Programs for Adult Learners

The Mariners’ Museum Introduces Special Programs for Adult Learners

The Mariners’ Museum has been providing educational programs to school students via videoconferencing for almost ten years. We’ve had a number of libraries and retirement communities connect in for many of the same programs we offer schools. And while you can still book any of our educational programs, we are pleased to offer programs designed for the adult learner.

Programs not listing a specific date are available on-demand. Unless otherwise indicated, cost per program is $125.

View school programs available for adult learners

Searching for the Northwest Passage
During the European Age of Exploration, dozens of explorers ventured out in search of spices, land, fame and glory. Some found cities of gold, hot, tropical climates, and exotic birds in lands fertile and ripe for the taking. Others found ice, dead-ends, and more ice, all in search of an illusive Northwest Passage to the Indies. Hear stories of those who bravely sailed northwest—reviewing what they found (and didn’t find), how they survived, and how their voyages changed the course of history.

The Franklin Expedition: Tragedy in Ice
Of all the attempts to locate the Northwest Passage, none captured the imagination of the world like the Franklin Expedition. Departing to accolades, the tragedy that followed initially disappointed a nation. But disappointment soon turned to shock as the details of the expedition’s fate came to light. Today, historians and scientist continue to seek answers as to the fate of the lost Franklin Expedition. This program will examine the ill-fated expedition, focusing on the events of the mid-19^th century along with more recent discoveries and theories.

From the “Haven of Death” to Nordenskiold: The Search for the Northeast Passage
Given that the Northwest Passage is in our own backyard, Americans tend to forget about the other direction European explorers sailed in an attempt to reach Asia—to the Northeast. This lecture will focus on early European efforts to find the Northeast Passage as they rounded North Cape, Norway and moved along the northern coast of Russia.

Ventures to the Bottom of the World
The only continent to ever truly be discovered, Antarctica still remains a mystery. Frozen, silent, continuous light and dark—it’s the most inhospitable land on the planet; yet, many sailed on to the southern ice land. Why? For trade? Science? Schoolboy excitement? What were they hoping to find? What was worth risking their lives? This session embarks on a quest to answer those questions and more, as we trace the voyages of those who chose to venture to the bottom of the world. 

Dangerous Crossings: The First Modern Polar Expedition, 1925
Dr. Harold Cones, Author
The 1925 MacMillan Arctic Expedition was the first to use aircraft in the Arctic, the first to use shortwave in the Arctic, and was Richard Byrd's first exposure to Polar Regions. Details of this expedition were long suppressed and were unmasked by the speaker for his Naval Institute Press book, Dangerous Crossings: The First Modern Polar Expedition.