Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Summer 2021 Programs and Opportunities

Kelly Bernatzky • May 25, 2021

The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is thrilled to offer another summer of education, research, and exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island through Summer Programs and the reopening of our facilities.

 

On June 7th, the Aquarium and Historic Mitchell House will reopen. Both properties are open for tours on Monday-Friday from 10AM-4PM and Saturdays from 10AM-1PM. Tours are available on a rolling basis throughout the day and do not require a reservation. Due to capacity restrictions in 2021, we will not be offering our traditional property passes this summer. Instead, visitors should come to our open properties, the Mitchell House and Aquarium, for separate entry tickets. If a visitor has an unexpired property pass already in their possession, they will still be able to use it to visit one of our open properties, mentioned above.

 

The Research Center will have Open Hours every Friday from 1PM-5PM. This is a free walk-in program. The Research Center can accommodate 1 household of up to 5 guests at a time.

 

Open Nights at Loines Observatory will begin on Monday, June 14th. Open Nights are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9PM-10:30PM. MMA staff will lead constellation tours and guide visitors through different viewing stations outside the observatory domes. Participants will have a chance to view the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and even other galaxies! No reservations are required.

 

Summer Programs, including Meet the Animals, Beach Walks, Family Workshops, and more, will be offered throughout the summer and are currently open for registration. For the full schedule of programs and registration information, please visit mariamitchell.org.

 

The MMA’s annual fundraiser, The Stargazer Gala, will be held on August 5th at a private home overlooking Nantucket Sound. Party-goers will enjoy breathtaking views, dancing to The Sultans, delicious food by Island Kitchen, games, stargazing with our professional astronomers, and more. Tickets are available for purchase at mariamitchell.org/the-stargazer-gala or by calling (508) 228-9198.

 

Our informative and popular Science Speaker Series will kick off on Wednesday, June 9. This weekly Wednesday lecture series from 7-8PM is free of charge for all and presented virtually via Zoom. The summer lineup will feature over a dozen scientists from Nantucket and beyond. A special thank you to our presenting sponsor Bank of America.

 

As of this time, masks are required for all in-person MMA programming and site visits. 


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

May 25 2021

Contact: Kelly Bernatzky, MMA Development Associate

kbernatzky@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

Keep Calm and Bird On: May 2024

08 May, 2024
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.” -Edith Andrews

Shards

By Jascin N. Leonardo FInger • 06 May, 2024
I have written of my love for sea glass and pottery shards in the past and the recent replacement of the sewer and water lines on Vestal Street created a small shard collection over the last month. Since the work required the asphalt to be completely removed (all twelve inches of it!) and the road to be dug up multiple times as they worked to remove pipe, relay new pipe, hook up the water meters, and install drainage and manhole covers, this resulted in the earth in the street being tossed about quite a bit. And, with that, came the shards! Some of these likely came from the sewer line (yes, yuck) but others came from being simply in the dirt of the road – which was not paved until 1946/1948. Pieces were likely tossed out at times, made to act as filler in holes, or simply tossed. So I found all sorts of pieces I will keep here at the Mitchell House. They included: a lovely piece with a red floral, many pieces of plates, glass, the top of a late nineteenth or early twentieth century (medicine) bottle, glass shards, a flattened spoon, a brass knob (found by a neighbor) some nails, a spike, pieces of a larger container or two based on the size and curve and coloring of the shards, and possibly a Wampanoag stone tool. One person’s trash is another one’s treasures! JNLF

Is That A Wrap?

22 Apr, 2024
Yes. Well, almost. After about a month of working – and some living (staff and or neighbors) – on Vestal Street with all the sewer and water replacement work, the paving happened today (April 17, 2024). This is the first “layer” – a three-inch binder coat. In the fall, once time has passed, they will return for the final one inch of the finish layer. Some of the other things along Vestal Street will also be repaired and updated between now and the final coat – and a bit after that. But we are very happy, after all these years to have a modern system of piping – and all new drainage we never had before! While the curator in me loved the old clay pipes, they were riddled with roots from the trees, holes, and in some places, collapsed, and the twelve inches of asphalt had to go. Vestal Street was only paved in about 1946/1948 – and has not been paved in maybe twenty years so that is a lot of asphalt in about fifty years! And with climate change and the increase in how much rain we get in these heavy rain events, all that water rushed down Vestal Street with nowhere to go – except our cellars. I am sure the neighbors are happy too! A thank you to the Town of Nantucket’s Sewer Department, especially David Gray (who may regret giving me his cellphone number forever), N&M Excavating and Utilities (Dean, we appreciate you being so nice when we had too many questions), Victor-Brandon Corp for paving, and numerous others. We are looking forward to great flushing, powerful hose lines, and rainwater being whisked away via the new, never-before-had storm drains! JNLF And to all the N&M workers who wondered why I was constantly looking down as I walked along Vestal Street, you should see the trove of porcelain shards, glass, old nails, a bottle neck, 19 th century spoon, and even possibly a Wampanoag stone tool I found!
Show More
Share by: