Shaker Museum

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Shaker Museum

Shaker Museum holds the world’s most comprehensive Shaker collection and stewards the North Family at Mount Lebanon, the most important Shaker site in America.

Shaker Museum elevates Shaker material culture to animate Shaker values and beliefs and inspire individuals and communities to deepen bonds and seek meaningful approaches to social, economic, environmental, and spiritual issues. Shaker Museum was founded in 1950 by John S. Williams, Sr. on his farm in Old Chatham, New York. Beginning in the 1930s, Williams traveled extensively to then-active Shake

r communities and, often with help from the Shakers, purchased and was given fine examples of their arts, industries, domestic life, and spiritual artifacts. His approach was that of an anthropologist documenting the decline of a culture. Today the Museum’s object and library collection, numbering over 56,000 items, is considered the most comprehensive Shaker collection and is a prime resource for scholars and curators. The Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums since 1972. In 2004, the Museum became the owner and steward of the North Family site at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, consisting of 11 remaining Shaker buildings on 91 acres, part of the Mount Lebanon Shaker Society National Historic Landmark district. The Museum’s efforts are underway to restore the site and relocate there. Toward that end, the facility in Old Chatham closed to regular visitors in 2009, and since 2011 the Museum has offered seasonal guided tours, programs and exhibitions at the North Family, Mount Lebanon and the surrounding area.

09/03/2026

The Shakers: A World in the Making is the first major traveling exhibition to place extraordinary Shaker objects alongside the contemporary artists and designers they continue to inspire. We are overjoyed by the continued support of A World in the Making as it continues its tour to the Milwaukee Art Museum later this month.

Organized in partnership with the Vitra Design Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, and featuring rare loans from the Shaker Museum, the exhibition brings together more than 150 historic objects and contemporary installations in a landmark exploration of design, ideas, and how we live. Have you been able to catch this exhibit in either Philadelphia or Rhein, Germany?

09/02/2026

Artist Kiki Smith joins the Shaker Outpost in October a selection of her lap blankets alongside objects chosen by her from our collection. While in conversation with Kiki, we were reminded of a Shaker textile artist in her own right.

Elvira Curtis Hulett was born on August 6, 1805—thirty-one years to the day after the Shakers first arrived in New York. Born in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, she was the second of five children. In 1812, following the death of the Huletts’ fifth child, the entire family—except for Elvira’s father—came to live with the Shakers at Hancock.

Sister Elvira spent nearly half a century with Hancock’s West Family before moving to the Church Family, where she worked as a weaver, baker, and tailoress, eventually serving as Eldress. She left behind an extraordinary legacy of colorful, intricately crafted rugs

We have three of her rugs in our collection, and we can’t wait to share them with you soon.

Object ID: 1960.12697.1, Photograph, Cabinet - Sister Elvira Hulett, Hancock, MA

08/31/2026

The building infrastructure is in full swing, and we’re excited to be reaching some major milestones.

The cellar slab-on-grade is now placed and watertight. Over the next few weeks, the structural slab on the first floor will be installed, spanning both the lobby in the Addition and the exhibition space in the Existing Building. Because so many design details are integrated with the concrete slabs, these seemingly simple elements have required an incredible level of attention, coordination, and precision. The goal is for every detail to feel effortless and to fully realize Selldorf Architects’ design.

At the same time, we’re preparing the Existing Building for the installation of the steel infrastructure. Over the next few weeks, you’ll see the exterior shoring being shifted as we begin the phased installation of the steel. It’s a delicate dance that requires careful sequencing and coordination, but it’s also an exciting moment: the project is beginning to take shape in new and highly visible ways.

08/27/2026

New arrivals have landed in Maira Kalman’s General Store at Shaker Outpost! She’s curated a delightful range of goods, from Hungarian linens and hand dusters to ginger snaps and bespoke ceramics by Paula Greif. From the practical to the poetical, there’s plenty to discover.

Visit us on Friday and Saturdays from 10am - 5pm & Sundays from 11am - 4pm.

08/26/2026

In the early days, Shakers often did much of their own printing. There came a point that in order to compete in the worldly market, they turned to commercial printers and lithographers to produce some of their advertising materials. This felted placard advertising Shaker Herbs provides a good example of the Shakers turning to worldly printers to help them.

When we think of Shaker design, we often think first of furniture and tools. However, the remarkable typography in our collection can expand our understanding of Shaker ingenuity.

1957.8585.1 - Placard - Felted broadside for Shaker Herbs, Shirley, MA

08/25/2026

Got a question about the Shakers? We have the answer.

Our research library at 29 Jones Avenue is available year-round by appointment. With over 10,000 library items and resources available, a little research can help answer many of your Shaker-related questions.

Reach out to [email protected] to set up an appointment.

08/24/2026

We’re still ruminating on the fruitful discussion with artists Dana Hoey and Lucasen Brown on Saturday afternoon. Bill Arning moderated the discussion exploring how faith, theology, and artistic practice intersectin contemporary art.

Huge thank you to Ten Barn Farms for hosting us - it was a gorgeous afternoon on the farm. We can’t wait to visit again.

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on future events at Shaker Museum (link in bio).

08/20/2026

This sage-sifting bench from Hancock, MA, was located alongside the ball mill in the second-floor machine shop and laundry room. It was used to sift sage that had already been ground by the mill.

How did it work? A rectangular wire-screen sieve, located directly beneath the top of the bench, was agitated back and forth by a drive rod. The rod converted the rotary motion of a water-powered line shaft into reciprocating horizontal motion. Unrefined sage was loaded into the hopper above the sieve, where a sliding gate controlled the rate of flow. A large drawer below collected the finely sifted herb, while a chute at the opposite end discharged the refuse.

Sifter - Sage sifting bench used at the Church Family, Hancock, MA
Object ID: 1950.3343.1

08/19/2026

Acclaimed poet Mark Doty will present a reading from his celebrated book Still Life with Oysters and Lemons in conjunction with the forthcoming illustrated reissue of the volume. Drawing on research in the Shaker Museum collection, Doty will reflect on the spiritual and emotional resonance of Shaker objects while surrounded by selected works from the collection. The program explores the expressive power of everyday objects and the ways material culture can embody memory, devotion, and human experience.

The reading will take place on Thursday, Aug 27. Limited space is available. Free with RSVP (link in bio).

08/18/2026

How familiar are you with the parts of a sundial? Specifically the gnomon?

Gnomon [noh-mon] n. The projecting pin, rod, or triangular blade on a sundial that casts a shadow to indicate the time of day.

The gnomon on this limestone sundial from South Union, KY was made of brass, with the finer details carved directly into a limestone base. Three graduated oval chapters rings encase the roman numerals that mark the hour, a four-pointed compass star carved just below the gnomon, and with the inscription “Lat. 36° 53'. / July, 1876”.

Sundial - Limestone sundial used at South Union, KY
Object ID: 1952.4763.1

Address

P. O. Box 328
Chatham, NY
12037

Telephone

+15187949100

Website

http://www.shakermuseum.us/

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