By Karen Bliss
Check out this cool walking tour of Main Street in Newmarket which launched back in May but is getting a renewed push for the full three weeks of Culture Days, Sept. 23- Oct. 16.
The Elman W. Campbell Museum — itself located at 134 Main St. — put together the “Virtual Main Street Self-Guided Walking Tour,” which pairs work by 17 artists from the Newmarket Group of Artists with 17 historic buildings, including the museum, of course.
“Enjoy a stroll and discover inspiring artwork in a nearby business window,” the description states. “Enjoy the art, then hover your phone over the QR Code found on the decal to open to an interesting video on the history of the building and the current business there.”
A little confusing, this actually does require walking.
It’s not “virtual” walking.
“Tour does not have to be followed in this order. Please ensure all road and pedestrian safety precautions when walking across and along Main Street,” it says on the web site.
The 17 buildings are: Cachet Supper Club, Fresh Tea Shop, Brokerlink Insurance, Bike Sports, The Irv at The George, The Hair Company, Hungry Brew Hops, Neon Flamingo, Old Town Hall, 205 Main St., Chip & Malt, Goulash House (future locale of Cardinal Espresso Bar), Brain Power Studio, 171 Main St., Roadhouse and Rose, Old Flame Brewery — and Elman W. Campbell Museum.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary year, the museum — owned by the Corporation of the Town of Newmarket and operated by the Elman W. Campbell Museum Board of Management — is a “non-profit, educational institution created for the purpose of collecting, preserving, researching, studying, exhibiting and interpreting artifacts related to the social, political and economic history of the Town of Newmarket.”
Karen Bliss is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Billboard, Rolling Stone, Pollstar and others. She has interviewed thousands of musicians, including Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, Eminem, Shania Twain, Metallica and Michael Bublé.
It’s open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to Noon, and 1 p.m. to 4p.m. The museum “has been completely refreshed and there are lots of new exhibits to explore.” Admission is free.
