About the Cape Ann Museum

You are welcome here. The Cape Ann Museum strives to be a truly equitable and inclusive organization, where visitors of all backgrounds not only feel welcomed but are also able to relate to our programs, people, and collections. Read the Museum’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in its entirety here.

Founded in 1875, the Museum today is a vibrant cultural center that spans two distinct Gloucester locations featuring four historic structures including a sea captain’s house, the original Gloucester town green, modern galleries for permanent and special exhibitions, art studio spaces, children’s spaces, and an extensive library and archives.

The Cape Ann Museum tells multiple stories, all relating to a single remarkable place. For millennia the area now called Cape Ann has been home to tribal nations such as the Pawtucket, Massachusett, Nipmuc, and Wampanoag. In the 17th and 18th centuries Cape Ann was known as a fishing and shipping port; in the mid-19th century the granite and fisheries industries transformed the area. From its earliest days Cape Ann, known for its singular charms of light and sea, has attracted countless artists – from the 19th century to the present. The Museum reflects this rich and varied culture of nationally significant historical, industrial, and artistic achievement.

The Museum’s significant and sizeable holdings reflect the importance and inspiration of Cape Ann as an art community, one of the oldest in the nation. The collection includes the largest grouping of works by native son and renowned marine artist, Fitz Henry Lane, and a Who’s Who of American art including Paul Manship, Cecilia Beaux, Theresa Bernstein, Stuart Davis, Walker Hancock, Marsden Hartley, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Anna Hyatt Huntington, Maurice Prendergast, and Milton Avery among others. The Museum features works by these and other artists, provides artists’ residencies, offers contemporary art exhibitions, and community-focused programs. The Museum’s Library & Archives collection includes more than 1,000,000 photographs taken in Cape Ann in the 20th and early 21st centuries.

In addition to its permanent collections, the Museum offers a rotating schedule of special exhibitions throughout the year as well as related programs and events.

Visit us today to discover the treasures of Cape Ann.