Explore Nearby Museums
 Updated: 10/1/2008 
Natick Historical Society
Natick, Massachusetts
Description

The Natick Museum is the place to learn about Natick¹s colorful past. Located downstairs in the Bacon Free Library building the Museum features among its collections the Indian Bible of the 17th century missionary, John Eliot, founder of the Natick Indian Community. The Museum collection also includes artifacts of Archaic and Woodland as well as Christian Indian cultures. The Museum tells the story of Natick’s transformation from Praying Indian village to colonial village and from cottage industry to factory floor through tools and furnishings, textiles, maps and photographs. Distinguished Natick citizens are represented through memorabilia from Harriet Beecher Stowe, Horatio Alger Jr. and former U.S. Vice President Henry Wilson. The Wilson Memorial Shoe Shop stands on the West Central Street, honoring “the Natick Cobbler.” The Museum remains true to its beginnings in natural history with an outstanding collection of Birds of the Americas.

Mission

Organized in 1870 at the very birth of the museum movement in America, the Natick Historical Society has become the central storehouse of Natick’s history. Our mission is to inspire an interest in Natick’s rich and varied history from its unique origins as a Praying Indian Plantation to the present day.

Artifact Collections

Housed on the lower level of the Bacon Free Library building in South Natick, the collection includes artifacts of Archaic, Woodland and Christian Indian cultures of Natick. Among the collections is the Indian Bible of the 17th century missionary, John Eliot, founder of the Natick Indian Community. Students of literature and history will find memorabilia of many of Natick’s distinguished citizens including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Horatio Alger, Jr., and Henry Wilson, 20th Vice-President of the United States. Early maps, photographs, furnishing, tools and costumes are displayed to illustrate the community’s daily life in earlier periods. The Society also holds an outstanding collection of birds of the Americas.

Research Collections

The museum library contains material relating to Natick and surrounding towns, local authors, genealogy, and natural history.

Library

Access: General Public

Appointment required: False

Services
Gift Shop
Address
58 Eliot Street
Natick, MA 01760
phone: 508-647-4841
fax: 508-647-4841
e-mail: info@natickhistoricalsociety.org
home page: www.natickhistoricalsociety.org
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Hours of Operation

Tuesday 2:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Admission
Museum Type(s)
Historical Society
Library
Natural History
Staff
DISCLAIMER
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

March 11 - 14, 2025

Knoxville, Tennessee

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

Tuesday, March 11 - Friday, March 14, 2025

Crowne Plaza hotel in Knoxville, TN

Knoxville, Tennessee

Hosted by: Tennessee Association of Museums

Tennessee museums are full of hope. But how are they turning hope into reality

With the Semiquincentennial quickly approaching in 2026, the state's museum community if approaching a turning point, and is now a great time to take stock and develop a vision for the future

The Tennessee Association of Museums' 64th Annual Conference in Knoxville will challenge the state's museums to think ahead and share their hopes, the best practices and strategies for turning those hoes into realities, and the rewards that come from aspirational thinking

The 2025 TAM Annual Conference will take place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Knoxville, TN.

For more information, please call 615-495-3354 or email hawkins@aaslh.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

Ohio Museum Asociation 2025 Annual Conference - Athens

March 29 - 31, 2025

Athens, Ohio

Ohio Museum Asociation 2025 Annual Conference - Athens

Saturday, March 29 - Monday, March 31, 2025

TBA

Athens, Ohio

Hosted by: Ohio Museums Association

"Innovation: Museums and Reaching our Potential

The heart of innovation is transformation – shaking up our established way of doing things by introducing new methods, new ideas, and new approaches to both obstacles and opportunities

Museums across Ohio are not just adapting, but innovating to reach their full potential and better serve their communities. No matter their role, museum professionals are introducing forward-thinking perspectives and initiating creative solutions to launch the field into a future where museums can remain trusted and relevant community cornerstones

How can your museum stay true to mission and serve your community in new and meaningful ways? How can we as museum professionals meet the challenges of the future with reinvigorated enthusiasm

Join us in Athens, March 29-31 as we explore these topics and more at the 2025 Ohio Museums Association’s Annual Conference: Innovation: Museums and Reaching our Potential.

For more information, please email oma@ohiohistory.org.

North Carolina Museums Council 2025 Annual Conference

March 30 - 31, 2025

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina Museums Council 2025 Annual Conference

Sunday, March 30 - Monday, March 31, 2025

TBA

Raleigh, North Carolina

Hosted by: North Carolina Museums Council

Museums Unwalled: Expanding Horizon

This theme highlights the importance of museums as dynamic entities that engage with communities, foster education, drive cultural change and often go beyond the building itself. By focusing on areas such as community engagement, digital and virtual presence, interdisciplinary collaborations, sustainability, accessibility, and cultural diversity, we aim to provide a comprehensive and enriching experience for all attendees

The primary objective is to provide a platform for museum professionals and others working in the industry to share ideas, best practices, resources and innovative approaches that demonstrate how museums can reach audiences in and beyond our physical spaces. We aim to inspire attendees to think broadly about the potential of their institutions and to foster a spirit of innovation and community engagement.

By facilitating discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, the conference will empower current and future museum professionals and to expand their impact, embrace new challenges, and create meaningful connections with their audiences and communities.

Arkansas Museums Association 2025 Conference

March 31 - April 3, 2025

Washington, Arkansas

Arkansas Museums Association 2025 Conference

Monday, March 31 - Thursday, April 3, 2025

Historic Washington State Park

Washington, Arkansas

Hosted by: Arkansas Museums Association

"From the Ground Up: Cultivating Essential Skills in Museums

This year, the AMA conference theme is "From the Ground Up: Cultivating Essential Skills in Museums" As museum professionals we learn and use a wide variety of tools and skills every day

The Arkansas Museums Association is planning its 2025 Annual Conference, which will be hosted by Historic Washington State Park on March 31-April 3, 2025.

The goal of the conference is to support and foster the museum community through a mix of speakers as well as workshops, practical and informative presentations, in-depth discussions, and examples of projects and initiatives that are relevant to museums in Arkansas. Arkansas Museum Association members take ownership in the conference experience as presenters, speakers, panelists, facilitators, and workshop leaders.

For more information, please email arkansasmuseums@gmail.com.

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