Hancock Shaker Village is one of America’s finest and most authentic living history museums. A National Historic Landmark, HSV preserves hundreds of acres of farm, meadow, woodland, watershed and hiking trails, it is the most comprehensively interpreted Shaker site housing a premier collection of original Shaker furniture, art, objects, tools, textiles and other artifacts. The Village has 18 significant historic buildings, a modern Visitor Center that accommodates customer service, exhibit and conference spaces, a café and museum store.
Mission:
Hancock Shaker Village brings the Shaker story to life and preserves it for future generations. Through this story, we promote appreciation of the aesthetics, beliefs, achievements and controversies that have defined the Shaker experience in America. We do this by preserving, interpreting, collecting and acquiring historic structures and sites, artifacts and documentary material pertaining to the Shaker life. We focus on the Hancock community, presenting a multi-themed Village experience and a broad menu of educational programs. Hancock Shaker Village is becoming a center for reflection on living a principled life. The values that the Shakers embraced – equality, pacifism, community, sustainability, responsible land stewardship, innovation, simplicity and quality work – resonate for us today.
The Site:
- The site served as a Shaker community from 1790 to 1960.
- Hancock Shaker Village, The City of Peace, was the third of 19 founded by Shaker communities from Maine to Kentucky.
- 20 buildings overall (including 18 historic buildings) on 750 acres of farm, field, woodland, watershed and hiking trails.
- Founded as a Museum in 1960 by a group headed by Amy Bess Miller as the most authentic and comprehensive Shaker site in the USA.
Collections:
- Over 22,000 original artifacts.
- Premier collection of Shaker “Gift Drawings”, objects and structures in America.
- An extensive research library, including over 2,000 original photographs, maps, diaries and sheet music.
Honors:
- Designated a National Historic Landmark (1968).
- Accredited by the American Association of Museums (1980).
- Rated three stars by the Michelin Guide.
- Included in One Thousand Places to See Before You Die (USA).
- Editor’s pick – Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England.
- Best of the Road – Rand McNally.
Operations:
- Incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1960.
- Operating budget of $2 million with a diversified income stream comprised of earned revenue from admission receipts, Village store, café, licensing, program revenue and fundraising.
- 11 full-time staff, 60 part-time and seasonal staff and over 140 volunteers.
- Hancock Shaker Village is governed by a 24 member Board of Trustees and further supported by a Council of Overseers.
