Children of all ages are invited to listen in as Donald Soctomah, Passamaquoddy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and children’s book author, reads from his latest picture book, The Canoe Maker. Donald’s gift of storytelling will bring to life the story of David Moses Bridges, renowned birch bark canoe builder, as participants learn the cultural importance of birch in Passamaquoddy traditions. This is a virtual event. Event is FREE, but preregistration is required to receive the Zoom link.

Steambox Family Workshops are held one Saturday each month, October 2021-May 2022 from 10:30 am-12 pm OCTOBER 16, Maine Sea Monsters Come listen to some spooky legends of famous Maine Sea Monsters and learn the ecology behind such infamous monster sightings. Take inspiration from these marine legends to design and create your own take-home sea monster. Appropriate for all ages. Will contain some historical images that may be “scary” for the youngest of Sea Monster Sleuths. Sea Monsters costumes encouraged! NOVEMBER 20, Model Ship Building and Launching Learn the fundamental principles of buoyancy and build your own mini wooden vessel. Add a mast, sail, and ballast, then test its mettle in a launching pool! DECEMBER 18, Navigate Santa’s Journey Round the World Not every vessel is guided by a team of magical reindeer. Learn how navigation implements and methods changed through history by engaging hands-on with artifacts from Maine Maritime Museum’s collection. Using sextants, traverse boards, ship logs, nautical charts, and your imagination, see if you can plot Santa’s journey around the world, just like mariners in the Golden Age of Sail. JANUARY 29, Estuary Ecology Frozen marshlands and snowy grounds make winter the best time to study, track, and acquaint yourself with the remarkable animals of the Kennebec Estuary. Explore the most active sections of Maine Maritime Museum’s 20+ acre riverfront campus to identify, follow, and understand what animal tracks can tell us about this wildly diverse ecosystem. FEBRUARY 19, Make Your Own Logbook Calling all future-captains and crew! Prepare for your future journeys by learning the importance of keeping a logbook to record your adventures. Take inspiration as you examine real logbooks from our museum collection and learn some bookmaking techniques to craft your own logbook from scratch. MARCH 19, Mud-Season Microbiology Learn to make your own microscope slides and look at Maine’s Mud Season on a microscopic level. Participants will take samples from the banks of the Kennebec River on MMM’s campus, prepare slides, and discover the microscopic ecosystem living among the mud. APRIL 16, Spectral Imaging: Using Lightwaves to Learn about the Past Museum professionals use all types of technology to learn about the objects in their collection. Infrared and ultraviolet light can detect details and chemical compositions of artifacts and paintings not usually seen by the human eye. Participants will learn about the full light spectrum and its applications. Try-out MMM’s Full-Spectrum camera to discover new details about items from the museum collection. MAY 7, Shipwreck Detective Over 1,300 ships have wrecked off the coast of Maine, each with a story of danger, adventure, heroism, and tragedy. Explore our immersive “Shipwrecks and Salvage” exhibit to understand the technologies, risks, and preservation efforts involved in maritime archaeology, then dive into our historic shipyard to search for clues and solve the mystery of the wreck of an actual Maine vessel. These workshops are FREE, preregistration is required for each individual workshop (museum admission is included)   Generously sponsored by: