I had the good fortune to travel to the Northeast in July of this year from my home in Washington State. I say good fortune because among the areas I visited, Bath, Maine and the "Maine Maritime Museum" was top on my list.
As someone interested in "Maritime History" and having retired from a Seattle Shipyard it was on top of my list to visit. Once I visited the museum it only substantiated that my desire to visit the museum was well founded.
I found the docents extremely will versed in the "Maine Maritime History" as will as being friendly. My questions were answered by the person I asked or I was referred to someone who could answer my question.
Last but not least the buildings and exhibits are in tremendous shape and it's easy to see the folks involved with the museum are proud of their heritage and want to share it with people who come to visit. The dory built by the folks and auctioned off was something to behold.
I'll have no problem recommending your museum to anyone who is travelling to your part of this country. In fact I've told one of my brother's that he must make it a part of a future visit to your area. He has over forty closer to fifty years of experience on the water.
Thanks again for making my visit to your wonderful museum an experience I'll always be pleased to have made!!!
Shawn J. Murphy
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- EIN 01-0271477
- (207) 443-1316
- 243 Washington Street Bath ME 04530 USA
- MaineMaritimeMuseum.org
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Arts & Culture, Children & Youth, Education, Historical Organizations, History Museums, Libraries, Youth Development
Mission: To educate the community and a worldwide audience about the important role of Maine in historic and current regional and global maritime activities.
Target demographics: Anyone interested in learning about Maine's maritime heritage in a historical context as well as its cultural and economic relevance today. Approximately 50,000 visitors annually, 80% from across the U.S. and other countries.
Geographic areas served: Maine Maritime Museum's exhibits and programs represent all of Maine's coast and inland waterways -- the full Maine maritime story.
Programs: 20-acre museum campus located on the Kennebec River in Bath on the site of the historic Percy & Small shipyard.
Collections and Exhibits - all items relating to maritime history primarily in Maine. Paintings and other artwork, rigged models, half hulls, tools used in historic shipbuilding, navigating equipment, ship artifacts and watercraft on display. Exhibits include hands-on Lobstering & the Maine Coast, historic Percy & Small shipyard buildings, the blacksmith shop, and period displays of maritime life, especially of the late 1800's.
The highlight of the Percy & Small Shipyard is a full-scale interpretive sculpture of the 6-masted schooner Wyoming, the largest wooden sailing vessel ever built in North America. The enormous Wyoming, spanning 440 feet with masts that soar 120 feet into the air, is the largest sculpture in New England.
Coming in June 2017: "Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience" -- a permanent exhibit featuring a full-scale replica of the lantern room at the top of the Cape Elizabeth Light, and featuring the original second-order Fresnel lens from that light as well as a 180-degree multi-media projection of the actual views from the Cape E Light, showing the active panorama of the Gulf of Maine.
Research Library and Archives - the library and archives house thousands of books, maritime manuscripts, business records, photographs, maps, charts, and ship plans. Archival work includes purchasing, maintaining, storing, and restoring these items. The library is available for general and scholarly use.
Education & Public Programs lecture series, symposia, adult and youth programs, school programs, narrated tour boat cruises on the Kennebec River and into Merrymeeting Bay, summer shipyard activities, volunteer support programs, family programs, museum tours, summer camps, trolly and river tours of Bath Iron Works.
Boat Shop, historic buildings, moorings, piers for visiting yachts and small tour ships, visiting yachtsmen building, children's pirate ship, and Long Reach Hall -- our beautiful banquet facility overlooking the river is available for rent for weddings and other special events.