Custom House Maritime Museum Newburyport

08/31/2026

NEXT IN THE FIRST FRIDAY LECTURE SERIES:
Paddling Through Time: The Long History of Canoes in New England
Presented by Dr. Robert Goodby

For thousands of years, canoes were central to the lives of Native Americans in New England. Travel by canoe connected people within and between the major watersheds, creating social and economic alliances and distributing scarce resources to far-flung communities linked by ties of kinship and common culture. European settlers, traders, and explorers adopted Native canoe technology in the 17th and 18th centuries, and a few dozen dugout canoes have since been recovered from the bottoms of ponds and lakes across northern New England.

Join archaeologist Dr. Robert Goodby to discover what we’ve learned from these recovered canoes, including six from New Hampshire that have only recently been carbon-dated.

Robert Goodby is a Professor of Anthropology at Franklin Pierce University. He earned his PhD in anthropology from Brown University and has over thirty years of experience excavating Native American archaeological sites in New England. He is a past president of the New Hampshire Archeological Society, a former Trustee of the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, and served on the New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs. His book, A Deep Presence: 13,000 Years of Native American History, was awarded the 2023 People's Choice Award for Non-Fiction by the New Hampshire Writer's Project.

08/29/2026

Today on Super Cool Saturday: a ship most foul

Have you ever wondered by some of the ship models in the museum have copper on the hulls?

When barnacles, ship worms, algae and other little critters attach themselves to the hull of a ship it's called biofouling. It can slow down a ship by 50%.

The solution was lining the hulls with copper sheeting - something that could be seen on more than a few of Newburyport's tall ships. The more you know ✨

08/26/2026

The Custom House hosted a fantastic back-to-school cookout last night for the River Valley Charter School community!

Students, families and staff gathered Tuesday evening to connect with classmates, catch up with peers, and celebrate the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

Good luck to RVCS staff and students for the coming year!

08/24/2026

⚓ Love history? Become a face of Newburyport’s maritime heritage! ⚓

The Custom House Maritime Museum is looking for passionate volunteers to join our team. Step back in time and help us bring history to life inside our spectacular historic structure, originally built in 1835.

If you love meeting new people and sharing local stories, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

What You Will Do:
🔹 Welcome visitors from all over the world with a friendly smile.
🔹 Provide excellent visitor services and share information about our exhibits.
🔹 Manage the front desk as the main point of contact.
🔹 Handle simple transactions in our museum shop.

Why Volunteer With Us?
🔹 Work inside a beautiful, historic 1835 landmark.
🔹 Give back to the local Newburyport community.
🔹 Meet fellow history lovers and museum enthusiasts.
🔹 Gain unique experience in cultural heritage and hospitality.

No prior museum experience is required—we provide all the training you need! Whether you can spare a few hours a week or a couple of days a month, we would love to have you aboard.

📩 How to Apply:
Ready to make a difference? DM us directly on Facebook or give us a call.
Help us keep Newburyport's maritime history sailing forward. Please share this post with anyone who might be interested!

08/22/2026

Today on Super Cool Saturday: an afternoon in May, 1906

This 120 year old image shows State Street in Newburyport in May of 1906.

People are milling about the stores and horse-drawn carriages are parked alongside the sidewalks. Streetcar tracks run up the center of the dirt road.

Hubbard Clothier, opened in September 1888, was a prominent storefront located at 80 State Street. Frank B. Hubbard sold high-end apparel which he advertised as “Only good clothes. But no costlier than the ordinary kind.” Mr. Hubbard was known for his “reefer” coats - more commonly called a pea coat today.

Mr. Hubbard ran his business successfully through the turn of the century and catered to the upper-middle classes of post-industrial life. He closed the store around 1914 when he retired from business to focus on work with local charitable organizations.

This photograph is part of the CHMM collections.

08/20/2026

The countdown to fall is on, but the Custom House is still in full summer mode! 🏛️✨

There are officially three more Revolutionary Summer Saturdays left in the season. If you haven't made it out yet—or want to come back for more—now is the time.

This is a completely free, drop-in program with games, crafts, scavenger hunts, and more!

Bring the family, dive into some incredible history, and make the most of these final summer weekends. See you this Saturday!

Need something to keep you busy during the dog days of summer? There’s plenty to do at the Custom House!

There are still seats available for this month’s First Friday lecture "Charting the Voyages of Heirlooms: The Hunt for Relics of my Newburyport Seafaring Ancestors" by Dr. Tim Kendall. Dr. Kendall has spent years hunting for and collecting items telling the story of his Newburyport, seafaring ancestor and some of those items are on display in the museum.

Revolutionary Summer Saturdays are still happening every Saturday from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Stop by for FREE outdoor programming - games, crafts, scavenger hunts, and more! No need to register - this is a drop in program. Saturday programs continue through September 5th.

On Sundays, enjoy a free concert on the lawn from 4 to 6 pm. Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets and kick back on the lawn. Concerts run through September 6th. A complete line-up of performers can be found on the events page.

More details can be found on our Events page!

08/15/2026

Today on Super Cool Saturday: “Cars Stopped on the Very Bring of a Yawning Gap with Certain Death Below.”

This is the salvage of Boston and Maine Railroad locomotive No. 23 from the Merrimack River.

On the night of March 28, 1908 locomotive 23 ignored stop signals, smashed through wooden safety gates, and plunged off the open drawbridge. It plummeted 40 feet down and settled under 25 feet of water.

Breaking through the gates alerted the engineer to the danger and he applied the emergency air brakes. A newspaper reported “Cars stopped on the very brink of a yawning gap with certain death below.” Somehow, the passenger cars stopped in time, preventing a mass casualty incident.

Two divers were sent down to attach chain slings to the engine. The Boston steam lighter Esther C. raised the locomotive on April 6th before a large crowd on Newburyport bridge.

The engine was brought to Ring’s Island and towed away for repairs. It was renumbered as engine 1110 and returned to service before it was eventually scrapped in 1926.

No one really knows why the train crashed. It could have been the “False Proceed” illusion, where train engineers mistake city lights at night as green track signals. Or it could have been negligence. Who’s to say?

08/14/2026

It is with a heavy heart that the Custom House shares the passing of Thom Gould.

Thom was a longtime supporter of the museum, serving on the board as chairman, clerk, and historian. His wife Alice continues to support the museum through her extensive knowledge of local history. The Alice and Thom Gould gallery was named in recognition of their support of the institution.

By Thom’s request, there will be no funeral or calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Custom House Maritime Museum Endowment, 25 Water Street, Newburyport, MA 01950.

08/13/2026

Enter for a chance to win two tickets to the Masters Tournament - the most exclusive and sought-after tickets in professional sports.

🏆 THE GRAND PRIZE 🏆
2 Tickets to the 2027 Masters Tournament on April 11, 2027
Hotel room for 2 nights
VIP access to the Foundry at Rae’s Creek

Tickets are $100 each and only 400 tickets will be sold
The winning ticket will be drawn September 17 at the museum’s Seafaring Soiree Gala (you do not need to be present to win)

👇 HOW TO ENTER:
Purchase your tickets on the Custom House website (link is at the top of the homepage)
Select your desired number of entries (multiple entries are permitted).
Support a great cause: All proceeds directly support the museum.
Thank you for your support, and good luck to everyone who enters!