A visit to the Wenham Museum is where kids find their happy place

The Wenham Museum sits comfortably in Wenham center on Route 1A, adjacent to the fire station. It is one of many unique museums on the North Shore of Boston. While it displays many artifacts and images from Wenham’s history – part of the museum is a house that dates back to 1673 – it goes all-out to interest kids with its many displays. 

The star of the show

After you take care of the modest admission fee, head downstairs to the basement, You’ll quickly discover 10 fully-operational model train displays set up for kids to run, view and enjoy. The trains don’t chug around aimlessly. They all run on tracks laid through large-scale, highly-detailed dioramas. Look closely as the trains weave through local towns, hobo camps, ski areas, even the “The Shoe”, the famous factory in Beverly. It is all depicted in meticulous detail. 

Before you head back up

While you’re downstairs, make sure to visit the camping room. Here kids can crawl in and out of tents, prepare for a picnic with plastic goodies or get ready for a hike with backpacks. You’ll also find a large replica of the Addams Family house with depictions from the TV show of yesteryear. In addition, there are several displays of antique tin toy soldiers marching in orderly formation. 

Let’s head upstairs in the Wenham Museum to the main floor

Enter the large activity room featuring Wenham-related kid’s activities found ‘In the Neighborhood’. Kids can ride rolling horses or feed an ice house conveyor belt with ‘pretend ‘ice blocks’. A few steps away, you’ll find children preparing for an afternoon tea in the ‘Tea House’ kitchen. 

For parents and grandparents who are curious about local history and culture, there are historic photos on the wall and artifacts on display to peruse and learn from. A 350-year-old house can be directly accessed from the main museum. It provides kids a glimpse at a simpler way of life through several hands-on displays. Eclectic, creative, quirky – prepare for the unexpected at the Wenham Museum.

EXTEND YOUR VISIT: Take a short drive nearby and you’ll find that the Audubon Cedar Pond Wildlife Sanctuary provides a nice opportunity for you and your family to get outdoors. Stretch your legs on around a pleasant, flat loop, or explore further on one of several trails that wind around the property.