Manchester by the Sea Museum

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Manchester by the Sea Museum The Museum also functions as a cultural center, hosting lectures, art shows, and family events centered on Cape Ann history.

The Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum is located at the 1823 Abigail Hooper Trask House, formerly the residence of the only unmarried woman in Massachusetts to build her own business and her own home! The on-site History Center includes our archives and collections, which help us interpret the town's past as well as Manchester-By-The-Sea's place in Massachusetts history. You can view our 2023 event schedule under Events, where you can meet local experts and fellow enthusiasts in fields like historic preservation and nautical, colonial, and Indigenous history! We're currently closed due to renovations, and will reopen in September. Our regular hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 - 3, and Sundays 1 - 4. We're located at 10 Union Street in Manchester-By-The-Sea, with nearby on-street parking and a public parking lot behind the 1809 Meetinghouse. For those reaching us by train, the Manchester Commuter Rail Station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line is located 2 1/2 blocks away. Our building is handicap-accessible from our main courtyard entrance on the right side of the building. Please call 978-526-7230 or email [email protected] with any questions regarding visits, event rentals, and group rates.

Tomorrow! Zig Zag Journeys in England and the QM2 with Director Matthew Swindell - read more, and don't miss it
10/14/2026

Tomorrow! Zig Zag Journeys in England and the QM2 with Director Matthew Swindell - read more, and don't miss it

Fall Speaker Series: Zig Zag Journeys in England and the QM2. Thursday, October 15, 6 to 8 PM. Matthew Swindell, director of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum, will talk about his recent whirlwind tour of southern England and crossing on the Queen Mary 2. Doors open at 6 PM and speaker begins at 6:30...

Come experience the exhibit at the Manchester by the Sea Museum! Open 11-4 today. Today we feature Juni van D**e and her...
10/11/2026

Come experience the exhibit at the Manchester by the Sea Museum! Open 11-4 today. Today we feature Juni van D**e and her entry "Forster Flag", Pastel on paper. The Forster Flag presented to Juni as not only a profound symbol of American history but as an image compatible with her interest in pastels. Several of her pastels are featured in the permanent collection at Cape Ann Museum. A select group of her pastels are carried throughout the country by the home furnishing company "RoomandBoard"

It is a beautiful autumn day for the Cape Ann Plein Air Quick Draw, and your local museum is enjoying not only the paint...
10/10/2026

It is a beautiful autumn day for the Cape Ann Plein Air Quick Draw, and your local museum is enjoying not only the painters 🎨 (including Nikolay Mikushkin at our portico), but also baked goodies 🍪 from Christine's Bakery by the Sea! Museum open today until 4 PM.

Looking forward to our November 15 event with Nathaniel Philbrick, who will speak on his New York Times "Most Anticipate...
10/09/2026

Looking forward to our November 15 event with Nathaniel Philbrick, who will speak on his New York Times "Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of 2026" and Los Angeles Times "Best Book of the Fall" - The Rush. The author reveals how California’s Gold Rush forged the modern United States - and lit the long fuse to civil war. Don't miss it! Tickets available on our website 🎤🪙

Teen Art Afternoon: Sculpting with Kady! We run a program every MERSD half day next up Beading in November, be sure to c...
10/07/2026

Teen Art Afternoon: Sculpting with Kady! We run a program every MERSD half day next up Beading in November, be sure to check us out Manchester by the Sea Museum 🎨

We are open on this beautiful fall day, 10 - 3 🍁🍂 The "Manchester, The Revolution, and The War" exhibit continues and to...
10/07/2026

We are open on this beautiful fall day, 10 - 3 🍁🍂 The "Manchester, The Revolution, and The War" exhibit continues and today we feature John Abisamra's "The March of Battle". John's real passion is to capture the beauty of our landscape through the eye of his camera. He tries to capture the uniqueness each season brings along with the magic light that exists... and is drawn to images where nature and man made elements meet. You can learn more about John at windowoflight.weebly.com 🎨🖌

10/06/2026

We're looking back at summer ☀️ and giving a big belated thank you to the Manchester By-The-Sea Cultural Council for their grant which helped us return the wonderful Woodland Spark Trio to our annual Festival by the Sea Open House, and we're reminding you that Christine's Bakery by the Sea is returning to the Museum this Saturday, October 10, for more baked goodies 🍪 during Cape Ann Plein Air Quick Draw (starting 9 AM!)!

Come experience the exhibit at the Manchester by the Sea Museum! Today we feature Kata Hull and her entry "Forster Flag,...
10/02/2026

Come experience the exhibit at the Manchester by the Sea Museum! Today we feature Kata Hull and her entry "Forster Flag, Reimagined". Kata was inspired to remake a former flag piece of her own into a reimagined Forster Flag. Much of Kata's work involves drawing and painting in mixed media, including pencils, acrylics, wax and oil sticks, all of which were used in this piece. You can learn more about Kata at katahull.com🎨🖌

Sharing!
09/30/2026

Sharing!

A roadster in Manchester-By-The-Sea in about 1930. (The town was known simply as Manchester before 1990.) The shop window was advertising 'outing classes'.

Today we feature Marion Hall's entries in our "Manchester, The Revolution, and The War" exhibit. Her watercolors depict ...
09/30/2026

Today we feature Marion Hall's entries in our "Manchester, The Revolution, and The War" exhibit. Her watercolors depict William Tuck's rescue and his historic home. Marion's work renders real subjects with an impressionist’s style using vivid color, light and shadow, reflection, and sufficient detail to reveal new insights into the world around her. You can learn more about Marion .org/members/marion-hall/ 🎨🖌 🇺🇸

Address

10 Union Street
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
01944

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Friday 10am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

(978) 526-7230

Website

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