THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Bring a box of vintage finds or an heirloom you no longer use and support Marblehead Museum. Drop donations at Jeremiah Lee Mansion Gardens on August 22; no registration required.
Bring a box of vintage finds or an heirloom you no longer use and support Marblehead Museum. Drop donations at Jeremiah Lee Mansion Gardens on August 22; no registration required.
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Operated by Marblehead Museum · Marblehead, Massachusetts
At the edge of Marblehead's historic district, the Lee Mansion Gardens open each summer as a working stage for neighborhood life, and on Saturday, August 22 the grounds become the drop-off and staging area for the Marblehead Museum's Treasure Sale. This free, donation-driven event invites locals and visitors to clean out attics and trunks, donate vintage and antique items, and support a small nonprofit dedicated to preserving Marblehead's material and maritime past. Located at Lee Mansion Gardens, 161 Washington Street, Marblehead, MA 01945, the collection runs 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with a rain date on Sunday, August 23. If you can't wait until the weekend, the Museum accepts donations during its regular open hours, Tuesday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. Email [email protected] with photos or descriptions if you're unsure whether your item fits the sale, or to arrange a pickup for larger pieces. This isn't a flea market plug-in; it's a curated community sale. Organizers specifically seek Marblehead-related pieces alongside books, small furniture, lighting, jewelry, artwork, maps, ceramics, vintage household goods, quilts, and period clothing. Volunteers sort and price donations before a fall sale, and all proceeds directly benefit Marblehead Museum, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Payment at the sale will be accepted in cash, credit, or Venmo; buyers are encouraged to bring their own bags. Beyond the practicalities, the Treasure Sale connects to Marblehead's identity as a town of wooden houses, wharves, and a long collecting culture. Donors help keep local history visible: a map tucked inside a trunk can resurface a neighborhood story, a set of maritime prints can reframe a room. For visitors, dropping off an item is an easy way to participate in local stewardship and leave something behind that matters to the community. Practical tips: larger furniture may require a pickup request via email; fragile items should be wrapped and labeled; volunteers appreciate clear descriptions. Whether you're purging an attic or hunting for a distinctive vintage find, the Treasure Sale is a low-fuss, high-impact way to support Marblehead Museum while engaging with the town's past. No registration is required—just walk in. The meeting point and donation site: Jeremiah Lee Mansion Gardens, 161 Washington Street. For questions or pickup arrangements, contact [email protected]. This brief civic ritual blends decluttering with conservation, and it's one of the clearest ways locals keep Marblehead's material culture in circulation. Collections taken this August are being curated for the 2026 Treasure Sale; if you plan to donate for that event, include provenance, approximate age, and any known faults in your email. Volunteers welcome helpers on sorting day - contact the Museum to volunteer - and bringing clean, intact items speeds processing. Small-dollar treasures find eager new owners among locals and seasonal visitors alike.
easy.
5 hours.
Minimal; this event involves standing, lifting light boxes, and walking short distances.
No registration is required; donations can be dropped off at Lee Mansion Gardens during the event or during regular museum hours.
Primary collection is Saturday, August 22 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Jeremiah Lee Mansion Gardens, 161 Washington Street; rain date Sunday, August 23. The Museum also accepts donations Tuesday–Friday at 10:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m.
Organizers request vintage, antique, and collectible items including books, small furniture, lighting, jewelry, artwork, maps, ceramics, vintage household goods, quilts, and period clothing.
Yes. Email photos and descriptions to [email protected] to arrange a pickup for oversized donations.
All sales directly benefit Marblehead Museum, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
The sale accepts cash, credit, and Venmo; buyers should bring their own bags for purchases.
Donations collected at Lee Mansion Gardens are curated for Marblehead Museum's 2026 Treasure Sale; the Museum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit preserving local material history.
By reusing and reselling vintage items, donors reduce landfill waste and support local heritage; volunteers use sorting best practices to minimize disposal and maximize reuse.
Marblehead Museum, located in Marblehead, Massachusetts, preserves and interprets the town’s maritime, colonial, and social history through public programs, rotating exhibits, and guided experiences. The museum offers site-specific tours and presentations that explore Marblehead’s role in early American history and community life. Notable offerings include the Jeremiah Lee Mansion Tour, a 45-minute guided walk through three floors of the Georgian Lee Mansion that reveals the Lee family’s lifestyle, the presence of enslaved individuals in the household, and local economic and social contexts of the colonial era. Educational programming includes the Annual Ambassador Michael Brackett Smith Memorial Lecture, presented as John Glover’s Schooner Hannah (Zoom only), an illustrated talk detailing the schooner Hannah’s 1775 escape from the British naval vessel Nautilus and its significance to early Revolutionary maritime history. Another public presentation, Bittersweet: Dessert and Dissent, is a 45-minute session that examines eighteenth- and nineteenth-century anti-slavery boycotts, pairs historical desserts such as apple tartlet and gingerbread with interpretation, and concludes with audience Q&A. Marblehead Museum works with local historians, volunteers, and community partners to deliver informed programming for residents, students, and visitors. The museum’s public calendar, ticketed tours, and virtual lectures provide accessible ways to engage with primary history and to deepen understanding of Marblehead’s past. Visitors are encouraged to consult the museum’s official schedule for up-to-date event details. Admission and registration details are posted on the museum’s official website; groups, schools, and educators may request guided visits or tailor programs by contacting museum staff directly for scheduling and accessibility information.
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