The holiday season will be celebrated with Victorian Christmas at Penobscot Marine Museum this year on Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th. The ship captain’s house will be open to the public with each room decorated for a Victorian Christmas by community groups and businesses, including the Congregational Church Women’s Fellowship Group, Searsport Historical Society, Searsport Beautification Committee, Blue Jacket Shipcrafters, Bangor Savings Bank and Searsport Antique Mall. There will be refreshments, music performed by boatbuilder Ralph Stanley and his fiddle group, and volunteers from Searsport’s Carver Library will be reading from 19th Christmas favorites.

Owners and staff of area businesses are invited to a party and special preview of Penobscot Marine Museum’s 2016 exhibits on Wednesday, May 18th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The museum’s theme Wish You Were here: Communicating Maine includes several exhibits; Historic Maine: A Postcard View, Acadia National Park: A Postcard View, and Maine: A Continuum of Place. Carl Little, author of Paintings of Maine, Art of the Maine Islands and Guest Curator of the museum’s exhibit Maine: A Continuum of Place will be attending, along with many of the artists represented in the exhibit. Photography Archivist Kevin Johnson will also be on hand to discuss the museum’s extensive historic photography and postcard collection featured in these exhibits.

Each business attending will receive a gift of five free passes to Penobscot Marine Museum. “We wanted to say thank you to all of our local businesses,” says Liz Lodge, the museum’s Executive Director. “These local businesses do so much for the community and for us, they help make this area vibrant.” Four of the twelve museum buildings will be open in this special preview: the ship captain’s house, Main Street Gallery, Visitors Center, and Merithew. The museum opens to the public on Saturday, May 28.

Edith Gawler and Bennett Konesni, who play banjo and fiddle and sing old-time music from Maine and beyond, will be playing at Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine for a Members Reception in Main Street Gallery on Friday, May 20, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Edith grew up in Belgrade, Maine as a member of the legendary Gawler Family Band. Together Edith & Bennett have played Maine music across the U.S. and around the world. This event is free to Penobscot Marine Museum members. Museum membership is available online or by calling 207-548-0334 or 2529.

The Net Result: Our Evolving Fisheries
2016 History Conference
Saturday, November 5, 2016
8:00 a.m. registration 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. conference
Postponed to a date to be determined
University of Maine Hutchinson Center
80 Belmont Ave., Belfast, Maine

This year's History Conference delves into statement: Human innovation and technology have proven to be too successful for the health of our fisheries and out local ecosystem.  Our line-up of scientists, historians, journalists, activists, consumers and fishermen will answer the question: How did this happen and what do we do now?

The score of the film will be performed live by Sumner and band-mate Josh Robbins. Proceeds from the film will benefit the Penobscot Marine Museum photo archives allowing more of these important historical photographs to become available to the world via the museum's online database. The event was underwritten through a generous sponsorship by Mathews Brothers and Coastal Healthcare Alliance. Beer will be provided by Marshall Wharf Brewing. Tickets are $20 with a limited number of VIP tickets for $50. 

History Conference
Saturday, April 8, 2017
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
University of Maine Hutchinson Center
80 Belmont Ave., Belfast, Maine

Student: $30
Museum Members: $50
Teacher/Non-Profit Employee: $50
Non-members: $60

This year’s History Conference delves into statement: Human innovation and technology have proven to be too successful for the health of our fisheries and our local ecosystem.  Our line-up of scientists, historians, journalists, activists, consumers and fishermen will answer the question:

How did this happen and what do we do now?

Ocean Frontiers III is a powerful film that chronicles efforts to plan for the healthy, safe, and sustainable future of our oceans. It explores the intersection of national security, maritime commerce, fishing, and recreation, plus expanding industries such as offshore wind energy and aquaculture, coupled with scientific discovery, and tells the story of how ocean planning helps us manage and balance all the uses of our ocean to keep it thriving for generations to come.

The evening will begin with a light reception, followed by the film and post-film Q&A with a panel of local experts.

Join us behind the scenes at PMM!
Volunteer Day and Yale Day of Service
This Saturday, May 6, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Come volunteer at the Museum and help us get ready for opening day. Great food, great people. See history up close. We provide the brooms and mops, you provide the elbow grease.

For more information call us at 207-548-2529. We thank you and we look forward to seeing you here!

Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10

Maine Marine Fare will celebrate all the foods from the abundant waters of coastal Maine. The two day program will include talks, panel discussions and educational tastings, featuring fishermen, food producers, aquaculturists, researchers and scientists, and members of the food and hospitality trades. It will end with a dinner called “Food from our Seas,” prepared by chef Sam Hayward with the assistance of Ladleah Dunn. Hayward, named “Best Chef in the Northeast” by the James Beard Association, co-owner and executive chef of Fore Street Restaurant in Portland, has been called “Maine’s Food Hero” for his promotion and innovative use of Maine food products from the land, the sea, and everywhere in between. Dunn is a chef, gardener, food consultant, and boat-builder in Lincolnville.

Dinner tickets are limited. Please call 207-548-2529 for availability.

Monday, November 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Colonial Theatre
163 High St, Belfast
$12 members, children and students
$15 non-members

We are excited to bring Portland based filmmaker Tonya Shevenell to the Colonial theatre to screen her film The Home Road.