Join The Whaling Museum's New Book Club!

Read at home & go on new adventures through history - then meet at the museum to dive deeper into stories through connections with our collection.

About

The Whaling Museum's new thematic book club is a great way to read with others and experience great stories and texts in new ways.

Book club registrants receive a short video at the start of the month that explores an item from the museum's collections relating to the text. A discussion question will be included to get readers excited for what's to come.

Meet at the museum for each session and enjoy an educator-led talk about the book including more connections made through the museum's collection.

Enjoy coffee and cookies while you chat!

Where

The Whaling Museum & Education Center
​301 Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor

Parking: Unmetered street parking on 25a/Main Street, or park in municipal parking lot in Cold Spring Harbor (5 min walk)

Registration

Registration Fees

• General Participants - $15
• HPL Patrons: register without cost for the April & May dates. 
• SHPL Patrons: register without cost for all three sessions.
• Museum Members: no cost to register for all three sessions.

Register - Feb 23​rd Session

Register - March 23​rd Session

Register - April 27th Session

Sessions

Thu, Feb 23 | 6:30pm

Whaling Captains of Color

Whaling Captains of Color: America’s First Meritocracy by Skip Finley is a fascinating look into the lesser-known lives of African-American whaling captains. Whaling was one of the first American industries to exhibit diversity, and the maritime trades as a whole employed more African Americans than in any other industry in the 19th century.

Join us for this special session that will tie in with the museum's new special exhibit, From Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora. Enjoy an intimate discussion and close look at parts of this special exhibit as an educator makes the connections with historical artifacts on display.  
​

Registration:

• Free for Museum Members and patrons of South Huntington Library as part of our partnership program. Please have your library barcode number on hand when registering. 
• ​All others - $15 participant

Register - Feb 23​rd Session

Thu, Mar 23 | 6:30pm

In the Heart of the Sea

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick details the loss of the whaleship Essex in 1820, the event which inspired the quintessential book Moby Dick. 

Get up close with the heart of this story as we explore the museum's historic whaleboat - the only fully equipped whaling vessel with its original gear on display in New York - which truly brings the book's theme to light. Our educator led talk will leave readers with a clear understanding of what it means to live on a whaleboat for weeks, even months at time.

​

Registration:

• Free for Museum Members and patrons of Huntington and South Huntington Libraries as part of our partnership program. Please have your library barcode number on hand when registering. 
• ​All others - $15 participant

Register - March 23​rd Session

Thu, Apr 27 | 6:30pm

Under the Black Flag

Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates by David Cordingly explores the golden age of piracy and the truth behind many pirate legends. 

Did you know the museum houses archival material of a true pirate? In this session, learn about the life of Huntingtonian Enoch Conklin (1763-ca.1815) a privateer during the War of 1812 as well as a ship builder, sailor and captain. 



​

Registration:

• Free for Museum Members and patrons of Huntington and South Huntington Libraries as part of our partnership program. Please have your library barcode number on hand when registering. 
• ​All others - $15 participant

Register - April 27th Session

​

Open to All

Thanks to our Library Partners