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Museum Hours

Saturdays 10am-1pm

Sundays 1pm-4pm

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Admission is always FREE.

Handicap parking at rear, access via an elevator is available at the back entrance of the Museum. RIng bell.

Contact Us!

EMAIL:

alan.r.earls@gmail.com OR

franklinmuseum1778@gmail.com

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MAILING ADDRESS:

Franklin Historical Museum

c/o Town of Franklin

355 East Central Street

Franklin, MA 02038

LOCATION:

80 West Central St

Franklin, MA

Volunteers wanted

If you would like to volunteer your time to act as host at the museum, please contact us at the email address below. You will be trained by a commission member and co-host with another volunteer.

We hope you can join us.

 

EMAIL:

franklinmuseum1778@gmail.com

OR

alan.r.earls@gmail.com

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Historical Happenings at the Museum

Sat. Oct.5 – Display begins honoring the 90th anniversary of Franklin Rod&Gun Club

Local historian, Betsey Whitney (see our Second Sunday Speaker, below), worked with the R&G Club to assemble exhibits of photos and memorabilia relating to the history of this organization which has included so many residents over the years and has also supported local scouting groups and other causes. Also included will be an ongoing showing of vintage R&G films recently rediscovered and digitized. Display will continue through Oct. 27.

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Sun. Oct. 13--Second Sunday Speaker Series: 90 Years of the Franklin Rod & Gun Club

Local historian Betsey Whitney (who wrote a massive history of the Pondville section of Norfolk) will be speaking about the people and activities of the Franklin Rod & Gun Club since its inception in 1934 on Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central St., Franklin. Doors open at 1 and the presentation begins at 1:15. The formal presentation will be about 20 minutes but members, former members, and those with any connection to the Franklin Rod & Gun Club are encouraged to join in a ‘chat’ with Betsey. The event is FREE, but donations always welcomed. The related exhibit of R&G photos and ephemera is on display from Oct. 5 to Oct. 27.

 

Weds. Oct 16 --Ghosts and Legends with Jeff Belanger at the Franklin Historical Museum

LIVE and IN-PERSON! This ghostly multi-media program will take you on a journey through the haunts in your backyard, and around the world. Pulling from Jeff’s 25 years of research for his books, podcasts, adventures, and the various television shows he’s worked on, join one of the nation’s premiere storytellers for a trip through the unusual and the unexplained. This program changes every time it’s given. The event is free but donations are always appreciated. Jeff is extremely popular, so we can’t guarantee a seat! The event starts at 7 pm.

Sun. Oct. 20 “Third Sunday” Music at the Museum program features Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter

The world premiere of 'Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter', a chamber orchestra, was performed in June by a mixed ensemble of professionals and amateurs, with financial support from the Franklin Cultural District Committee, at the First Universalist Society, Franklin. On Oct. 20, the museum will show a video of that performance on the big screen. The opera was the brainchild of Dr. Jon Ceander Mitchell, a retired music professor and orchestral conductor who resides in Franklin, will be present to introduce the showing and answer questions. During the pandemic he got the idea of combining his interests in music and paleontology to tell the story of the self-educated 19th century Englishwoman, Mary Anning, who became one of the world's first paleontologists. The museum opens at 1 and the program will start at about 1:15. The video runs to just over one hour. The event is FREE, but donations always welcomed.

`CINEMA 80’

After a well-received experimental run from January to May at the Franklin Historical Museum, Cinema 80, captained by videographer and cinephile Chris Leverone, is back for another season of amazing free `Silent Saturday’ silent film entertainment on Saturdays at 6pm. The program is free but donations are encouraged. The lineup for October includes:

 

  • 10/5, The Black Pirate-Starring that sure-fire action-hero, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., in a tale of pirates, vengeance, and love...

  • 10/12, The General – Buster Keaton outdoes himself with non-stop action and comedy, loosely based on a real incident in the American Civil War. It has insane chase scenes involving lots of trains, horses, and soldiers and timings that keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

  • 10/26, Nosferatu—a timeless classic that tells the tale of a vampire in extra-creepy black and white.

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Franklin Historical Museum

80 West Central Street

Franklin, MA 02038

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