Last updated: 6/3/2013
94 Jackson Road
Devens, MA 01434
94 Jackson Road, Suite 305
Devens, MA 01434
Tuesday, Friday
10 AM - 3 PM
AND 3rd Saturday of each month 10-3
Free. Donations Accepted.
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Kara Fossey
phone: 978-772-1286
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Preserving and sharing the history of Camp Devens, Fort Devens, and the current Military Training Centers at Devens.
The museum staff and volunteers provide quality educational programming for area schools, historical societies, and senior centers. In addition to preserving various artifacts and providing educational programming, the museum serves as a vital resource for researchers from primary school to graduate level. Our collection of building plans, historic photographs, and documents have been used by a wide range of writers, academics, environmental firms, and television producers. On a more personal level, veterans and their families have found the museum to be a useful tool in expanding their own genealogical research and connecting with other veterans and their families. Our quarterly newsletter reaches more than 500 households across the nation, and contains information and photographs never before seen by the general public.
The Fort Devens Museum aims to show veterans and their families, scholars and young people as well as citizens generally the landscape of past and present forts, encampments, and training grounds where American soldiers prepared to meet the challenges of waging war and maintaining peace. Preserved here will be details of the nature of that training, and of life in general for the soldiers and families brought together for a time at Devens. The museum will capture the poignancy of enduring separation, loss of life, and courage in confronting the human side of war.
The museum will inform the public about the roles of Camp Devens, Fort Devens, and the present Devens Reserve Forces Training Area in ensuring the military preparedness of the nation. It will interpret the social, cultural, and economic impact of Devens' historical personalities and events upon its surrounding communities. Through these undertakings, the museum will enhance the public's understanding of the heritage of freedom that soldiers trained here have preserved for all of us.
The Fort Devens Museum grew from a need to preserve the history of the base after it was closed as an active duty installation in 1996. Incorporated in 2000, the museum collects, displays, and interprets the history of the land first known as Camp Devens and later Fort Devens.
The land area formerly known as Camp Devens, later Fort Devens, and now simply Devens is historically significant for the citizens of the Nashoba Valley, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the United States of America. From Devens thousands of trained soldiers were sent forth to battlefields and peacekeeping missions around the globe. Many a soldier remembers Devens as a final assignment before honorable discharge from duty to country. The buildings and monuments in place at Devens are compelling reminders of a military legacy spanning over 300 years.
The museum draws from its collection of letters, photographs, uniforms, training manuals, and other ephemera from life at Devens to tell the stories of those who lived, trained, and worked here.
The Fort Devens Museum staff can create an educational program to suit the needs of your organization or school. The museum staff has created programs for public school students
of a variety of ages, scout groups, and senior centers. Our facilities in Devens will allow us to host small groups. We are also able to travel to your location. For information and booking, call the museum at 978-772-1286.
The museum plays an important role in the communities it serves. As Devens continues to be redeveloped, the museum acts as a touchstone from which a shared heritage can be better understood. The museum also provides opportunities for volunteer staff to become involved in the historic preservation of their community and for the enrichment of daily life at Devens.
Group Tours
Wheelchair Accessible
Parking
Restrooms
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