Hancock Shaker Village, Inc., is a private, not-for-profit educational organization that preserves and presents to the public the Shakers' legacy at their community in Hancock, Massachusetts. The Shaker Central Ministry closed the community in 1960 and sold the buildings and surrounding 900 acres to a group of Shaker enthusiasts, collectors and scholars who formed the not-for-profit corporation that eventually became Hancock Shaker Village. The museum opened to the public on July 1, 1961.
Over its history, the Village has steadily continued a program to restore the site and buildings, acquire and preserve adjacent land, assemble and care for the premier Shaker collection, and add innovative educational programs that bring the Shaker story to life. The Village is a National Historic Landmark and accredited by the American Association of Museums.
