Cape Cod National Seashore Presents Keeping Time: A Few of the Park Historian’s Favorite Things

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News Release Date: July 5, 2017
Contact: Dani Cessna, South District Interpreter, 508-255-3421, ext. 0305

On Tuesday, July 18 Cape Cod National Seashore Historian Bill Burke will present an interactive program featuring some of the national seashore’s most inspiring artifacts from its museum collection. Bill has scoured the corners of the collection and will display an all-new selection of seldom-seen treasures from the Penniman family, a surprise from the whalebone collection, stunning insect specimens, and even a mount of an extinct species of bird. The program will be held at 7 pm at Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham.
Most of the national seashore’s museum collection is carefully stored in a climate-controlled facility. Numbering over 500,000 objects, the collection consists of ancient stone tools collected from seashore archeological sites, antique cranberry sorters and furniture, small boats, and domestic wares from all periods of American history. Of special emphasis are artifacts related to the United States Lifesaving Service, the Marconi Site, and the whaling and fishing industries of days past. Historian Burke states, “This program is a highlight of my year because we can share with the public objects from the past that we all help protect.”
This program is part of the summer “Tuesday Nights at Salt Pond” series. Held weekly at 7 pm in July and August in the air-cooled comfort of the visitor center auditorium, programs focus on the diverse natural and cultural resources on the Outer Cape and are suitable for all ages. Programs are free of charge and accessible. The series is sponsored by Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

If You Go: Salt Pond Visitor Center is located at 50 Nauset Road, at the intersection of Route 6 in Eastham, and can be reached at 508-255-3421. The center is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, with staff to assist with activity planning. Visit the museum, view a park film, enjoy panoramic views of Salt Pond and Nauset Marsh, and shop in the gift and bookstore featuring national seashore-related items.

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