Exhibits
Summers of Science and Wonder
SOMESVILLE MUSEUM & GARDENS: Rotating exhibit on display Summer 2021-2023
Summers of Science and Wonder chronicles scientific research and discovery on the island from Wabanaki stewardship to the presence of two research laboratories. While George Dorr was working to establish what became Acadia National Park, he was also appealing to scientists, encouraging them to spend summers here studying the natural environment and sharing their findings with peers and patrons. Thanks to Dorr, the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory and Jackson Laboratory both grew from humble research outposts to year-round employers credited with discoveries that have transformed modern medicine. Visitors will learn about how student naturalists in the 1880s gave rise to citizen science, which continues to play an important role in understanding our environment.
Summers of Science and Wonder is in the main building, accompanied by artifacts and historic documents and images. Admission to the Somesville Museum & Gardens is a suggested $5 donation.
Landscape of Change
SELECTMEN’S BUILDING: Rotating exhibit on display Summer 2021-2023
The Landscape of Change exhibit in the Selectmen’s Building provides specific examples of how Mount Desert Island and Frenchman Bay are being affected by climate change. The MDI Historical Society partnered with the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, A Climate to Thrive, Schoodic Institute, College of the Atlantic, and Acadia National Park to pull data from historic records and compare it to modern observations as a means of measuring climate change. Ideas and solutions are offered, inspiring visitors to imagine a resilient future and become involved as citizen scientists. Public programs, citizen science workshops and events, and climate conversations are offered through the Landscape of Change collaboration.
Admission to the Somesville Museum & Gardens is a suggested $5 donation.
The Village of Sound and Island Schools
SOUND SCHOOLHOUSE: Permanent exhibit
The permanent exhibit at the Sound Schoolhouse, located at 373 Sound Drive in Mount Desert, tells of the schools and schoolhouse on Mount Desert Island around the turn of the 20th century. It focuses on the Sound Schoolhouse, the Village of Sound, and the eventual restoration of the schoolhouse for the Mount Desert Island Historical Society.
This exhibit is open by appointment only. Admission is by donation.