Does Anything from the Year 1776 Matter Today?
2025-09-04 19:00 - 20:00 UTC
Location: Mitchell Room, Castine Historical Society, 17 School Street, Castine
Reservations required for in-person attendance. Click here to RSVP or for the link to watch online.
The Declaration of Independence is a fixture of American culture and the reason that many of us try to spend time with family, picnic, and watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. This illustrated talk looks at the text of the famous document (“all men are created equal . . . with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”) and considers some of its late-eighteenth century context. This will set the stage for a discussion about the meaning of the Declaration’s political ideals as well as its more sordid qualities for US public life today.
Liam Riordan is a history professor at the University of Maine who specializes in the American Revolution. He is the co-editor of What We Know, What We Wish: Maine Statehood, Historical Commemoration, and the Urgency of Public History, forthcoming from UMass Press in June 2025. He helps to organize National History Day in Maine, a statewide research contest for grade 6-12 students. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust in Orland, Maine; the City of Bangor’s Historic Preservation Commission; and the Collections Committee of the Wilson Museum in Castine.

Mondays Shuck! Oysters at the Pentagöet
2025-09-08 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-09-15 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-09-22 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-09-29 17:00 - 20:00
Who’s ready for a shucking good time? Presenting “Mondays Shuck!” Oyster Pop-ups in the courtyard of the Pentagöet Inn! (26 Main Street / Castine, Maine)
The inn has partnered with five local oyster farms to bring weekly oyster nights to Castine: @tapleycoveoyster + @deerisleoysterco + @waukeagneckoyster + @fishcreekoysters + @besodelmaroysters
Starting June 23 through September 29 from 5-8pm, slurp to your hearts desire and learn direct from the farmers themselves about our favorite bivalves. Plus, the inn will be pouring bubbles and more 🥂🥂 It’s first come, first shucked—no reservations required! We’re excited to open Mondays for this special event series. The schedule:
JUNE
6.23: Tapley Cove Oyster Co.
6.30: Deer Isle Oyster Co.
JULY
7.7: Waukeag Neck Oyster Co.
7.14: Castine’s Bastille Day Celebration!
7.21: Tapley Cove Oyster Co.
7.28: Deer Isle Oyster Co.
AUGUST
8.4: Waukeag Neck Oyster Co.
8.11: Beso del Mar
8.18: Tapley Cove Oyster Co.
8.25: Deer Isle Oyster Co.
SEPTEMBER
9.1: SPECIAL EVENT
9.8: Tapley Cove Oyster Co.
9.15: Fish Creek Oysters
9.22: Tapley Cove Oyster Co.
9.29: Deer Isle Oyster Co.

Maine Open Lighthouse Day
2025-09-13 09:00 - 15:00
This special event attracts between 15,000 to 18,000 visitors each year and offers the general public the rare opportunity to climb and learn about more than a dozen historic Maine lights. In Castine, visit Dyce Head Lighthouse at the corner of Battle Avenue and Dyces Head Road. Coordinates: 44°22′ 57″ N 68°49′ 07″ W

Integrating Medicinal Mushrooms into Your Life at Wilson Museum
2025-09-16 10:00 - 12:00
Join mycologist and author Greg Marley for a medicinal mushroom talk focused on the common Northeastern wild and cultivated mushrooms providing health benefits in our lives and available in the woods or foraged in a good market. In an age of increasing stress and escalating health care costs, many people seek healthy self-care practices in order to achieve and maintain optimum health. These can also complement mainstream medicine for improved health maintenance or during those times when our health is compromised by illness, stress or disease. We benefit from generations of traditional healers around the world who have walked before us and utilized mushrooms and plants for their healing potential. Now increasingly western science is confirming the value of mushrooms as healing agents and aids to mental wellness. Integrating medicinal mushrooms into our normal diet or as dietary supplements can help us all maintain good health.
Biography: Greg Marley has been studying, growing, collecting and cooking wild mushrooms for 50 years. He teaches mushroom identification and ecology to hundreds of new foragers as well as consulting in cases of mushroom poisoning across Northern New England. Greg is the author of Mushrooms for Health; Medicinal Secrets of Northeastern Fungi (2009) and Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares, The Love Lore and Mystique of Mushrooms (2010). Marley lives and mushrooms along the coast of Maine. When not mushrooming he works as a mental health trainer and consultant in suicide prevention and response after a traumatic loss.
Register: This presentation is free of charge and can be attended in person or virtually on Zoom. To attend virtually, visit the Wilson Museum event page. No registration is needed for in-person attendance.
This program is part of the Wilson Museum’s program series Connecting to Collections: Curiosity, Culture, Climate made possible through the generous support of Bangor Savings Bank.

Wilson Museum Book Discussion – The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
2025-09-16 16:00 - 17:30
Location: Hutchins Education Center 112 Perkins Street / Castine, Maine
Register for this book discussion here.
This month’s book: NATIONAL BESTSELLER. 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Winner. Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a mystery that will haunt the survivors, unravel a family, and remain unsolved for nearly fifty years.
A Wilson Museum-inspired book discussion series.
There are all sorts of great books out there that can be connected to our museum and mission in some way – from how we think about museums, to encountering more about the cultures and objects we share through our exhibits, to fun ways to explore history. And rather than just read and think about these on her own, Executive Director Julia Gray wants to invite you all to read and talk about some of these books with her! The discussions will be offered both in-person and on Zoom.
Our 2025 book discussion series will contain three books:

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer | Tuesday, May 20

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters | Tuesday, September 16

Tangleroot by Kalela Williams | Tuesday, November 18

Participation in all three is not required. Join whichever discussion piques your interest!

Common Ground Country Fair
2025-09-19 09:00 - 18:00, 2025-09-20 09:00 - 18:00, 2025-09-21 09:00 - 17:00
The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s (MOFGA) annual celebration of rural living features 1000-plus exhibitors and speakers, and emphasizes vibrant communities, sustainable living and local economies, while highlighting organic agriculture. 294 Crosby Brook Road / Unity, Maine.

Castine Film Festival
2025-09-20

Barncastle 2025 Concert Series
2025-09-20 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-10-04 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-10-11 19:30 - 21:30
The Barn at Barncastle invites you to their delightful summer concert series, featuring a range of talented musicians. For details and tickets, please visit here.
The Barn is stocked with a bar, but no food. Consider making a reservation at the Barncastle restaurant adjacent to the venue beforehand!
125 South Street / Blue Hill, Maine

Last Day of the Season at Wilson Museum
2025-09-30 10:00 - 17:00
107 Perkins Street / Castine, Maine.

Maine Maritime Academy Homecoming Weekend
2025-10-03 - 2025-10-04

WHERE2025: The Walks for Historical and Ecological Recovery
2025-10-04
WHERE2025 WILL CHALLENGE WIDELY ACCEPTED NARRATIVES AND SILENCES AND CONTRIBUTE TO ONGOING PROCESSES OF TRUTH-SEEKING AND TRANSFORMATION, CATALYZING AND GALVANIZING ANTIRACIST AND DECOLONIAL HISTORICAL RECOVERY MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE STATE.
TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH, THE EFFORT WILL INVOLVE PARTICIPATORY ARCHIVAL RESEARCH, PUBLIC HISTORY LITERACY-BUILDING, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING, SITE-SPECIFIC LEARNING, STORYTELLING, COLLECTIVE DIALOGUE AND CARE PRACTICES, ARTISTIC INTERVENTIONS, RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, AND—OF COURSE—WALKING.
Click here for more information.

Maine Maritime Academy Parents Weekend
2025-10-10 - 2025-10-12

Last Day of the Season at Castine Historical Society
2025-10-13 10:00 - 16:00

Spooky Songs with Singer-Songwriter Gordon Thomas Ward
2025-10-17 19:00 - 20:00
112 Perkins Street / Castine, Maine.
Get in the spooky spirit with singer-songwriter Gordon Thomas Ward, of Winter Harbor, Maine, as he pairs his love of history with his talent for storytelling.
Grammy-balloted singer-songwriter Gordon Thomas Ward will take us on a spirited journey through history with his enchanting storytelling. Back for his sixth performance at the Wilson Museum, this performance will feature alternative folk tunes that will get us in the spooky spirit.
Gordon provides a unique concert experience by pairing his natural storytelling and experience as a teacher with music inspired by singer-songwriters of the late 1960s through the 1970s. Listeners of all ages can experience a heartfelt connection to the past as Gordon enlivens history with extraordinary and captivating words and music about various events in American history.
This performance is free of charge with donations welcomed to support the museum’s work.
Learn more about this talented songwriter and his portfolio by visiting his website: www.gordonthomasward.com.
This performance is part of our Music at the Museum series.

Explore the Castine Town Cemetery
2025-10-18 10:00 - 11:00
Rain Date: Saturday, October 25
Location: Begins at Castine Town Cemetery on Court Street
Reservations: Required to attend. Click here to RSVP.
Join Georgia Zildjian, Educator at the Wilson Museum, and Lisa Simpson Lutts, the former Executive Director of the Castine Historical Society, for an hour-long walking tour of the Castine Cemetery. Participants will learn about the history of Castine’s cemetery. In addition, attendees will visit the graves of up to ten Castine residents whose lives were fascinating, unique, and who made a difference to the town. We will learn about men, women and children from all walks of life while telling their stories. This is a joint program between the Castine Historical Society and the Wilson Museum, two separate institutions in Castine.
There will be walking on uneven terrain, and participants are encouraged to wear good walking shoes. There is no parking in the cemetery, so participants should be prepared to park on Court Street and walk up the hill to the cemetery.
Reservations are required and the tour is limited to 15 people. We anticipate this to be a popular event so it will be also offered on Sunday, October 19.

Explore the Castine Town Cemetery
2025-10-19 10:00 - 11:00
Rain Date: Saturday, October 26
Location: Begins at Castine Town Cemetery on Court Street
Reservations: Required to attend. Click here to RSVP.
Join Georgia Zildjian, Educator at the Wilson Museum, and Lisa Simpson Lutts, the former Executive Director of the Castine Historical Society, for an hour-long walking tour of the Castine Cemetery. Participants will learn about the history of Castine’s cemetery. In addition, attendees will visit the graves of up to ten Castine residents whose lives were fascinating, unique, and who made a difference to the town. We will learn about men, women and children from all walks of life while telling their stories. This is a joint program between the Castine Historical Society and the Wilson Museum, two separate institutions in Castine.
There will be walking on uneven terrain, and participants are encouraged to wear good walking shoes. There is no parking in the cemetery, so participants should be prepared to park on Court Street and walk up the hill to the cemetery.
Reservations are required and the tour is limited to 15 people. We anticipate this to be a popular event so it will be also offered on Saturday, October 18.

We're Morocco Bound! at Wilson Museum
2025-10-21 18:00 - 19:00
112 Perkins Street / Castine, Maine.
It’s been said that the most efficient search of an unmapped territory takes the form of a random walk. So, let’s accompany retired legal anthropologist Larry Rosen on such a walk through an Arab town, seeing elements of everyday life and features that paint the background to an understanding of Islam and Muslim cultures generally. Along the way we will consider the workings of the Middle Eastern bazaar, the situation of women in Islamic law, and relations among confessional groups. As Bing Crosby and Bob Hope said in the famous movie Road to Morocco, “Like Webster’s Dictionary, we’re Morocco bound!”
This presentation is free of charge and can be attended in person or virtually on Zoom. To attend virtually, register using the button below. No registration is needed for in-person attendance.
Click here to register to attend via zoom.

Wilson Museum Book Discussion – Tangleroot by Kalela Williams
2025-11-18 16:00 - 17:30
Location: Hutchins Education Center 112 Perkins Street / Castine, Maine
Register for this book discussion here.
This month’s book: Noni Reid has grown up in the shadow of her mother, Dr. Radiance Castine, renowned scholar of Black literature, who is alarmingly perfect at just about everything. When Dr. Castine takes a job as the president of the prestigious Stonepost College in rural Virginia, Noni is forced to leave her New England home and, most importantly, a prime internship and her friends. She and her mother move into the “big house” on Tangleroot Plantation.
A Wilson Museum-inspired book discussion series.
There are all sorts of great books out there that can be connected to our museum and mission in some way – from how we think about museums, to encountering more about the cultures and objects we share through our exhibits, to fun ways to explore history. And rather than just read and think about these on her own, Executive Director Julia Gray wants to invite you all to read and talk about some of these books with her! The discussions will be offered both in-person and on Zoom.
Our 2025 book discussion series will contain three books:

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer | Tuesday, May 20

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters | Tuesday, September 16

Tangleroot by Kalela Williams | Tuesday, November 18

Participation in all three is not required. Join whichever discussion piques your interest!

Annual Pentagöet Christmas Party
2025-12-05 17:00 - 20:00
Come enjoy hors d’oeuvres, an open wine & beer bar, and warm company—just bring an unwrapped toy for the Inn’s annual Toys-for-Tots drive!
At the Pentagoet Inn, 26 Main Street / Castine, Maine.

Light Up Castine with Santa Claus at the Inn
2025-12-06
This is the Castine Merchants Association annual fundraiser, and once again the Man in Red himself will be greeting kids young and old, bringing along his treasure chest and fresh gingerbread. This event is FREE and open to the public. Time details to come. At the Pentagoet Inn, 26 Main Street / Castine, Maine.
