Essex National Heritage Area
#MuseumFromHome
Below you will find a number of online opportunities to bring local history right into your living room. Many of these offerings can be done or viewed from your couch, but others may involve getting outside, when you are safe and comfortable to do so. Please check and observe all stay-at-home and social distancing advisories if you are planning to complete an outdoor activity. Please note that some of the below links will take you to external websites.

This list will be updated as more content becomes available, so bookmark this page and check back in with us later!

Explore the Museum

Buttonwoods Museum Virtual Tour
Visit the museum from the comfort of home! Learn about the history of Haverhill and view pictures and videos of the museum's permanent exhibits and three historic buildings.

Houses and Grounds Coloring Pages
Fun for all ages! Share your finished coloring pages with us on social media.

Buttonwoods Blog
Revisit your favorite history posts and Collections Spotlights as featured on the museum's social media.

Curator’s Top 10 Collection List
Find out what our curator thinks are the hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems in the Buttonwoods’ collection!

Explore Haverhill

Architectural Scavenger Hunt of Washington Street Shoe District
Picture and text clues will guide you in an exploration of the historic Washington Street area. You'll be an expert in industrial-style Queen Anne architecture by the end of your journey.
Answer Key

Here Lies Haverhill Activity Packet
Get outside and explore the Pentucket Burial Ground with family or a small group. This packet is designed to spark discussions about changing historical views towards death, mortality, and religious beliefs and is a great way to discover local history.

Historic Walking and Driving Tours
First settled by English colonists in 1640, many layers of history can be found in the landscape of Haverhill today. From historic buildings and cemeteries to carefully planned historical markers and monuments, Haverhill history can be found around almost any corner. These tours will guide you to some of these historic places

The Natural World of Haverhill: All Ages Activities and Resources
The pandemic has forced many of us to slow-down and spend more time at home. Suddenly, the world just beyond our doors and windows has become much more interesting! Was that a rabbit? What kind of bird is that? Now that the weather has warmed and outside spaces are increasingly tempting, maybe riverside trails and woodland hikes are on your to-do list as well. Whether you’re tuning into your yard, neighborhood, or local nature area, these resources and activities will help you expand that experience!

We are Haverhill: Changing Faces of Haverhill’s Neighborhoods (Online Exhibit)
Haverhill, as one Massachusetts's “gateway cities”, is in the process of discovering new potential and remaking its identity. This exhibit looks at the changing demographics of Haverhill by pairing photographic portraits by Markham Starr with oral histories, and explores the impact of neighborhoods, as well as the city as a whole, on some of the individuals who live there. Produced in collaboration by Historic New England, Buttonwoods Museum, MassDevelopment, and HC Media.

Videos

Woolworth's: Remembering Haverhill's Shopping District
For many people who grew up in the mid-twentieth century, shopping meant walking downtown to the five-and-dime. This documentary film uses the Woolworth's building as a symbol of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and its formerly bustling downtown. Find out how urban renewal changed Haverhill, and hear about the city's plans for revitalizing the downtown. Presented by Historic New England, Buttonwoods Museum, Haverhill Community Media, and Haverhill Public Library Special Collections.

Video Mini Tours

Buttonwoods History Moments on HC Media

2020 Luce Archaeology Open House Program
For our annual celebration of Massachusetts Archaeology Month and International Archaeology Day, volunteer Nancy Lebar brings rarely seen items from the Frederick A. Luce Collection out of storage and shares them with you in this Zoom program recording

What’s it Worth?
At this fundraiser in September 2019, members of the community were invited to bring family heirlooms and intriguing thrift shop finds to the HC Media Studio at Harbor Place for an Antiques Roadshow-style appraisal. See some of the appraisals through the links below!

Part One         Part Two