Sandwich native Thornton Burgess created such characters as Peter Rabbit (the American version), Jimmy Skunk, Sammy Jay, and Bobby Raccoon. This museum dedicated to his work is an excellent place to bring children any time of the year. During the summer, the museum offers a regular schedule of story times. The many special events include Peter Rabbit Animal Day in August, and a Victorian Christmas in December. Burgess was a naturalist as well as a story teller, and the Thornton W. Burgess Society operates the Green Briar Nature Center three miles away in East Sandwich.