participant). A unique and extremely popular collaborative walking tour with the MMA's Deputy Director & Curator of the Mitchell House, the Nantucket Preservation Trust, and the Nantucket Historical Association that looks at the changes in domestic life over four centuries and how it shaped homes, buildings, neighborhoods, and land use. Participants should meet at the Oldest House on Sunset Hill (tour will end on Main Street). The tour includes brief visits inside each building visited. No registration required.


Maria Mitchell and the Daring Daughters of Nantucket Island Walking Tour is offered on September 8 from 2pm - 4pm($15 per participant) and September 22 from 2-4pm and September 30 from 10-Noon. Join Jascin Leonardo Finger, curator of the Mitchell House, for a walking tour concerning the lives of Maria Mitchell and Nantucket’s famous and infamous women, as well as the lesser-known women of our island. Learn why whaling, Quakerism, and the isolation of an island afforded these women opportunities that women elsewhere in America at the time were not afforded. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.


The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.


                                    ### 

For Immediate Release

September 6, 2023

Contact: Molly Mosscrop

mmosscrop@mariamitchell.org

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