Martha's Vineyard Museum

We decided to take the ferry from Woods Hole to see the JAWS Exhibit before it wrapped up on the following weekend. Growing up in Mass, and being big fans of JAWS since we saw it at the movie theaters, we had to come see th w exhibit. After walking from the ferry the stairs up to the museum property were a bit daunting for my 60yo knees, but the view from the top was worth the effort! Beautiful spot overlooking Lagoon Pond to your right and the Steamship Aurhority to your left. The vast lawn is a great location for tents and celebrations! We stopped at the café, which was nearly entirely wiped out, but after a great discussion about living in Michigan, we chose a few items and stepped outside to revel in the view while we had a bite to eat! We visited all the rooms, listened to the audio clips, read the stories, spun the "filming conditions" hazard board, looked at the pictures, studied the story sketches, and even eavesdropped a bit on fellow visitors, whose stories were at least equally enthralling. Loved the shark and barrel items by the beautiful lens, as well. We toured the exhibit in a few hours and made it back on the afternoon ferrybton

We (5of us) enjoyed the museum and went specifically for the Jaws exhibit. It was a lot of fun and had some good movie memorbilia. It was a bus ride and a little bit of a walk to get to the museum. It's off the beating track a little. Entry price was $20+ each adults, it's a temporary exhibit not permanent. Without the Jaws exhibit we would not have made the ride/ walk to visit.

Spent a pleasant 1.5 hours at the museum on a rainy Thursday morning in July. We primarily went for the special Jaws 50th Anniversary exhibit and were very happy we did – props/costumes from the filming, memorabilia, behind the scenes information & narratives from some of the locals that were extras in the movie, some good photo ops, concept drawings, photos, etc. Outside of that exhibit, there was the original lighthouse lens, children’s activities, island history, a café and small gift shop. Outside, there is a very nice, small garden and larger pieces (boats, carriages, machinery) in the barn. Happy to pay the $20 admission to support the local museum and see the Jaws exhibit. Easy walk from the ferry terminal in Vineyard Haven.

Wish the gift shop had some more space or a better self things. Limited Jaws things but still would have liked something for the museum but nothing. JAWS 50th being there was awesome. Hopefully, they will keep it as it should be celebrated, especially there. It's kind of hidden but it's worth a visit!

Quality over quantity! This museum had a great exhibit, especially the Jaws section. We didn’t make our time slot due to the busy ferry. Yet they were happy to accommodate. The place was so clean and everyone was so friendly.

Great museum with numerous interesting exhibits. But admittedly, we were there for the JAWS "deeper dive" exhibit. Many original props and information (written and audible) were available. Beautiful views of Lagoon Pond and surrounding landscape. An afternoon very well spent and didn't break the bank.

Neat little museum up on a hill overlooking the water. There was a larger than normal Jaws exhibit there for the 50th anniversary, and a bunch of other neat local stuff to see. The shipbuilding area outside was cool.

Jaws 50th was awesome!!!!! The museum did a really great job with the history of the movie and I learned a lot about behind the scene and the incredible impact the islanders of Martha’s Vineyard had on the movie!! The exhibition featured plenty of hands on and they had lighting and Jaws music playing throughout the experience!!! Even the non-Jaws related stuff was very interesting! I recommend going here for the Jaws Exhibition if you can! If not still go because the museum had lots of other cool stuff

Super cool and interesting museum. Admission is expensive but worth the price. They are doing a cool exhibit on jaws right now. The other floors about the history of the island are really education and interesting. Would highly recommend this activity on the island.

Bottom Line: A great museum about the history of Martha's Vineyard in a building that has stories of its own to tell. When visiting a new place I like to kick my visit off with a trip to the local museum to get context for the area. Sure enough, on our first morning in Martha's Vineyard my husband and I headed straight to the MV Museum. The museum is located inside an old Marine hospital that later served as a summer camp for kids. Perched on a hill, the museum overlooks Lagoon Pond with Oak Bluffs in the distance. The building itself has an interesting history and I enjoyed the interactive exhibit that enables visitors to hear first person stories about the circa 1895 building. Other exhibits I enjoyed were about the early days of summer tourism on MV, the ferries that have serviced the island, and the short line train that existed for, well, a short time. We started with the brief five minute film that gave an overview of the island and that was a great jumping off point to enjoy rest of the museum. The crowning jewel of the museum is the Fresnel lens from the Gay Head Lighthouse. I've encountered a handful of Fresnel lens over the years and I am always amazed at how they keep them clean! I enjoyed learning about the island's history through artifacts and interactive exhibits. I am glad this was my first stop when visiting MV.

Their $18 entrance fee gives you free range of multiple historical and fascinating museum exhibits, including ferries and Clifford! Their exhibits are interactive and include recorded interviews, detailing the history of Martha's Vineyard. Free parking is nearby although it's walkable from the main street!

The MV Museum has a new home in the former Marine Hospital in Tisbury. The new museum opened in the spring of 2019 and the museum is awesome. The glory of the museum is the Fresnel light that was retired from the gay head lighthouse. A wonderful place to learn more about island life and the history of Martha's Vineyard. Nice exhibits and the museum has a great spot for children to play and interact with each other. Great for adults too.

My friend lives in Vineyard Haven and I do long walks. Walked by the abandoned Marine Hospital for many years and thought how sad. How could that hilltop building be abandoned? She said there were plans. Museum is now a vibrant gem with amazing views and outdoor spaces, cool and eclectic exhibits, and the love of MV life and people and the sea everywhere. Opened in March 2019. Doing great in August 2019. Learned how the game of basketball was invented on MV--with peach baskets and a soccer ball for long winters--an inside game. Who knew! Awesome room for kids with a boat and fish shack. Great orientation film--one of the best I have seen at any museum. Loved the MV Ag Fair exhibit with photos by Allison Shaw. Great exhibits on the people who live on MV. Including the chicken woman of MV. A docent led our group of five. She was adorable and charming. My mother is 90 and could do it all since the museum has elevators and spots to sit. My friend is becoming a member and I cannot wait to return. Barn and stone structure outback are also amazing.

The Peter Simon exhibit drew us in on our visit to MV, but with surprise, docent Phyllis Kugler was the highlight! Her passion and knowledge was so appreciated, and the museum came to life through her tour. Bravo!! A must.

Maybe it's because my mom kept advertising how awesome the Martha's Vineyard Museum was, that her enthusiasm built my hopes up too high...but I was pretty underwhelmed by this experience! The building is nothing special on the outside, and while the grounds are very nicely kept, the only truly special aspect is the view over Lagoon Pond, since you're up on a hill. The exhibits mostly focus on the nautical, whaling history of the island, as well as a LOT about the annual Ag Fair. I really wish there was more about the history of the African-American community on the island, more about the Native American history BEFORE the arrival of the British. I also wish there was more about the rich arts and music culture and history on the island, including famous local musicians, artists, dancers, theatre, and information about the Vineyard Haven Town Band, which is one of the oldest continuously-running bands in the entire United States! Basically, I felt like the museum exhibits barely scraped the tip of the rich history of the island, wasting too much space on nautical tchotchkes and the Gay Head Lighthouse, which is a cool lighthouse, but perhaps could've included a lot more facts about its history and that of the town around it. WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBILITY: The front door is awkwardly wheelchair-accessible, and all throughout the venue, turn-radius is an issue for all but the very smallest wheelchairs...and maybe even them, too, especially in the elevator vestibule areas, which are the size of a closet! There is a ramp in the cafe area down to the door exiting to the front patio, but the day I was there, the automatic door for accessibility wasn't working, and someone was kind enough to open the door for me. The gift shop is very cramped and hard to maneuver in a wheelchair, but luckily it's small, so one can see almost everything from one point. The woman who was working there when I went was very nice and helpful, and assisted me in accessing things I could not wheel to. They have some wonderful vintage postcards there, which might've been my favorite part of my visit to the museum! I bought a bunch and have been sending them out ever since! Would I go back? Probably not, unless there was a special event there. Do I think it's really interesting for people under the age of 60? Possibly not, unless they have strong familial ties to one of the exhibits. It's probably a good, short fieldtrip for young kids on the island, but not something I'd recommend using up a beautiful day in the summer or fall for!

This was a great rainy day activity. The museum is small but interesting and really nice. The highlights were the lighthouse light display, the history timeline movie and of course some very interesting Jaws stuff!

I love this museum. It consists of an adorable yet affordable gift shop, a few rooms with changing exhibits, and then you go out the door and there is a small building on whaling, a light house, and a place called the Cooke House. Me and my kids couldn't have had a better Saturday, and we talked with the young lady behind the counter for a long time. She was so friendly. Thank you so much MVMuseum. We had a great time!!

This is such a cute little museum! First you enter into the second oldest surviving home on the island, dating back around 300 years, and learn about the life of the Cooke family who built the home and owned it for a century and a half. Outside are artifacts from life on the island from centuries past as well as a gift shop and art gallery. I would definitely recommend the Martha's Vineyard Museum to history buffs who want to get a glimpse into the island's past.

Not a very big museum nor all that comprehensive but it is worth the admission price and a couple of hours. Audio guides are included which allow you to spend more time with an exhibit if you wish. Kids would most likely be bored quickly.