Children's Museums

Thornton Burgess Society

Name: Thornton Burgess Society
Address: 6 Discovery Hill Rd, East Sandwich, MA 02537, East Sandwich, MA, US
Telephone: (508) 888-6870
Rating: 4.7

★★★★☆ 4.7 (86 reviews)

📍 6 Discovery Hill Rd, East Sandwich, MA 02537

📞 (508) 888-6870

🌐 thorntonburgess.org

Visit Website 📍 Get Directions

🕐 Hours

Monday	Closed
Tuesday	9 AM–4 PM
Wednesday	9 AM–4 PM
Thursday	9 AM–4 PM
Friday	9 AM–4 PM
Saturday	9 AM–4 PM
Sunday	Closed

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About Thornton Burgess Society

Thornton Burgess Society is a children's museum in East Sandwich, MA. The attraction features a historic 1903 kitchen (Ida Putnam Kitchen) where visitors can observe jam and jelly-making demonstrations and participate in family and adult jam-making classes. Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars by 86 visitors.

Quick Facts

Type: Nature Center
Best For: All ages
Highlights: Storybook garden world, 300+ plant wildflower garden, live animal ambassadors, jam-making classes
Interactive Experiences: Story time, guided nature walks, sketch walks, jam-making classes, birthday parties

💡 Did You Know?

⭐The attraction features a historic 1903 kitchen (Ida Putnam Kitchen) where visitors can observe jam and jelly-making demonstrations and participate in family and adult jam-making classes
⭐Green Meadow Forest is a storybook world recreation featuring characters from Thornton W. Burgess stories, including Peter Cottontail, bringing classic children's literature to life as an interactive exhibit
⭐The Shirley G. Cross Wildflower Garden contains over 300 plant species and hosts an annual wildflower garden plant sale, supporting regional conservation efforts
⭐The venue offers specialized educational programs including sketch walks led by both an artist and entomologist, combining art and nature education in a unique way

💬 What Visitors Say

🕐Visit Green Meadow Forest on Fridays and Saturdays to experience the full storybook world featuring Peter Cottontail characters, as weekday closures have been noted in reviews.
💡Plan a Wednesday visit June through August to join the guided garden tours, which help you fully appreciate the 300+ plant wildflower garden and discover seasonal highlights like the hydrangea festival.
💡Book the family or adult jam-making classes in the historic 1903 kitchen to combine hands-on learning with the venue's unique culinary heritage—reviews highlight this as a memorable interactive experience.
💬Purchase jam from the on-site kitchen to directly support the venue's conservation efforts in the region while getting a quality product, as noted in reviews.
💬Allow time to watch jam or marmalade-making through the kitchen windows if you can't attend a class—it's a unique educational observation point that visitors found engaging.