Basic Sail Maker Skills: Dacron Lunch Bag
Learn how to work with Dacron sailcloth on our modern Sailrite sewing machines. No sewing experience necessary.
Basic Sail Maker Skills: Ditty Bag
Spend four evenings in October creating your own canvas ditty bag using traditional sail maker techniques. You will stitch, rope, splice and grommet with our traditional sail makers.
Intermediate sail maker skills: Dacron zipper toiletry bag
Learn how to install a zipper in Dacron sailcloth on our modern Sailrite sewing machines. Sewing experience required.
Dining with the Life-Saving Service
In the 1870s, the men of the new Life-Saving Service saved drowning sailors—and had to cook for themselves. Tour our historic Life-Saving Station with an interpreter, then make your way to the Buckingham-Hall House to prepare the hearty foods enjoyed by these brave men.
Chowder
Chowder is one of New England’s most iconic dishes. We’ll make chowder and accompaniments from historic recipes in our 1830s kitchen and then sit down to dinner in the Buckingham-Hall dining room.
New England Apples
Fall is the season for apples! Enjoy an evening of seasonal favorites by the open hearth. Learn how apples were used, preserved, and cooked in the 19th century. Try your hand at a few recipes and enjoy the fruits of your labor at the end of class.
Farm to Table
Come enjoy the best of the New England harvest as it would have been cooked in the 19th century. Museum interpreters will share information about seasonal produce from local farmers and fisheries and teach participants how to prepare it on an open hearth. End the evening by sitting down to a delicious dinner in the historic Buckingham-Hall House.
Holiday Bakes
Experience the magic of a 19th-century New England holiday season! Learn how to prepare traditional yuletide treats on our hearth and then snuggle up with a hot beverage to learn about how the holidays would have been celebrated in an 1830s home.
Letterpress Bookmark Workshop
Craft your own history! Bring your favorite quote, and design and set type on your own custom printed bookmarks on our 19th-century hand press. No experience? No problem! Spots are limited, so don’t miss out!
Letterpress Coaster Workshop
Craft your own history! Design and set type on your own custom printed drink coasters on our 19th-century hand press. Make a full day of it for a good cause and take your coasters with you over to Schaefer’s Spouter Tavern to participate in Nickel Beer Day! No experience? No problem! Spots are limited, so don’t miss out!
Letterpress Holiday Card Workshop
The Holidays are upon us! Reserve a space to create your own custom holiday cards. Bring your creativity and design and set type on your own custom printed holiday cards on our 19th-century hand press. No experience? No problem! Spots are limited, and this experience tends to sell out, so reserve today!
Celestial Navigation in the Age of Sail
Discover the timeless art of celestial navigation as practiced during the Age of Sail. Drawing directly from the logbooks of the famed whaleship Charles W. Morgan, this program offers a hands-on journey into the methods that guided 19th-century mariners. Participants will learn to use, calibrate, and adjust sextants; “shoot the sun” to determine latitude and longitude; and correct for dip, refraction, and other factors. Just as navigators once did, you’ll apply pencil-and-paper calculations to chart a course. The class is created and taught by Frank Reed, one of the world’s foremost experts in celestial navigation and an astronomy consultant on the 2022 expedition that located Shackleton’s Endurance.
Modern Celestial Navigation
Learn the modern, practical techniques of celestial navigation in this beginner-friendly course. Participants will learn to use, calibrate, and adjust sextants, then “shoot the sun” to determine latitude and longitude. You’ll correct sights for dip, refraction, and other variables, and calculate the Sun’s GHA and Declination using both modern tables and the standard Nautical Almanac. Designed for beginners, the course requires only basic math skills—if you can add and subtract, you can navigate by the Sun. The class is created and taught by Frank Reed, one of the world’s leading experts in celestial navigation and an astronomy consultant on the 2022 expedition that discovered Shackleton’s Endurance.
Advanced Celestial Navigation
Sail by the stars! Building on the skills introduced in the Modern Celestial Navigation workshop, this course expands from Sun sights to include star sights under all conditions. Participants will learn to find general position fixes from the Sun, cross lines of position for latitude and longitude during the day, and take star sights at twilight. Under the dome of the Museum’s Treworgy Planetarium, you’ll explore key constellations and star-finding techniques. With hands-on practice in sextant use, and the fascinating math and history behind the methods, you’ll gain the knowledge and tools needed to cross any ocean. The course is taught by Frank Reed, one of the world’s leading experts in celestial navigation and nautical astronomy.
Step into the forge at Mystic Seaport Museum and experience the timeless craft of blacksmithing. Under the guidance of expert instructors, you will learn to shape hot iron using traditional tools and techniques once essential to maritime life. From striking the anvil to forming hooks or nails, each hammer blow reveals the artistry and strength of this historic trade. Held in authentic shipyard surroundings, this hands-on class connects you to the skills that built vessels, outfitted sailors, and supported seaport communities. By the end, you will take home both a finished piece and a deeper appreciation for maritime craftsmanship.
Introduction to Blacksmithing
Guided by a Museum blacksmith, try your hand at a new skill and make your own hook.
Beginner Blacksmithing
Learn a new skill in 3 weeks and take home your hand forged items.
Intermediate Blacksmithing
Advance your blacksmithing skills in 3 weeks.
Step into the Museum’s Carve Shop and explore the artistry of traditional wood carving. Designed for beginners and those eager to expand their skills, the program includes an introduction to wood carving, where you’ll gain essential knowledge under the guidance of a seasoned carver. From there, each class builds on your abilities and opens new possibilities. By the end, you’ll carry forward both practical skills and a lasting connection to maritime craft.
Introduction to Wood Carving
Begin your carving journey in the Museum’s Carve Shop. Gain tool control, creative vision, and confidence as you learn the basics of wood carving and complete a sample piece that lays the foundation for future projects.
Incise Letter Carving
Discover the art of carving letters and numbers with traditional hand tools. Learn to cut clean, precise characters and leave with the skills and confidence to create your own name board or custom sign.
High Relief Wood Carving
Advance your skills with high relief carving. Building on introductory techniques, you’ll learn to shape figures with depth and dimension while completing a project of your choosing under expert instruction.
Carve Tool Sharpening
Keep your tools in top form with essential sharpening techniques. Learn how to maintain and sharpen your carving tools—a vital skill for any woodcarver, whether hobbyist or professional.
Gold Leaf Gilding
Add brilliance to your work by mastering gold leaf application. In this class, learn to prepare surfaces and apply real gold leaf to bring luminous detail and maritime tradition to your carvings.
Introducing SeaClass: Digital Learning, the digital series that will inspire curious minds, near and far, through episodes specially curated by our museum experts. This season immerses us in the 19th-century whaling industry through stories, artifacts, and expert-led sessions that explore the impact of whaling then and now.
All episodes now streaming on YouTube.
Why did people hunt whales—and what impact did it have? Join Michael Dyer, Curator of Maritime History, for a deep dive into the motivations and legacy of the whaling industry.
Discover the often-overlooked stories of women in whaling history—their roles, contributions, and challenges. Featuring Maria Petrillo, Director of Interpretation.
What parts of a whale were used—and how? Join Professor Jim Carlton of Williams College as we examine whale anatomy and its many historical applications.
How did sailors find their way at sea? Learn about the tools and techniques of maritime navigation with Brian Koehler, Associate Director of the Treworgy Planetarium.
Get an up-close look at the tools used by whalers at sea. Michael Dyer, Curator of Maritime History, breaks down how these tools worked—and what they tell us today.
Step aboard as we explore large-scale artifacts from the whaling era—ship parts, tools, and more—with Michael Dyer, Curator of Maritime History.
