Penikese Island School is available for hosting small groups for overnight experiences. Whether a scout troop wants to spend a weekend birding, a high-school plans a full week-long ecology trip, or a university designs a two-week intensive field study program, Penikese is a wonderful location to disconnect from regular life and reconnect with nature and each other.
Overnight Stays on Penikese
Enjoy the full Penikese Experience
Explore Every Direction
Island Facilities
The main living quarters are modeled on a 19th century New England farm house and built, in large part, using salvaged beams found on and around Penikese Island. The house uses solar panels for nominal electrical needs and wood for heating and cooking. It has hot and cold running water, indoor and outdoor showers, and a clean composting Clivus Multrum toilet facility. It can be used in any season of the year. There is additionally a one-room “schoolhouse” building and a spacious workshop or studio building. Educational programs are run in the various Penikese buildings and at stations spread across Penikese Island.
Photo Credit: Brian Nevins / 11th Hour Racing
“The last week of September, 17 of our students along with [three teachers] spent 3 days and 2 nights out at Penikese, without phones, with limited running water and no electric light. Glorious, right? We cooked, ate and cleaned together, learning about the Island’s history, doing team challenges, playing games, fishing and taking in the Island and the ocean all around. Was it serene and rejuvenating at every moment? No- of course there was drama when 17 teenagers have no distractions but each other. But was it mindful and meaningful? It was. Were there a hundred moments or more when I found myself talking to a student and learning something about them I had never known before? You bet. Did they learn something about themselves and each other? Definitely. Everything from history lessons to ghost stories to how to slice a tomato. Our Penikese Island Retreat represents [our] work all year, but distilled into around 52 hours. It’s a feeling of being disconnected from the rest of the world but connected together, learning about each other while learning about life---it’s about being there, with each other, with ourselves."