Maine Maritime Museum facts for kids
Maritime History Building from northeast
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| Established | 1962 |
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| Location | Bath, Maine |
| Type | Maritime museum |
The Maine Maritime Museum is a cool place to learn about Maine's amazing history with the sea. It used to be called the Bath Marine Museum. This museum shows how Maine's people and ships have been important in ocean activities around the world.
The museum has a huge collection. It includes millions of old papers, interesting objects, and beautiful artwork. There's also a big library for people who want to learn even more. You'll find the museum on the banks of the Kennebec River. It's a really pretty spot!
The museum also has the historic Percy and Small Shipyard. This shipyard has five original buildings from the 1800s. You can also see a Victorian-era home where a shipyard owner lived. Plus, there's New England's biggest sculpture here. It's a full-size model of the Wyoming, the largest wooden sailing ship ever built!
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The museum started in 1962. Seven people from Bath, Maine, created the Marine Research Society of Bath. At first, they rented a small shop in 1964 to show their collection.
Later in 1964, a rich shipbuilding family, the Sewalls, gave the museum their mansion. This allowed the museum to display even more items. In 1972, its name officially changed to the Maine Maritime Museum.
In the 1980s, the museum had two locations. Visitors took a 20-minute ferry ride between them. By 1983, there were three separate places to see the collection.
In 1989, everything moved to one main campus. This new spot included the historic Percy & Small Shipyard. For the first time, all the museum's activities were in one place.
In 2010, the Portland Harbor Museum joined with the Maine Maritime Museum. This happened because of a tough economy. The Portland museum's items moved to Bath. The Bath museum was a better place to keep the collection safe.
In 2012, a special ship called the Gazela Primeiro visited the museum. This visit celebrated the museum's 50th anniversary!
Exploring the Museum's Collection
The museum has over 20,000 objects. It also has millions of rare papers and old writings. These items tell the story of Maine's maritime past. They show how Maine influenced the world, from ancient times to today. Between 2001 and 2007, the collection grew from 16,000 to 20,000 objects.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the museum started collecting more widely. It began to include all parts of Maine's sea culture. The collection helps us understand many things. For example, how Maine's sea trade helped connect the world. Or how Maine families ran their shipping businesses.
It also shows how fishing in Maine affects its money and nature. And how Maine's coast became a popular place for tourists. Finally, it highlights how art and crafts have shown Maine's ships, people, and beautiful coastline. You can even find much of the collection to research online!
Discovering Exhibits and Tours
The museum has many cool exhibits you can see all the time. Here are some of them:
- The Donnell House: This is a restored home from 1892. A shipyard owner used to live here.
- A Shipyard in Maine: Percy & Small and the Great Schooners: This exhibit explores America's only remaining shipyard where huge wooden sailing ships were built.
- BIW: Building America's Navy: This exhibit was made with Bath Iron Works. It's a high-tech look at the people, steps, and ships of BIW.
- Historic Boat Collection: See over 140 famous boats from Maine. These range from a rare birch bark canoe to Andrew Wyeth’s Friendship sloop.
- Honing the Edge: The Apprenticeshop at 40: This looks back at how the "wooden boat revival" started.
- Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience: This is a full-size copy of a lighthouse lantern room. You can see the original giant lens from the Two Lights lighthouse.
- Kenneth D. Kramer Blacksmith Shop: This is a working blacksmith shop. It looks like the original one that was at the Percy & Small site.
- Lobstering & the Maine Coast: Learn all about Maine's lobstering industry.
In the summer, the museum's special schooner, the Mary E, is docked there. This ship was launched in Bath in 1906. It's the oldest fishing schooner built in Maine that is still sailing! The Mary E is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Maine Maritime Museum also has new exhibits that change throughout the year. You can also take boat trips on the river and coast. They even offer tours to lighthouses!
Exploring the Museum Campus
In 1987, a big project started to build a new home for the museum. It cost $7 million. This new location opened in 1989. It includes the Percy & Small Shipyard. This helps protect the only wooden shipbuilding site left in the country. Winton Scott Architects designed the current museum building.
In 1987, Elizabeth B. Noyce gave $3.5 million for the building. The building was finished in 1989 and is 30,000 square feet. In 2010, the museum fixed problems with the roof design.
A huge sculpture dominates the museum's campus. It looks like the schooner Wyoming. This ship was the biggest wooden vessel ever built in the United States. The Wyoming sank in 1924. But in 2001, a full-size sculpture was built to honor it. This helps visitors connect with Maine's sea past.
At 444 feet long, it's the largest sculpture in New England. It stands where the real Wyoming was built. In 2001, the museum raised $4 million from donations. They used $300,000 of that money for the sculpture.
Until 2014, the fishing schooner Sherman Zwicker docked at the museum. Visitors could take tours of it each summer.
In 2019, the museum started a $3.3 million project. They are redesigning the south side and entrance areas. This project will make the visitor experience even better. It will also create a beautiful, eco-friendly landscape by the Kennebec River. Plus, it will make the museum easier for everyone to access.
See also
- List of maritime museums in the United States
- List of museums in Maine
- List of museum ships
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Sagadahoc County, Maine
Gallery
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Maine Maritime Museum entry
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Maine Maritime Museum
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War of 1812 Exhibit
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Maine Maritime Museum waterfront
