We are excited to present our new summer Exploration Days! Exploration Days are fun, interactive learning experiences that will be hosted at two of our beautiful historic sites, the Babcock Mill and the Bath Museum and Visitors Centre.
With the help of local artists, artisans, and community organizations, each activity is completely different from the next, allowing you to gain all types of new skills and learn so much!
More information about each Exploration Day can be found below or on our 
page or 
page.
When are Exploration Days?
Every week, rotating between Thursdays at the Babcock Mill and Fridays at the Bath Museum and Visitors Centre.
All Exploration Day activities run from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
These exciting activities, suited for all ages, are free to attend!
Babcock Mill Exploration Days
Babcock Mill, Odessa
| Wildlife in our Creeks - Thursday, July 13 |
|
Head on down to the Babcock Mill and join the Lennox and Addington Stewardship Council for Wildlife in our Creek! As you explore the Millhaven Creek with the Stewardship council you will learn all about the local nature, how to stay safe around it, and how to capture its beauty! A biologist/insect expert and a few photography specialists from the Lennox & Addington Stewardship Council will be there to guide the way. We will walk along the creek and see what we can find! There will be insect nets and jars available for catching and viewing dragonflies and other insects near the water. Please bring your own nets if you have them. Adults can also bring binoculars and cameras. If you want some hot tips on how to photograph our insects, this is the place to come! There will be lots to learn about our native dragonflies, butterflies and bees. (Wild bees do not sting, but bumblebees can in some situations, so we will show proper behaviour around bees and wasps, so nobody gets stung.) Sturdy shoes (not flip flops) will be best for walking either in the creek bed or beside the creek. Hats, sunscreen, insect repellant, and water bottles will come in very handy. We hope to see many of you then! |
| Weave Away - Thursday, July 27 |
|
Weaving is an ancient art that has evolved alongside technology, but the basics haven't changed one bit. The art of weaving was an instrumental part of the basket making process at the Babcock Mill. The Babcock's fed skinny pieces of metal wire into their weaving machine. Using all their might, workers would pull back on a handle, pushing the wire around a wooden slate to weave it together with other slates. Without the knowledge of weaving, the family would not have been able to make their patented “Better Baskets” by Babcock. Join us at the Babcock Mill to learn all there is to know about weaving through a live demonstration! Suzanne Angle, a member of the Kingston Handloom Weavers and Spinners, will be onsite to demonstrate the art of weaving. Get hands-on and try some weaving on your own with a tabletop loom! This demonstration will give you the skills you need to make your very own wooden basket one day. We hope to see you there! |
| Macramé - Thursday, August 10 |
|
Come out to the Babcock Mill to learn about the unique weaving method of macramé. Katelyn, a local artisan and macramé guru, will be onsite to teach us different knot tying techniques that make macramé possible! Pop by to learn about this neat knotting practice and take a tour of the Mill to see the traditional weaving technique, equipment and tools used by the Babcock family. |
| Better Baskets with Babcock - Thursday, August 24 |
|
Join us at the Babcock Mill to learn how to make “Better Baskets” with the very people that made them back in the day; the Babcock Brothers, Ross and Donald! The Babcock family story begins in 1907 when John Herbert Babcock purchased the Mill. Shortly after John Herbert Babcock purchased the Mill, he installed basket making equipment and began producing the famous wooden baskets. Two of the helpers at the time were young Ross and Donald Babcock. Years after the Mill had closed and basket making discontinued, Donald, using just his memory, was able to reconstruct every aspect of the basket making process. Join us for this very special demonstration on how to make the “Better Baskets” by the Babcocks themselves! |
When and Where
Dates: See details of each event above
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Place: Babcock Mill, 100 Bridge Street, Odessa
Bath Museum Exploration Days
Bath Museum and Visitors Centre, Bath
| Animal Pottery - Friday, July 21 |
|
Come join us at the Bath Museum and Visitors Centre as we learn about pottery! So many different pieces of pottery can be seen around the Bath Museum, all with their own distinctive patterns and stories. After you have learnt all there is to know about the Bath Museums pottery collection, join Linda Fraser from the Garden Studio as we create pottery animals! Learn how to use the technique and make the patterns of the pottery you can see around the museum yourself. Who knows, maybe one day an explorer will find your pottery animal and put it in a museum! Make sure to bring a small container to bring your piece home! We hope to see you there! |
| Book Making - Friday, August 4 |
|
On Friday morning, August 4, come on down to the Bath Museum and Visitors Centre to meet award-winning author, illustrator, and educator, Peggy Collins! Peggy will be teaching us all about the process of children’s bookmaking! Little ones are encouraged to think about what they love most about our wonderful community and use it as inspiration as we get hands-on with Peggy and the bookmaking process. |
| Family Mystery...Family History - Friday, August 18 |
|
Have you ever wondered where your family came from? Well, if so, then we have an Exploration Day activity for you! Come on down to the Bath Museum and Visitors Centre on Friday morning, August 18 to turn your family mysteries into family history! Bath Museum and Visitors Centre Committee member Cyndie Eedson will be on site to help you discover if your family has ties to the Village of Bath and the greater Loyalist Township area. |
When and where
Dates: See details of each event above
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Place: Bath Museum & Visitors Centre, 434 Main Street, Bath
More upcoming events
Contact Us
Municipal Office
263 Main Street, Box 70
Odessa, ON K0H 2H0
T. 613-386-7351
Email Loyalist Municipal Office
Map this Location