Erie Maritime Museum facts for kids
US Brig Niagara docked behind the Erie Maritime Museum.
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| Established | May 21, 1998 |
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| Location | 150 East Front Street Erie, Pennsylvania |
| Type | Maritime museum |
| Public transit access | Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority |
The Erie Maritime Museum is a fun place to explore the history of ships and the sea. It's located right on the waterfront in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania, on Presque Isle Bay. The museum opened its doors on May 21, 1998.
It's managed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). This museum was the first new museum opened by the PHMC in 20 years! Besides its many indoor exhibits, the museum is also the home port for the US Brig Niagara. This Niagara is a modern copy of the original 1813 ship. That ship was Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's backup flagship during the famous Battle of Lake Erie. The museum mainly focuses on the War of 1812. However, it also celebrates Erie's long and interesting history with the sea.
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Who Runs the Museum?
The Erie Maritime Museum is run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. It also works closely with the Flagship Niagara League. This league is a non-profit group that helps support the brig Niagara. They work to make sure the ship can sail and teach people about its history.
The Building's Past Life
The Erie Maritime Museum is inside an old building. It used to be called the Penelec Front Street Station. From 1917 all the way into the 1980s, this building made electricity and steam heat for Erie. Inside, there were five big generators that burned coal.
You can still see parts of its past today. Outside, to the west of the parking lot, you can spot the original smokestack. Inside the museum, you can see a General Electric steam-powered generator. The building's original crane is also still there, and it still works! Penelec planned to tear the building down when they closed it. But local leaders convinced them to save it for future use.
The current US Brig Niagara was finished in 1990. It needed a new place to dock. In 1993, the Niagara was docked nearby. Finally, in 1997, the Erie Maritime Museum started building its exhibits. In May 1998, the Niagara moved to its current spot. That's when the museum officially opened!
Cool Things to See: Permanent Exhibits
The museum has lots of cool exhibits. They use multimedia, interactive displays, and special programs. These all help show off the region's maritime history. When the Niagara is in Erie, it's the biggest "exhibit" of all. You can see it from the museum's big window facing the bay.
The Niagara is a sail training ship. This means it doesn't always stay at the museum. Often, during warmer months, it sails to other ports around the Great Lakes.
Inside the Museum: Main Exhibits
- Old Power Station Equipment: You can see a huge General Electric steam-powered electricity generator. This machine was part of the Pennsylvania Electric Company's Front Street station. It shows how electricity was made long ago.
- The Battle of Lake Erie Painting: On the main floor, you'll find a giant painting by Julian Oliver Davidson. It's about 54 by 102 inches! This amazing artwork shows the most exciting part of the Battle of Lake Erie. Davidson painted it between 1885 and 1887. It shows the Brig Niagara sailing in a special way. It fired on both the British ships, HMS Detroit and HMS Queen Charlotte. This led to the British surrendering at Put-In-Bay. It was the first time in history an entire British fleet surrendered to an enemy!
- Battle of Lake Erie Exhibit: This exhibit tells you all about the Battle of Lake Erie. You can learn why the War of 1812 started. It also shows the differences in size between the American, British, and Canadian forces. You can see uniforms from that time. Plus, it explains why Erie, Pennsylvania, was chosen to build the American Great Lakes fleet.
- The Lawrence Ship Section: A main exhibit on the first floor is a copy of the middle part of the USS Lawrence. This was Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's first flagship during the Battle of Lake Erie. The copy has a mast, spars, and ropes. This lets you get hands-on and learn how to handle sails.
- "Live Fire" Exhibit:' Next to the Lawrence replica, there's a section that looks like it's been blasted. The current Niagaras own cannons were used to shoot at this section. This "live fire" exhibit shows how much damage ships and people suffered during battles like the Battle of Lake Erie. It gives you an idea of what fighting was like in the Age of Fighting Sail.
- Fighting Sail:' This exhibit has a life-size upper part of a working mast. It came directly from the current Niagara shortly after the museum opened. This exhibit teaches you how wooden sailing ships were built. You can also learn about life on a ship, 19th-century Navy medicine, and see a copy of the Lawrences gun deck. It also shows shipbuilding tools, different knots, and more.
- USS Wolverine Exhibit: On the second floor, there's an exhibit about the crew and officers of the USS Wolverine. This ship was originally called USS Michigan. It was the United States Navy's first warship made of iron! The ship's original front part (prow) is the main item in this exhibit. You can also see models of the ship, its weapons, uniforms, and personal items from the sailors.
Other Cool Exhibits
The museum also has other interesting exhibits, including:
- Model Making
- Lighthouses and Lifesaving in Erie
- Lake Erie Fishing Industry
- Joe Divell's Lake Diving
- Maritime Archaeology (studying old things found underwater)
- US Brig Niagara Reconstruction (how the new Niagara was built)
Where to Find the Museum
The museum is located at 150 East Front Street. It's right next to the Raymond Blasco Erie County Library.
See also
- List of maritime museums in the United States
- List of museum ships
