For more information about programming, personal retreats or day trips, visit starisland.org or

call our office open year-round in Portsmouth.

Star Island CorporationThe Morton Benedict House

30 Middle StreetPortsmouth, NH 03801

starisland.org · office@starisland.org

f/StarIslandCorpt/StarIslandCorp

(603) 430-6272

Brochure copy courtesy Deb Weiner Soule and others.Photos courtesy Sean Elliot, Maria Getoff,

Christopher Lielasus, Bob Levine & Jeff Spoor.

a proud & fascinating historySailors visiting the Isles of Shoals gave Star Island its name because the island’s points stretch in all directions like the flashes of a distant star.

These islands were called “Smith’s Isles” in the 17th cen-tury after Captain John Smith landed here. Star Island and neighboring Appledore Island operated mainly as a fishing village until the Grand Hotel Era of the late 1800’s when Star Island attracted such notable artists and writers as Childe Hassam, Celia Thaxter, Nathaniel Hawthorne and John Greenleaf Whittier, among others.

Legend has it that Blackbeard the Pirate landed here and buried treasure. The murder that inspired Anita Shreve’s novel The Weight of Water took place on neighboring Smuttynose.

On Star, you will see starfish and sea anemones in tidal pools and you might spot the rare Scarlet Pimpernel flower tucked among rocks. You can fish to your heart’s content, wonder at the multitude of sea and song birds, and in the late summer witness clouds of Monarch but-terflies en route to warmer climates. This place is magic, and it calls to you to experience its wonder.

Boat Service to Star iSlandIsles of Shoals Steamship Company: Sail from Portsmouth on the M/V Thomas Laighton, a 90-foot, Victorian-style steamship. www.islesofshoals.com or call (800) 441-4620.

Island Cruises, Inc.: Sail from Rye Harbor on the Uncle Oscar - comfortable panoramic seating for 20 passengers. www.uncleoscar.com or call (603) 964-6446

vacationwith a

purpose

Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire

As a nonprofit, the Star Island Corporation’s mission since 1915 is to hold and administer Star Island and other properties we own for educational, religious, and kindred purposes.

discover

Star ISland

Step out of your busy life and onto an island with a 100-year tradition of summer programming, recreation and relaxation.

Come to Star Island, one of the nine rocky islands in the Isles of Shoals, located ten miles southeast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. All the rush and fuss of mainland life are left behind when you arrive on Star Island. Enter the Oceanic Hotel and step back in time to a simpler, less hectic era.

Star Island — A source of renewal and inspiration for people of all ages.

Day visit: Take a morning cruise out of Portsmouth or Rye, explore the island’s rich history, enjoy the view of Gosport Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean from a rock-ing chair on the porch of the Oceanic Hotel and have lunch in the Oceanic’s snack bar or dining room.

Programming: Whether for a full week, a few days or over a weekend, give yourself time to study art, reli-gion, music, world affairs, science, photography, dance or yoga—to name just a few of the many offerings of enriching programs and theme weeks for adults, fam-ilies, and youth groups held from mid-June through mid-September. It is also possible to try a program for one or two days.

Personal Retreats: Your get-away to Star Island for one, two, or many nights of retreat and personal time. Plan a family reunion, gather up a group of friends or come on your own.

Star Island becomes a life-long tradition for many folks who come back year after year to experience the island magic with their families, generation to generation. Once you’ve come, you’ll remember Star for a lifetime. The cry of the gulls, the pristine beauty and the history will stay with you long after you return home.

To learn more about our enriching programming, per-sonal retreats and day trips, visit us at starisland.org.

spEnd a day • coME for a night • or stay a WEEK

rEMEMbEr for a lifEtiME

•Capture the island’s rugged beauty through photography or painting

•Explore indigenous flowers, birds and marine life•Savor a lobster roll and a World-Famous Lime

Rickey at the snack bar•Enjoy wonderful meals served family-style•Visit the Vaughn-Thaxter Memorial Cottage

Museum and learn Shoals history•Explore the Rutledge Marine Laboratory•Row across Gosport Harbor and visit a

neighboring island•Play a game of tennis, softball or bocce•Watch the sun rise from East Rock and the sun

set from the Summerhouse•Make new friends•Attend a candlelight service in the 210-year-old

stone chapel•Restore your spirit.