The Captain’s Party is celebrated each year in honor of Captain Elias Davis (1758-1821), a successful Gloucester captain whose three-story Federal-style home, built in 1804 and known as the Davis House, has served as an integral part of the museum since its founding in 1873. This year’s event was attended by 310 guests. The theme of this year’s party celebrated P.T. Barnum’s “Greatest Show on Earth!” and the circus parade that wowed the people of Gloucester and nearby towns during the early morning hours of May 26, 1873.
The Cape Ann Museum has been in existence since the 1870s, working to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the area and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the museum is one of the major cultural institutions on Boston’s North Shore welcoming more than 25,000 local, national and international visitors each year to its exhibitions and programs. In addition to fine art, the museum’s collections include decorative arts, textiles, artifacts from the maritime and granite industries, two historic homes and a sculpture park in the heart of downtown Gloucester.