Just a short walk from Gloucester’s waterfront, the Cape Ann Museum showcases the largest collection of work by local native Fitz Henry Lane, a renowned maritime artist. Admire the collections of other works by Cape Ann artists and exquisite decorative pieces. The preservation of culture and history here also includes artifacts from the major industries of granite quarrying and fisheries.
For nearly four centuries, Cape Ann has attracted numerous talented artists creating marine and landscape paintings showcasing the area’s natural beauty. See them within the Land and Seascapes collection, with works by Fitz Henry Lane, Mary Blood Mellen, Winslow Homer and more. The Gloucester’s Own: Fitz Henry Lane collection is dedicated to the late artist, who was known as one of America’s best marine painters. You’ll see exhibits of paintings, lithographs and drawings.
The people of the region are beautifully represented by the Faces of Cape Ann: Portraits collection, with works featuring past and present members of the community. Get a glimpse of early American furniture collected since the 1920s. Pieces highlight expert craftsmanship and include two Chippendale sideboards, along with a Sheraton worktable and silver christening basins crafted by Paul Revere. You’ll also see a large collection by the Folly Cove Designers, who produced printed textiles and paper from 1938 to 1969.
Learn about Cape Ann’s seafaring past at the Fisheries and Maritime gallery, with elaborate 19th-century ship models and historic vessels. Granite quarrying was also big business in Cape Ann from the 1830s. Discover the chests and tools of blacksmiths, along with quarry maps and paintings of the workers.
Celebrated American sculptors, such as Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington and Charles Grafly, created works inspired by Cape Ann. You’ll find pieces from the Sculpture collections located within walking distance of the museum. They include the bronze, granite and glass Cape Ann Sea Serpent by Chris Williams and the bronze Spirit of the Sea by Albert Henry Atkins.
Cape Ann Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday and closed on major holidays. Purchase museum tickets at the venue and park in the metered parking lot across the street.
