Cape Cod Museum of Natural History facts for kids
The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History is a cool museum in Brewster, Massachusetts. It teaches you all about the natural world and ancient history of the area. The museum has a main building with lots of exhibits. You can also explore an outdoor butterfly house. Plus, there are 400 acres (160 ha) of land with fun walking trails.
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| Former name | Cape Cod Junior Museum (1954–1959) Cape Cod Junior Museum of Natural History (1959–1962) |
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| Established | 20 February 1954 |
| Location | 869 Main Street, Brewster, Massachusetts, United States |
| Type | Natural history, archaeology |
Contents
Museum History
The idea for the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History started on February 20, 1954. It was first called the Cape Cod Junior Museum. Its main goal was to teach kids and grown-ups about local plants, animals, and ocean life. A famous nature writer named John Hay was its president from 1955 to 1980.
At first, the museum didn't have a permanent home. But it made special exhibits that schools could borrow. In 1956, the museum opened a temporary spot. It was on the second floor of the Brewster Town Hall.
What You Can See
The main museum building is 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m2) big. It has space for exhibits and offices. The museum owns 80 acres (32 ha) of land. It is also next to 320 acres (130 ha) of town and conservation land.
Nature Trails and Habitats
Together, all this land has many different natural areas. You can find pine woodlands and salt marshes. There's also a barrier beach and beech forests. A small river called Stony Brook runs through it. In spring, you can see herring swimming upstream there. The museum has three trails for you to explore these lands.
Inside the Museum
The museum has exhibits about local nature and ancient history.
- Aquarium: There's a small aquarium with over eighty different kinds of local fish and sea creatures.
- Butterfly House: You can walk through a special house filled with beautiful butterflies.
- Beehives: Learn about bees by watching active beehives.
- Bird Collection: See a collection of taxidermied (preserved) birds. There are also wooden birds carved by Eldridge Arnold.
- Marshview Room: This room offers a great view of the conservation lands. You can use binoculars for birdwatching. A screen shows a live video of an osprey nest in the marsh.
Local History and Whales
The Stony Brook Valley has been home to people for about 10,000 years. The museum's archeology exhibit tells you about the first people here, like the Wampanoags. It also covers the arrival of English settlers in the 1600s. You can learn about the growth of local industries in the 1800s.
The museum also has two cool inflatable whales. One is a 44-foot (13 m) humpback whale. The other is a walk-through gray whale. These are used to teach visitors all about whales.
Learning Programs
Besides its exhibits, the museum offers many educational programs. They have summer programs for children. There are also classes and lectures for all ages. You can even watch live webcams showing nesting birds!
