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Labor Day Weekend at the Museum!

A Panorama Festival Labor Day WeekendCelebrate Labor Day Weekend at Mystic Seaport Museum with a Panorama Festival

The weather looks great for Labor Day weekend, and we are ready to celebrate the end of an amazing summer with our Panorama Festival, which runs from Saturday, September 4th – Monday, September 6th.

This adventure-packed event celebrates cultural diversity and will feature hands-on activities for kids and adults as well as food trucks, live music, dancing, crafts, demonstrations, and more. From the Azores to West Africa, and Brazil to Hawaii, visitors will experience different cultural activities and cuisine from around the world.

The festival is centered around a 1275-foot-long painting, A Spectacle in Motion: The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World, which details the fascinating voyage of a typical mid-19th century New Bedford whaleship on its journey ‘round the world’ in pursuit of whales. Along the way, it depicts scenes (some from the artists’ experiences, some historic, and some imagined) in such far-flung places as the Azores, Cape Verde, Brazil, Tahiti, and Hawaii. People, places, vessels, wildlife, and events spring to life as they were seen from a 19th-century perspective. The painting is being shown in sections in an exhibition at the Museum, which runs through March 2022.

Among the highlights of this event is an authentic Hula Demonstration by the Kaiholunuie Polynesian Dance Company (KPDC). Their performance company consists of a thriving multicultural group who come together as extended ohana (family), to teach the art of, and deeper meanings of the hula, as well as other forms of Polynesian dance. Their performance will be on Saturday from 3 – 3:45 p.m. and includes audience participation.

For the sea-chantey-loving crowd, the cast of the hit Off-Broadway musical comedy The Imbible: Rum and Pirates will perform a selection of sea chanteys and nautical songs on Monday from 2:30 -3 p.m. to provide a unique a cappella soundtrack to The Grand Panorama voyage.

Those who enjoy food trucks and authentic cuisine from around the world will be happy to feast on eats from Merengue & Reds (Dominican), Suya (Nigerian), Captain Scott’s (local seafood), Go Truck Yourself (Peruvian), and Hometown Poke (Hawaiian).

The Mystic Seaport Museum is happy to present this event and all its accompanying activities as part of the Museum admission, with no extra cost. It will also be the last weekend to take advantage of Connecticut’s Summer at the Museum program, where all Connecticut children and one accompanying adult are admitted free of charge. Hope to see you there!

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Last Chance for CT Kids to Visit Mystic Seaport Museum For Free On Labor Day!

Mystic Seaport Museum hosting special “End of Summer” celebration during last free weekend

Mystic, Conn., AUG. 27, 2021 – On the last free weekend at Mystic Seaport Museum, the museum staff wants to thank the public by making the weekend extra special! There will be fun-filled festivities celebrating The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World exhibit, including a Hula demonstration by a Polynesian Dance Company, Cape Verdean Music and Dance, and Sea Music. The exhibit will last through March, but this is the last chance to see it for free.

The Grand Panorama is a 1,275-foot-long painting shown in sections at the museum. Painted in 1848, it depicts in fascinating detail the voyage of a whaleship on its journey around the globe.

On top of all this, there will be a full weekend of special programs and hands-on activities for kids and adults, celebrating the cultures, food, music, and journeys, from the Azores to West Africa, and Brazil to Hawaii, of The Grand Panorama. This is one event you won’t want to miss!

“At this end-of-summer event, we want to thank everyone who visited us this summer. We had a tremendous amount of visitors during the Free Museum Program, and we want to thank everyone for coming by putting on this special event for you,” said Peter Armstrong, the Museum President and CEO.

“Also, it will be the last chance to see the stunning Charles W. Morgan whaling ship out of the water. When the Morgan is out of the water it can be observed in its full magnificence.”

The Morgan, the last wooden whale ship in the world, will go back in the water shortly after Labor Day.

The Museum was able to offer free admission to visitors through Connecticut’s Summer at the Museum program. Even though the funding for that has already been used up, the Museum decided to continue to offer free passes so the public could benefit from its offerings.

Some highlights of the Labor Day festival include:

All events and activities are included in Museum admission. Connecticut children and one accompanying adult are Free with Connecticut’s Summer at the Museum program all weekend.

 ABOUT MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM:

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.”

The Mystic Seaport Museum grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship still in existence. At Mystic Seaport Museum, we strive to create an environment where visitors not only learn from us, but we learn from them. The concept is called Public History and it allows our visitors to experience history in ways they haven’t before.

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Two Weeks Left for CT Kids Free Program

If you haven’t made your way over to Mystic Seaport Museum this summer, there are a couple more weeks to take advantage of free admission. Connecticut children ages 18 and under – plus one accompanying adult – can visit Mystic Seaport Museum for free through September 6. The program, which was announced earlier this summer by Gov. Ned Lamont, is part of an effort to provide students and families with educational and enrichment experiences using COVID-19 recovery funds.

“After a traumatic year where children were cooped up in front of a computer screen, we are pleased to offer an outdoors learning experience, where they can be outside, go for a boat ride, and learn new things — but most important, get out in the fresh air and have fun with their family,” said Museum President Peter  Armstrong.

Eligibility for the program requires children and adults to be Connecticut residents. Participants are encouraged to complete a brief form   on the Museum’s website to order free admission tickets in advance of visiting. Mystic Seaport Museum does not limit the number of free visits families may enjoy during the program. Everyone who qualifies for free admission may attend any day of their choosing.

You will find no shortage of fun and exhibits when you visit the Museum. Included in admission is A Spectacle in Motion: The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World. The Panorama is the longest painting in North America, owned and conserved by the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The painting is more than 1250 feet long and recreates the experience of a whaling voyage of the 1840s. The painting depicts the voyage of a typical mid-19th century New Bedford whaleship on its journey ‘round the world’ in pursuit of whales. The details are stunning and mesmerizing and depict scenes in Azores, Cape Verde, Brazil, Tahiti, and Hawaii.

To purchase your free admission tickets, visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/visit/ct-kids-free-admission/.

No matter your age, you’ll want to visit the Mystic Seaport Museum, but if you qualify – be sure to take advantage of Connecticut Kids Free Admission.

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