“A tour of this museum gives the visitor a good look at so much: the life of Peaks Island, the history of the Civil War and its people, battles and artifacts, interesting late 19th century architecture, and a lovely garden.”Season 2020 update
“We loved this museum. It's a must see on the island.”
We are pleased to announce a new permanent exhibition showcasing some of the most significant Civil War-era weapons and armaments in the Fifth Maine Museum collection, entitled Terrible Swift Sword: Civil War Weapons and Ordnance.
The culmination of several year’s work, the exhibit features weapons carried or collected by the soldiers of the Fifth Maine Regiment, one of the Union Army’s most celebrated fighting regiments. The objects include muskets and a pistol, a Navy carbine, a bayonet, swords, shells, and projectiles. They represent both the Confederate and Union armies. The purpose-built case will ensure the newly cleaned weapons are properly preserved for generations to come.
The Fifth Maine veterans kept these remarkable artifacts in their reunion hall on Peaks Island, built in 1888 and used by the men and their families as a summer retreat until the 1940s.
The exhibit is guest curated by Eric Champigny, a Civil War researcher, collector, and author.
Peaks Island in the 1970s: Building a Community
The 1970s were a tumultuous time, but it was a watershed decade in the history of Peaks Island, when many of the essential organizations islanders depend on today were formed.
This temporary exhibit features over 50 never before exhibited photographs, publications, scrap books, posters, and maps depicting life on the island in this “lost” decade. This is the final year of the exhibit, which will be dismounted when the museum closes this year on October 12, 2020.
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