Cape Ann Museum
27 Pleasant Street
Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930
Highlights Tours and Captain Elias Davis House Tours
Highlights Tours
Tuesdays – Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.
Docent-led Highlights Tours are included with admission and are offered on a first come, first served basis. Docents will share stories and information about pieces from the museum’s permanent and special exhibitions.
Captain Elias Davis House Tours
Fridays at 2:00 p.m.
Enjoy a docent tour of the first floor of the Davis House, furnished with period pieces and antiquities. The Captain Elias Davis House, located in Gloucester’s downtown neighborhood, was constructed between 1799 and 1804 and has been the headquarters of the Cape Ann Museum since 1923
Second Saturdays: Free Admission for Cape Ann Residents
Every Second Saturday the Cape Ann Museum is free for residents of the four communities that make up Cape Ann: Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, and Essex.
As a place-based Museum, CAM exists to share the lived experiences of all those who have been part of this region’s history and are part of its story today. Explore the galleries to learn see the story of the place where you live or choose one of the following ways to engage with the collection:
Events: https://www.capeannmuseum.org/events/
Exhibitions: https://www.capeannmuseum.org/exhibitions
Online exploration is available: http://fitzhenrylaneonline.org/homepage.php
For a virtual tour of the museum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=586d-s8HC3M&feature=youtu.be
Fitz Henry Lane Online: http://fitzhenrylaneonline.org
The Fitz Henry Lane House During Urban Renewal: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/urban-renewal-and-the-fitz-henry-lane-house/zAJibGPbOIKoKA
The Cape Ann Museum is located at 27 Pleasant Street in the heart of downtown Gloucester, Massachusetts, America’s oldest fishing port.
Cape Ann, which lies just north of Boston and includes the city of Gloucester and the towns of Rockport, Manchester and Essex, has been a leading center for artists since the 18th century, a maritime powerhouse and the source of granite for many major building projects up and down the East Coast.
The Cape Ann Museum houses the largest collection of work by native son and renowned marine artist, Fitz Henry Lane, as well as work by other prominent painters and sculptors who lived on, visited or were inspired by Cape Ann. The work of contemporary Cape Ann artists is also collected and exhibited. The permanent collection includes fine and decorative arts, and artifacts from the major industries of the area – the fisheries and granite quarrying.
Cape Ann Museum is fortunate to have the world’s single largest collection of works by Lane, America’s premier marine painter of the mid-19th century. Cape Ann Museum’s collection is comprised of drawings, lithographs, and oil paintings, all preserved and displayed in the town in which they were created. Recent enhancements to the Lane Gallery help bring the space more in line with the virtual resource Fitz Henry Lane Online, giving visitors a broader appreciation of the artist’s amazing talents. After viewing the Gallery, the tour will move on to Lane’s house, “the Stone Jug,” giving participants the chance to walk in the artist’s shoes.
In addition to its exhibition galleries, the Museum’s facilities include an auditorium, library/archives, a children’s activity center, two sculpture gardens and two historic homes. A rotating schedule of special exhibitions, related lectures, programs, guided tours and events is offered throughout the year.
Link to the Cape Ann Museum website: https://www.capeannmuseum.org
Cape Ann Museum are stewards of four historic structures:
The White-Ellery House (1710) has been owned by the Museum since 1947 and is one of just a handful of First Period structures in the region exhibiting much of its original interior detailing. Together with the rest of the Cape Ann Museum Green campus, the White-Ellery House today plays a vibrant role in engaging and connecting the community with contemporary art. Most recently the historic barn served as the backdrop for CAM Contemporary’s “In Gratitude” installation..
The Babson-Alling House (c.1740); an early New England barn (c. 1740); As we move into the final stages of work on the Museum’s new Collections Center and Education/ Exhibition flex space at the Cape Ann Museum Green, we look forward to beginning stabilization and preservation work on the Babson-Alling House (c. 1740), a treasure hiding in plain sight. Acquired by the Museum early last year, the House is a visual reminder of the Colonial-era settlement which once existed at Gloucester’s Town Green. With the support of private and public funders, the Museum looks forward to securing the envelope of the Babson-Alling House while preserving its historical integrity.
Captain Elias Davis House (c. 1799-1804) located in Gloucester’s downtown neighborhood, was constructed between 1799 and 1804 and has been the headquarters of the Cape Ann Museum since 1923. The House was built by “housewright” Jacob Smith who relied on architectural pattern books in his work and who is also credited with also building Gloucester’s Universalist Meeting House (c.1805). Image Credit: oldhouseonline.com
Link to the historic properties: https://www.capeannmuseum.org/visit/historic-properties/
Image Credits: capeannmuseum.org unless otherwise noted
