Maritime Museum of the Atlantic facts for kids
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
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| Established | 1948 |
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| Location | 1675 Lower Water Street Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Type | Maritime Museum |
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a cool place to learn about ships and the ocean! It's located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This museum is the oldest and biggest maritime (sea-related) museum in Canada.
It has over 30,000 items, including 70 small boats and a big steamship called the CSS Acadia. The Acadia is a 180-foot ship that was launched in 1913.
Contents
History of the Museum
The museum first opened its doors in 1948. It was originally known as the Maritime Museum of Canada. At first, it was located at a naval base in Halifax Harbour.
In 1959, Niels Jannasch became the museum's first director. He helped the museum grow a lot! The museum moved a few times before its current building was built in 1981. The amazing ship CSS Acadia joined the museum's collection in 1982.
Where to Find the Museum
The museum is one of the first fun places to visit on the Halifax Waterfront. Its spot gives it great views of the Halifax Harbour. You can see the Harbourmaster office and Georges Island from there.
The museum has several piers and boatsheds. It also includes the old Robertson Store, which was a ship chandler building from the 1880s. This is a place where ships could buy supplies.
Amazing Collections and Artifacts
Besides over 30,000 items, the museum also has 30,000 photos. They have many old maps and rare books too. There's a library named after the museum's first director, Niels Jannasch.
The museum has Canada's largest collection of ship portraits. This includes the oldest ship portrait in Canada! You can also see many ship models. Some of these are the original models from the TV show Theodore Tugboat!
You can often see people working to fix up old boats in the boatsheds. One project is the Whim, a 1937 C-class sloop. These boatsheds also hold many of the museum's small boats.
Exciting Exhibits to Explore
The museum has many cool exhibits. You can learn about the "Days of Sail" when ships used sails. There's also the "Age of Steam" when steam engines powered ships. Other exhibits cover "Small Craft," the "Canadian Navy," and "Shipwrecks."
The Titanic Exhibit
A special exhibit focuses on the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It shows how Nova Scotia helped recover items and victims from the disaster. The museum has the world's best collection of wooden items from the Titanic.
This includes one of the few deck chairs that survived. The Titanic exhibit also has a child's pair of shoes. These shoes helped identify the "unknown child" from the Titanic as Sidney Leslie Goodwin.
Shipwreck Treasures
Another exhibit, "Shipwreck Treasures of Nova Scotia," explores other shipwrecks. You can see discoveries from naval shipwrecks in Louisbourg Harbour. There are also items from an unknown schooner from the 1750s.
You can see weapons, tools, gold, and silver from wrecks like the 1711 HMS Feversham. There are also items from the 1725 wreck of the Chameau and the 1761 wreck of the ship Auguste.
Other Galleries
The "Age of Steam" gallery has a special display about Samuel Cunard. He was from Nova Scotia and started the famous Cunard Line of ships. The old Robertson building has a fully restored ship chandlery. Here, you can try out old foghorns and see ropes and ship parts.
The "Navy" gallery includes the "Convoy Exhibit" about the Battle of the Atlantic. This was a very important battle in World War II. Outside the museum, you can find monuments to the Canadian and Norwegian Merchant Navies. There's even a playground shaped like a submarine for kids!
Changing Exhibits
The museum also has galleries that change often. In 2009, an exhibit called Ship of Fate: The Tragic Voyage of the St. Louis told the story of a ship carrying Jewish refugees in 1939. In 2011, the museum had an exhibit called Hello Sailor: Gay Life on the Ocean Waves. This was the first time a museum in North America showed an exhibit about gay seafarers.
Amazing Vessels to See
- CSS Acadia: This ship was used for research from 1913 to 1968. It also served as a patrol ship in World War I and World War II. It's the museum's biggest artifact!
- 70 small craft: These are displayed in the Small Craft Gallery and boat sheds.
- Working collection vessels: These boats actually sail from the museum's wharves. They include the ketch Elson Perry and the sloop Windekilda.
- Schooner Hebridee II: This schooner was fully restored by the museum in 2017.
The HMCS Sackville (K181) is a World War II ship called a corvette. It's docked next to the museum in the summer. While the museum doesn't own it, they work together to teach people about the Royal Canadian Navy.
A Place for Special Events
The museum's location on the Halifax waterfront makes it a popular spot for public events. It has hosted meetings for the G7 Summit in 1995. It also held a special event on September 11, 2006, with important leaders from Canada and the United States.
The museum holds two important yearly events. On the first Sunday of May, they remember the Battle of the Atlantic. On September 3, they celebrate Canadian Merchant Navy Day.
See also
- History of the Royal Canadian Navy
- List of museum ships
- Marine Museum of the Great Lakes
- Military history of Canada
- Military history of Nova Scotia
- Museum ship
- Naval Museum of Halifax
- Organization of Military Museums of Canada
- Ship replica
- Ships preserved in museums
- Theodore Too – full-size tugboat based on a model present in the museum
- Toronto Maritime Museum
Images for kids
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The original models and set from Theodore Tugboat
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Artifacts in the restored ship chandlery
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Sailboat exhibit
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One of several ship models on display
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The sloop Windekilda, named after founding director Niels Windekilda Jannasch.
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CSS Acadia, the Museum's largest artifact.
