Fruitlands Museum

Fruitlands Museum We are a Trustees property! The Trustees enjoys and cares for more than 100 special places - roughly 47,000 acres - all around Massachusetts.
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Discover Art, History and Nature at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA. Engage yourself in American history. Explore the connections between a 19th century utopian society, New England Shaker communities, Native American culture, 19th century Hudson River School landscapes and vernacular portraits, and discover a diverse array of flora and fauna hidden within our 210 historic acres. Enjoy a dynamic, truly New England landscape at Fruitlands Museum, a Trustees property.

As part of The Land Tells Our Stories, Pawtucket based artist May Babcock uses recycled fencing and flax-paper covered i...
06/01/2026

As part of The Land Tells Our Stories, Pawtucket based artist May Babcock uses recycled fencing and flax-paper covered in beeswax to create protective structures for newly planted chestnut trees at Moose Hill Farm.

May will be at Fruitlands on June 13 from 1-3PM leading a hands-on workshop based on her paper-making techniques! Join us to create your own unique work of art that can ultimately help grow more pollinator plants!

For more information, and to reserve your spot, visit https://thetrustees.org/event/446935/

Image Credit: May Babcock (b. 1986 in MA, lives and works in Pawtucket, RI), Seaside Chestnuts, 2026, flax, recycled fencing, milkweed, black walnut, goldenrod, and beeswax, installed at Moose Hill Farm, Sharon, MA, Courtesy of the Artist. Photo by Chris Cardoza, Doza Visuals.

June Programs are here! 📚 Story Hour and the Fairy Forest continue throughout the month! Hear tales connected to the Mus...
05/31/2026

June Programs are here!

📚 Story Hour and the Fairy Forest continue throughout the month! Hear tales connected to the Museum or meander the trails in search of hidden fairies and elves!

📓 On June 6, join us for a Nature Journaling Workshop and explore the sights, sounds, and textures of the Fruitlands Forest! All supplies are provided!

🖼 June 13, we have two exciting exhibit programs, arrive at 12N for a special Curator's Tour of the new process gallery for The Land Tells Our Stories and then stay for a special Artist Workshop from 1-3PM, where May Babcock will be helping folks make plant-able paper-pulp leaves!

🖍 Our inaugural Chalk-a-Palooza will take place on June 27 from 10AM-1PM! Brighten up the Fruitlands pavement will summer-themed chalk art and enter for the chance to win a special, seasonal prize!

More information about any of these exciting programs can be found at http://thetrustees.org/fruitlandsevents

Image 5: May Babcock, Ella Mahoney, and Posey Moulton

Summer is almost here! Join us on June 27 from 10AM-1PM to celebrate the start of summer at our inaugural Chalk-a-Palooz...
05/29/2026

Summer is almost here! Join us on June 27 from 10AM-1PM to celebrate the start of summer at our inaugural Chalk-a-Palooza and watch the Fruitlands walkways come alive with colorful, summertime creations!

The three best designs will win a gift basket and a pollinator plant for your summer garden!

Enter your household using the link below:
https://thetrustees.org/event/446680/

Our second exhibit of the season, The Land Tells Our Stories, is opening this weekend in our Seasonal Gallery! Stop by t...
05/28/2026

Our second exhibit of the season, The Land Tells Our Stories, is opening this weekend in our Seasonal Gallery! Stop by the Museum between 2PM and 4PM to chat with our Associate Curator of Native American Art, Tess Lukey (Aquinnah Wampanoag), to learn more about the objects and materials on view in both new exhibits!

This special program is free with Museum Admission, which can be purchased on our website!

Volunteer Opportunity! Join us for an invasive plant removal workday to reduce the spread and effect of garlic mustard. ...
05/27/2026

Volunteer Opportunity! Join us for an invasive plant removal workday to reduce the spread and effect of garlic mustard. Garlic mustard is an aggressive invader of forest understories and disturbed sites that has negative effects on the ecosystem. Its seeds can remain viable for many years, so it is important to get a head start on removal in the spring before seeds have spread.

Shifts are available on May 30th and 31st from 10am-12pm. The full description and registration is linked here: https://volunteer.thetrustees.org/opportunity/a0CUk00004W55ts/invasive-plant-removal-workday-harvard-ma

Photo Credit: Saxifraga-Peter Meininger

From paper pulp to plant-able creation, explore this fun new method of paper making with May Babcock, one of the artists...
05/26/2026

From paper pulp to plant-able creation, explore this fun new method of paper making with May Babcock, one of the artists featured in our new exhibit, The Land Tells Our Stories! Join May on June 13 from 1-3PM for a hands-on workshop, including the chance to gather materials from the Fruitlands grounds!

And don't forget to come early for a special Curator's Tour of the gallery happening from 12N-1PM. Tickets to the workshop include Museum Admission and admission to the Curator's Tour!

Find out more and register using the link below:
https://thetrustees.org/event/446935/

Photos courtesy of May Babcock

We're open for Memorial Day! Enjoy the long weekend and get outside with a visit to the Museum and grounds!
05/23/2026

We're open for Memorial Day! Enjoy the long weekend and get outside with a visit to the Museum and grounds!

Third Thursday Trail Finds! We're excited that it's lady slipper season on the trails! These reclusive plants love soil ...
05/21/2026

Third Thursday Trail Finds! We're excited that it's lady slipper season on the trails! These reclusive plants love soil littered with pine needles and will only bloom every other year, so it's always a treat to spot one!

Looking for a guided experience through the Fruitlands Trails? Join us for Landmarks & Landscapes: Nature Journaling Workshop on June 6 from 11AM-12:30PM to explore the forests and meadows from a new perspective!

Find out more at https://thetrustees.org/event/446640/.

While the grass around our museum buildings is mowed regularly, the Fruitlands property also has valuable meadows and wooded spaces that visitors are welcome to explore. However, anyone who wants to explore the grounds should be sure to check for ticks (which can transmit Lyme Disease) after visiting the reservation. Long-sleeve shirts and long pants recommended.

For more information about the trails, including a property map, please visit our website.

📸 Photo by Kim Gaboriault

05/19/2026

Our first Story Hour of the season starts next week! Join us on May 29 at 10:30 in front of the Shaker Office to explore different tales from the whispering woods! From fairies to forest creatures, we'll be exploring the wonders of the Fruitlands Landscape!

This program is free for all, but pre-registration is encouraged. Visit http://thetrustees.org/fruitlandsevents for info!

Clara Endicott Sears was an eclectic collector, and you can now see some of her most unusual objects in our new exhibit ...
05/18/2026

Clara Endicott Sears was an eclectic collector, and you can now see some of her most unusual objects in our new exhibit Eye of the Beholder, some of which have not been on view in many years!

Want to learn more about the exhibit and any of the objects on view? Join us on May 30 from 2-4PM for Open Hours with the Curator, where Tess Lukey, Associate Curator of Native American Art, will be in the gallery answering questions and giving behind-the-scenes insights!

To learn more about this special event, visit https://thetrustees.org/event/445539/.

📸 Photo by Mel Taing

Address

102 Prospect Hill Rd
Harvard, MA
01451

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+19784563924

Website

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