Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association to Open Properties for 2023 Season

June 14, 2023

NANTUCKET, MA—On June 12, 2023, the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium, Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, Historic Mitchell House, Loines Observatory, and the MMA Research Center will open for the 2023 summer season.

 

The Historic Mitchell House, located at 1 Vestal Street, will be open for tours Monday – Friday, 10:00AM–4:00PM, and 10:00AM – 1:00PM Saturdays. Built in 1790, this traditional Quaker house was acquired by the Mitchell family in 1818. The home became a museum in 1903 when the Maria Mitchell Association’s founders acquired the house to preserve the legacy of one of Nantucket’s most celebrated daughters. The house contains many stunning artifacts from the Mitchells’ daily life in the nineteenth century, including many of Maria’s personal items such as beer mugs, opera glasses, and her Dollond telescope. The House is well known for the remarkably preserved example of faux-wood grain painting in the kitchen from the 1850s.

 

The Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium, located at 28 Washington Street, will be open Monday–Friday, 10:00AM –4:00PM, and 10:00AM–1:00PM on Saturdays. Located on the waterfront of Nantucket Harbor, the MMA Aquarium displays local Nantucket species and is an immersive place to learn about the amazing marine life of the island. Displays are consistently evolving and range from crabs and shellfish to fish and eels. All the hungry creatures at the Aquarium are fed daily during our Feeding Frenzy program where you learn about and observe unique feeding behaviors of our animal ambassadors. All ambassadors of the MMA Aquarium are locally collected and are re-released into the wild at the end of the season during the annual “Release Day" event.

 

The Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, located at 7 Milk Street, will be open Monday–Friday, 10:00AM –4:00PM, and 10:00AM–1:00PM on Saturdays. An exciting space for inquisitive minds of all ages, the Natural Science Museum is a cross between a classic natural history museum, a small zoo, and a science center. It is a beloved place to learn about the plants, animals, and birds of Nantucket. All the hungry creatures at the Museum are fed daily during our Ravenous Reptiles program where you learn about the unique adaptations of turtles, frogs, snakes, and more.

 

The Loines Observatory, located at 59 Milk Street Extension, will be open on Monday, Tuesdays, and Wednesday nights from 9:00PM – 10:30PM hosting two public Stargazing Open Nights sessions, and on Fridays 9:00PM – 9:45PM for one family-centered Stargazing Open Night program — weather dependent. When a special natural occurrence is forecast in the night sky – meteor showers, a new comet, lunar eclipse – the Loines Observatory is the place to be. During Stargazing Open Nights, visitors can view a variety of astronomical objects in the night sky through our   8-inch Alvan Clark refractor and our modern 24-inch research telescope. MMA staff will lead constellation tours and patrons can learn about the innovative research conducted by our astronomers and interns – a fantastic opportunity for all your astronomy related questions to be asked and answered.

 

The Maria Mitchell Association Research Center, located at 2 Vestal Street, will host Biological Collections Open Hours from 10:00AM – 12:00PM on Saturdays throughout the summer season. At Open Hours, visitors learn about the biological collections and their importance 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! This program is FREE to all visitors and preregistration is not necessary. The Research Center is accessible outside of the Biological Collections open hours by appointment.

 

The MMA Properties passes can be purchased for the Aquarium, Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, Loines Observatory, and the Historic Mitchell House. A property pass includes admission to the three museum sites and a Stargazing Open Night. The cost of a property pass is $12 for children, $22 for adults. Admission to Maria Mitchell Association properties and Open Nights is free to MMA Members.


The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

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For Immediate Release

June 5, 2023

Contact: Ava Rollins,

mmosscrop@mariamitchell.org

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Curator Almost Eaten By Large Lobster

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • November 17, 2025
Clementine has finally molted! We at the MMA have been awaiting this for quite some time so I decided to re-post an old blog about Clementine. Well, not quite. But, part of my job is to also take care of all of the MMA properties. So, I headed over to check on one and what cleaning supplies are needed for the summer and for our staff spring clean-up of the site. In one room, some of the animals from the Aquarium over-winter. One of those is “our” lobster, Clementine, so-called because she is orange in color. (Orange lobsters are five times rarer than blue lobsters and only one in ten million lobsters are orange.) She is fairly active and though the hope is that she “sleeps” a bit for the winter, she doesn’t seem to. So, enter curator into room who glances over and hopes the lobster does not “run” to the side of the tank asking to be fed. Yes, she really does that – she has gotten used to people. I always hate it because I feel guilty – I do not feed her because that falls to the Natural Science Department and I do not want to hurt her or her schedule in any way. In any case, “Whew!” She actually seemed quiet at the back of the tank. Maybe she was “sleeping.” I kept moving to the next room and glanced back. Low and behold, she was at the front of the tank waving her claws! Seriously? So I kept moving on – after telling her, “I can’t feed you,” – and she went to the back of the tank again! Another, “Whew!” I decided to text Emily, our Director of Natural Science (at that time), and relay what happened. I get a text back. “You can feed her if you want.” “Really?” I texted back. “What do I give her?” So, Clementine then ran back to the front of the tank when she saw me opening the freezer and taking out the mussels and a shrimp. I got another text from Emily: “Use the forceps to hand them to her.” Well, I wasn’t about to put my hand in there! So, I get the shrimp, put it in the forceps, open the top of the tank and start to put my hand down, and INSTANTLY two HUGE lobster claws come out of the tank and grab not the shrimp but the forceps! I wish I had a picture. I was afraid she was going to take the forceps. And then, I was afraid my hand was going to be her lunch. I could not get her to release the forceps – it was a battle royale though the battle was more on her part because I was afraid I would break her claw! After some twisting of the forceps and tugging, she finally relented, took the shrimp, and began her lunch. Another, “Whew!” I was afraid I was either going to hurt her or I was going to be explaining to my three-year old what happened to Mommy’s hand at work. Veuve Clicquot with that, Clementine? Apparently, someone else knew what transpired with the lobster. As I left the building, a male mallard duck was paddling around in the rather large puddle – if you can call it that – located on the property. We have recently had a large amount of rain. He was laughing (I mean quacking) at me. In all seriousness, I have never met a lobster with so much personality. Yes, personality. Clementine may just have changed my tune on lobster rolls. JNLF

Miss Herschel

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • November 10, 2025
A re-blog from years past. The item you see here is a small piece of what once was. Upon her visit to Europe as a young woman’s chaperone in 1857 –1858, Maria Mitchell visited many of the major observatories of Europe and met many of the movers and shakers in the scientific, art, and literary worlds of the continent. While Caroline Herschel (1750 – 1848) and her brother, Sir William (1738 – 1822), were long dead, Maria was able to meet Caroline’s nephew (William’s son), Sir John Herschel (1792 – 1871). All three were astronomers, though Caroline found herself having to give credit – or have her brother accept credit – for much of her work because she was a woman. She has often been credited with the being the first woman to discover a comet. She was likely not – and the other woman who was the first lost credit through history as she had to “give” her comet discovery to her husband. See a pattern? Caroline was just one of many women in a long line of, “She couldn’t possibly do that – she is a woman!” As Maria once said, “But a woman, what more could you ask to be?” But back to this small item. It was a page from one of Caroline Herschel’s notebook’s, torn from its home by John Herschel to serve a s a memento for Maria of her visit to the family’s home. Maria was a bit shocked but . . . she took it! Over the years, the paper tore and ripped and just crumbled away until Maria finally decided that to save it, she needed to past it into one of her own journals. And thus, we have what we have. I assume Caroline’s notations refer to her brother William – “Wol” and Woll.” It could be an “I” but it really looks like an “O.” She is considered the world’s first professional woman astronomer – she would be compensated for her work after some time – and she warrants a greater look at – too much for a blog. So I encourage you to go take a look at her. Maria would want you to! JNLF

From The Rear

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • November 3, 2025
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