Exhibits
Heritage Museums & Gardens celebrates American art and history in four buildings offering both seasonal exhibitions and exhibitions of the museum's permanent collections.
The J.K. Lilly III Antique Automobile Museum showcases the museum's extensive collection of American antique automobiles.
The American History Museum has galleries for seasonal exhibitions as well as exhibits featuring American military miniatures and firearms, and the bird carvings of Elmer and Cleon Crowell.
The Art Museum features the museum's hand carved carousel, as well as a seasonal exhibition space and the Folk Art Gallery.
The Old East Windmill was moved to the property from Orleans, Massachusetts and is open on selected days.
Seasonal Exhibits
A Bird in the Hand:The Carvings of Elmer and Cleon Crowell
As a boy in East Harwich, Elmer Crowell was interested in birds, hunting and art. He began his career by making a few carvings for friends and eventually began to carve full-time.
Along the way, Elmer Crowell carved some of the best bird carvings ever made. His work is highly regarded not only for the quality of the carving but also the fine painting. Heritage is fortunate to care for hundreds of carvings, as well as the materials the Crowells used to create their masterpieces including paper patterns, source materials, and tools.
Art of the Final Farewell: The Gravestones of Cape Cod
Cape Cod has a wealth of fascinating gravestones. Once neglected and overlooked, gravestones are now recognized both as historical resources and fine examples of folk art.
Explore the art of the carver through photographs and rubbings of the earliest stones of the 1600s and 1700s (which were imported to the Cape mostly from Boston and Plymouth County), and learn about the development of a local carving industry in the nineteenth century. Visitors can take home their own gravestone rubbings as well.
The Art of Frank Vining Smith
Smith was one of the last painters to focus his efforts on depicting the Golden Age of Sail. Summering on Cape Cod as a child, he learned to love the sea. Unable to pursue the life of a sailor because of poor vision, he instead turned to painting the ships and oceans he loved. The resulting paintings show the tall sailing ships now mostly vanished from the seas. He also painted a series of Cape Cod harbors scenes that depict an old fashioned way of life fast disappearing in the 50s.
American Speed
Ready. Set. Go! American Speed, Heritage's newest exhibit, provides a unique opportunity to view racecars from exclusive private collections. These vehicles share the exhibit with Heritage's own racing legends – the 1912 Mercer, the 1912 Autocrat and the 1915 Stutz. Other items from our collection are highlighted such as two paintings depicting the excitement of early racing.