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MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM ANNOUNCES THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR MARITIME STUDIES (AIMS)

Photo, Left to right: Debra Schmidt Bach, PhD; Leah Prescott, MLS; Michael P. Dyer, MA; Akeia de Barros Gomes, PhD; Elysa Engelman, PhD

MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM ANNOUNCES THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR MARITIME STUDIES
LED BY AKEIA DE BARROS GOMES, PhD, THE WILLIAM E. COOK VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARITIME STUDIES; INITIATIVE UNITES MUSEUM’S RENOWNED HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS 

Museum Appoints Leah Prescott, MLS, as Senior Administrator of Library Resources, Debra Schmidt Bach, PhD, as Director of Exhibitions, Elysa Engelman, PhD, as Director of Research and Scholarship, and Michael P. Dyer, MA, as Curator of Maritime History 

Mystic, CT. [September 25, 2024]Mystic Seaport Museum announces the launch of the American Institute for Maritime Studies (AIMS), an initiative that consolidates the Museum’s scholarship in maritime studies and elevates its role as the nation’s leading maritime research facility and academic institute. AIMS will strengthen the Museum’s graduate and undergraduate programs, including fellowships and internships through the newly created Department of Research and Scholarship. In addition to being the nation’s premier location for maritime scholarships, there will be a particular emphasis on making collections (both objects and manuscripts) more publicly accessible for researchers and the general public. AIMS will engage with institutions of higher education, including the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University, Williams College, and the University of Connecticut.  

The Museum has appointed Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes as the William E. Cook Vice President for Maritime Studies at AIMS. De Barros Gomes joined the Museum in 2021 as Senior Curator of Maritime Studies. The Museum has also named Leah Prescott, MLS, as Senior Administrator of Library Resources at AIMS, Dr. Debra Schmidt Bach as Director of Exhibitions at the Museum, Dr. Elysa Engelman as Director of Research and Scholarship, and Michael P. Dyer, MA, Curator of Maritime History and Instructor, Frank C. Munson Institute of Maritime History. 

“I am thrilled to lead the American Institute for Maritime Studies as we embark on this important new chapter for the Museum,” says Dr. de Barros Gomes of her new role. “AIMS represents a significant step forward in the Museum’s mission to enhance the scholarship around maritime histories and to tell stories that have been passed from generation to generation.” 

AIMS will build upon ongoing research opportunities at the Museum, including fellowships, internships, and visiting scholars, by creating additional opportunities for community engagement and academic initiatives, including publications. Earlier this year Mainsheet: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Maritime Studies debuted. This biannual publication, available both online and in print, sets itself apart with its multidisciplinary approach, global themes and accessibility, and innovative design and distribution. Mainsheet offers a unique platform for scholars worldwide to explore maritime issues spanning the past, present, and future. AIMS scholars and staff will broaden their research through robust connections with national and international universities and museums, and will explore topics related to maritime cultural connections, maritime art, and social and economic issues through a contemporary lens. 

As the William E. Cook Vice President for Maritime Studies, Dr. de Barros Gomes will be responsible for bringing strategic vision and thought leadership to the Institute. She will oversee professionals dedicated to advancing the Museum’s academic presence in maritime studies and share those findings and stories with local and broader Museum visitors through exhibitions and programming. AIMS will also continue Dr. de Barros Gomes’s outreach to local communities to engage with oral histories. Previously as the Museum’s Senior Curator of Maritime Studies, Dr. de Barros Gomes was lead curator of the exhibition Entwined: Freedom, Sovereignty, and the Sea, on view at the Museum through April 2026. She is also the co-Director of the Museum’s Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies along with Michael P. Dyer. Before joining Mystic Seaport Museum, she was Curator of Social History at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. She received a PhD and MA in Anthropology with a focus in Archeology from the University of Connecticut in 2008. 

Leah Prescott, MLS, has been appointed the new Senior Administrator of Library Resources. Prescott was previously the Associate Director for Collections and Co-Interim Director at the Harvard Law School Library and served as Associate Director for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections at Georgetown Law Center. Previously at Mystic Seaport Museum, she held several positions over two decades, including Manuscripts and Archives Librarian, Collections Information Technology Coordinator, Information Technologies Librarian, Manuscripts Assistant, and Museum Interpreter. Prescott holds a Master of Library Science and Information Studies from Syracuse University and a BA in American History from the University of Connecticut. She has been a Certified Archivist since 2005 and actively participates in the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, where she co-chaired the Infrastructure Interest Group from 2020 to 2022. 

Debra Schmidt Bach, PhD, has been appointed as the new Director of Exhibitions. Bach was previously the Curator of Decorative Arts and Special Exhibitions at the New-York Historical Society, where she curated and collaborated on numerous popular culture and social history exhibitions, including The Art of Winold Reiss: An Immigrant Modernist; Beyond Midnight: Paul Revere; and First Jewish Americans: Freedom and Culture in the New World. Bach lectures widely, has written numerous essays, articles, and blogs, and has contributed to exhibition catalogs and popular culture anthologies, including “Of Great Renown: The History of Rheingold Beer,” in The New York Mets in Popular Culture (McFarland & Co., 2020). Bach received an MA in American Studies from Columbia University and a PhD with a focus on material culture and design history from the Bard Graduate Center in 2015. 

Michael P. Dyer, MA, has been appointed the new Curator of Maritime History. Dyer was most recently Curator of Maritime History at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, where he curated several exhibits including most recently the exhibition All Hands: Yankee Whaling and the U.S. Navy (2023–24). He was an editor of Vistas: A Journal of Art, History, Science, and Culture, published by the New Bedford Whaling Museum, and is author of several monographs including “O’er the Wide and Tractless Sea”: Original Art of the Yankee Whale Hunt (New Bedford, 2017), and was previously an instructor in Maritime History at the Northeast Maritime Institute at Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Dyer was also a USA Gallery Inaugural Fellow at the Australian National Maritime Museum in 2008, and a 38th Voyager onboard the bark Charles W. Morgan of Mystic, Connecticut, in the summer of 2014. 

Elysa Engelman, PhD, has been appointed the AIMS Director of Research and Scholarship. This new position entails working with the curatorial team to produce scholarly output; organizing academic lectures, symposia, and conferences; developing scholarly publications; and managing AIMS-centered internships and fellowships. Engelman was previously Exhibits Researcher/Developer at Mystic Seaport Museum and then Director of Exhibits. She has a doctorate from Boston University in American and New England Studies and a BA from Yale University in English and Theater Studies. Engelman has taught courses in Women’s Studies, Public History, and the Historian as Detective at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point and written on wide-ranging topics including the maritime Underground Railroad, Route 66, Lydia E. Pinkham, and the threat of sea-level rise to maritime museums. 

About Mystic Seaport Museum  

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River and include a re-created New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art collection storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan.  

For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on FacebookXYouTube, and Instagram.  

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NOAA weather forecasters, oceanographers, navigators, fisheries scientists and explorers to showcase ocean careers for youth at Mystic Seaport Museum and Project Oceanology

Mystic Seaport Museum and Project Oceanology are pleased to announce that a diverse team of experts from across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will visit two of their youth programs this week for hands on talks with a goal of sparking interest in NOAA and related ocean careers.  

On Wednesday, July 31, the NOAA team will visit Mystic Seaport Museum to meet with high school students who are taking part in a summer youth employment component of the Museum’s Maritime Adventure Program,  which engages under-resourced high school youth in experiential maritime education anchored in positive youth development to help them enhance their social, emotional, and leadership skills. On Thursday, August 1, NOAA experts will visit with summer day campers in grades 4-6 and high school residential campers at Project Oceanology, a nonprofit education and research facility based in Groton, Connecticut. 

Among the experts will be NOAA weather forecasters, deep ocean explorers, aquaculture and fisheries scientists, whale acoustic specialists, navigators, a NOAA Corps officer, a professional mariner recruiter with NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and representatives from the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute at the University of Rhode Island. The experts will discuss their career paths while also learning about the students’ maritime projects. NOAA will bring a navigation response vessel to Mystic Seaport Museum and to Project Oceanology for students to tour. This initiative follows an earlier visit to Mystic Seaport Museum by NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., and is part of ongoing efforts to enhance educational opportunities for youth in the region. 

“We are excited to bring a diverse team of NOAA scientists to Mystic Seaport Museum and Project Oceanology to meet with students from southeastern Connecticut,” said Nicole Bartlett, NOAA’s regional coordinator for the North Atlantic Regional Collaboration Team. “The more we can work with young people from diverse backgrounds the more likely we are to create a stronger talent pipeline to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, our nation’s source of weather, climate, ocean, coastal and fisheries data and services.” 

“Welcoming the team from NOAA to Mystic Seaport Museum to provide our students with this unique opportunity to engage directly with experts in ocean sciences and maritime careers is exciting and we’re thrilled to welcome their team to the Museum,” said Sarah Cahill, Director of Education at Mystic Seaport Museum. “This collaboration not only enriches our Maritime Adventure Program, but we hope this experience will spark a lifelong interest in these vital areas and open doors to future opportunities in NOAA and related fields.” 

Callie Scheetz, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Project Oceanology adds, “We’re thrilled to have a talented and diverse group of NOAA staff to share their firsthand work experiences with our summer campers. By integrating NOAA expertise into Project Oceanology’s hands-on camp experiences, we empower our campers to envision and pursue career possibilities in STEM.” 

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Cole Brauer Named Recipient of America and the Sea Award at Mystic Seaport Museum 

Cole Brauer Named Recipient of America and the Sea Award at Mystic Seaport Museum 

Mystic, Conn. (July 19, 2024) – Mystic Seaport Museum proudly announces Cole Brauer as the distinguished recipient of the America and the Sea Award for 2024. The prestigious annual award recognizes those individuals and organizations whose extraordinary achievements in the world of maritime exploration, competition, scholarship, and design best exemplify the American character. Cole recently made history as the first woman from the United States to achieve the remarkable feat of racing single-handedly around the world nonstop and unassisted. 

Cole finished 2nd in the 2023–2024 Global Solo Challenge on March 7, 2024, sailing a Class40 boat named FIRST LIGHT, also setting a new around-the-world speed record for the class. She began the race on October 29, 2023, in Vigo, Galicia, Spain, and was the only female and the youngest among the sixteen competitors.  

Cole Brauer’s unparalleled journey exemplifies courage, determination, and a deep connection to the maritime spirit. Her achievement not only sets a new standard in solo sailing but has also inspired countless individuals worldwide. From 13,000 Instagram followers to 500,000 in 133 days, clearly Cole has struck a chord for this generation and created a new paradigm for the world of professional offshore racing. Part of the allure and the compulsion for hundreds of thousands of people to check in with her each day was Cole’s unvarnished presentation of herself. 

“We are thrilled to honor Cole Brauer with the America and the Sea Award,” said Peter Armstrong, President and CEO of Mystic Seaport Museum. “Her groundbreaking accomplishment underscores the resilience and ingenuity inherent in maritime exploration.” 

Cole Brauer will be recognized during a special ceremony at Mystic Seaport Museum on September 26, 2024, where she will share insights from her extraordinary voyage and discuss the challenges and triumphs of solo circumnavigation. 

Past recipients of the America and the Sea Award include pioneers in maritime exploration, competition, arts, industry, design, history, and environmental advocacy. 

For more information about past recipients of the America and the Sea Award please visit mysticseaport.org/gala. To purchase tickets, visit msmgala24.givesmart.com or call 860-572-5365. 

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut, and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on FacebookXYouTube, and Instagram.

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18th Annual International Sea Glass Festival

18th Annual International Sea Glass Festival 

Saturday, July 27–Sunday, July 28 

Mystic, CT — The 18th Annual International Sea Glass Festival, the premier sea and beach glass event in the country celebrating the history and beauty of genuine sea and beach glass, returns for a second year to Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut, on July 27–28, 2024. This two-day festival features artisans, speakers, a sea glass contest, and more!  

“We are thrilled to be able to present artisans creating one-of-a-kind pieces made from some of the most beautiful sea glass from around the world,” says César Williams-Padín, President of the International Sea Glass Association. “We invite visitors to discover unique treasures and support artists as they showcase their one-of-a-kind pieces. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a curious enthusiast, there’s something for everyone at this two-day event. We’d like to thank the Mystic Seaport Museum and the entire Mystic community for welcoming us back to celebrate the fun, beauty, and history of sea glass in this coastal setting.” 

Every year, sea glass collectors and artists come together to immerse themselves in a world of exquisite sea glass creations crafted by talented artists, while gaining insights into the captivating world of sea and beach glass from industry experts. Sea and beach glass collectors will show off their beachcombing collections and share their knowledge in the Collectors Showcase. Speakers will share their expertise and experiences in a lecture series in the Tom Clagett Boat Shed. Visitors are invited to bring their sea glass finds for identification and to enter the annual Sea Glass Contest. On Sunday, winners, including the “Find of the Year” award, will be announced. Over 50 sea glass artisans, craftspeople, and authors from around the world will be selling their sea and beach glass related products all weekend. 

“Mystic Seaport Museum is thrilled to host the annual International Sea Glass Festival for the second year in a row,” said Margaret Milnes, Vice President of Visitor Journey at Mystic Seaport Museum. “With 40+ vendors, talks, and a sea glass contest, this unique event offers a rare opportunity to explore the beauty and artistry of sea glass, each piece telling a story of its own. We invite the community to join us in celebrating these ocean treasures and to learn more about the International Sea Glass Association and their mission!” 

This family-friendly event is included in Museum admission and free for Museum Members. Tickets can be validated for entrance on the second day. To purchase tickets or learn more, visit the Museum’s website. 

The International Sea Glass Association (ISGA), a non-profit organization established in 2005, is dedicated to championing sea and beach glass collectors and fostering community engagement. Their mission is to educate collectors, consumers, and retailers on the intrinsic value of genuine, unaltered sea and beach glass, while advocating for the preservation and restoration of global waterways and coastlines. 

 

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Wells Boat Hall

MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM ANNOUNCES WELLS BOAT HALL, A $15 MILLION INITIATIVE TO CREATE A HOME FOR ITS ICONIC AMERICAN WATERCRAFT COLLECTION 

New Wells Boat Hall to Be Unveiled in 2025, Pieter Nicholson Roos Appointed Curator, Generous Support Provided By Stan and Nancy Wells 

Mystic, CT. [June 28, 2024]Mystic Seaport Museum is pleased to announce the establishment of the Wells Boat Hall to exhibit the American Watercraft Collection, an estimated $15 million renovation to convert a section of the historic Rossie Mill—currently used as a storage facility—into a dynamic, publicly accessible, exhibition hall highlighting the Museum’s collection of historic small boats. The exhibition, curated by longtime cultural institutional leader Pieter Nicholson Roos, will capture the progression of American nautical innovation, showcasing the unique social history of each vessel and revealing the scope of the extensive collection to the public for the first time.   

“We are delighted to bring the American Watercraft Collection out of storage and into the public eye for our visitors and supporters,” says Peter Armstrong, President and CEO of Mystic Seaport Museum. “This renovation not only increases the size of our accessible campus but also allows us to unravel the stories that lie within these amazing vessels.” 

The Wells Boat Hall will exhibit over 100 vessels, seldom seen by the public in the last 40 years. Estimated to be the largest and the most diverse small craft and engine collection in the world, the exhibition will feature the first vessel acquired by the Museum, Annie, a 1931 sandbagger, and will span 182 years from an indigenous dugout canoe to a modern-day Mini Transat racer. The public will be invited to engage in the stories of vessels in the collection from labor to leisure, from adventure to commerce, and beyond. Stories will include the Analuisa, a fishing boat used by Cuban refugees to escape to Florida in the summer of 1994, and Tango, the first boat pedaled across the Atlantic and holding the record as the fastest human-powered transatlantic crossing, completed in 40 days, pedaled by Connecticut resident Dwight Collins. 

Located on the corner of Rossie Pentway and Greenmanville Avenue, and directly opposite the Museum’s Thompson Exhibition Building, the Wells Boat Hall will be housed in the historic Rossie Mill, built in 1898 as a velvet factory and once the largest employer in Mystic. The 35,000 square-foot warehouse will be renovated to include a new and ADA-compliant visitor entrance with a columned canopy, a new roof reflecting design typical of New England mill towers, and a fully integrated exhibition space. The renovation will allow the Museum to care for and exhibit the watercraft and related artifacts in an environment that showcases their importance and maintains their legacy while maintaining this historic building. The Wells Boat Hall will also double as a flexible community space for lectures and presentations, as well as new educational programs initiated by the American Institute of Maritime Studies at Mystic Seaport Museum.   

Pieter Nicholson Roos has been appointed the Wells Boat Hall Exhibition Curator and will curate the exhibit. Roos, the former director of the Mark Twain House and Museum and a strategic advisor on climate change, will provide his decades of experience in preservation and maritime expertise. 

“It’s with great excitement that I join Mystic Seaport Museum in unveiling its cherished collection to the public after years in storage,” shared Roos. “With the launch of the Wells Boat Hall, we will allow visitors to embark on a journey through time, finding their own connections to the array of stories on view and ensuring that these historic boats are preserved and remain in our contemporary consciousness.” 

The American Watercraft Collection will be housed in the Wells Boat Hall, named after local residents and longtime Museum Trustee Stan Wells and his wife Nancy Wells. It is scheduled to open to the public in the fall of 2025.

About Mystic Seaport Museum   

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut, and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship CHARLES W. MORGAN. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram.  

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Media Contacts:   

For images, further background or interviews, please contact:  

Katrina Stewart  

Senior Account Coordinator, Visual Arts  

Blue Medium  

T: +1-212-675-1800  

katrina@bluemedium.com   

  

Sophia Matsas  

Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
T: +1-860-572-5317  

sophia.matsas@mysticseaport.org  

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Find Your Sea Story at Mystic Seaport Museum This Summer

Find Your Sea Story at Mystic Seaport Museum This Summer
Explore an exciting lineup of activities, events and exhibitions at the Museum!

Mystic, Conn. (June 13, 2024) – At Mystic Seaport Museum we believe the sea connects us all, and we invite visitors to explore the nation’s largest maritime museum to find their sea story this summer. Here visitors can imagine life on a ship by boarding one of the Museum’s four national historic landmark vessels; witness traditional shipbuilding techniques as skilled shipwrights maintain historic wooden vessels in the Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard; reveal personal connections to the sea through our specially curated exhibitions; and learn about maritime trades that supported life at sea and on land in the 19th century in the Museum’s re-created seaport village.

Guests can also navigate the waterfront with a river cruise on the National Historic Landmark vessel Sabino, built in 1908; or be their own captain on a rowboat, sailboat, or pedal boat from the Museum’s Boathouse.

Mystic Seaport Museum has curated an extensive summer event lineup for all to enjoy:

  1. Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures, On exhibit through September 2 | Based on French author Jules Verne’s 1870 classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this immersive exhibition brings to life the adventures of Captain Nemo, his fantastical submarine Nautilus, and the mythical world he inhabited. On board, discover the inner workings of a deep-sea vessel, take up the controls at the helm, look through the periscopes, crank the propeller, test out the bunks, and explore Captain Nemo’s Cabinet of Curiosities, full of incredible marine specimens! Keep watch for special family programming all summer long, from weekly story time and crafts to special events.
  2. 2024 Artists in Residence, Now through August 17 | In partnership with the Center for American Marine Art, the Museum welcomes four artists in residence this summer: Joyful Enriquez, Tom Swimm, Brechin Morgan, and Serena Bates. Visitors are invited to learn more about their unique techniques and processes as they work in Clift Block in the Seaport Village. Much of the artwork on view is available for sale. Check out our website for residency dates for each artist.
  1. Model Train Show, Friday–Tuesday, June 14–18 | The local Mystic Seaport Ship Modelers will be displaying a narrow-gauge short line that winds its way through marshes and sand dunes to small ports through a southern New England coastal environment. Members of the Mystic Seaport Ship Modelers will be present to answer questions and talk with visitors throughout the show.
  1. Juneteenth Recognition Events, Wednesday, June 19, 3:00 p.m. | Mystic Seaport Museum and Discovering Amistad are collaborating for the fifth year to bring a Juneteenth recognition event to the grounds of the Museum.
  1. WoodenBoat Show, Friday–Sunday, June 28–30 | The 32nd annual WoodenBoat Show, hosted in partnership with WoodenBoat Publications, returns to the Museum with more than 100 traditional and classic wooden boats of every type on display, from handcrafted kayaks to mahogany runabouts, and classic daysailers to schooners. Vendors of all kinds will be set up across the Museum grounds—crafts, antiques, gear, and food—plus classes, demonstrations, and so much more for visitors to enjoy.
  1. Revolutionary War Encampment, Saturday, July 6 | Drills and demonstrations by reenactors of Revolutionary War Continental and British soldiers!
  1. International Sea Glass Festival, Saturday–Sunday, July 27–28 | The 18th Annual International Sea Glass Festival returns to the Museum for the second year with artisans, speakers, a sea glass contest, and more.
  1. Fire Fighter Festival, Saturday, August 17 | Water displays by the Fireboat FIRE FIGHTER, rescue demonstrations by the Mystic Fire Department, and a variety of first response boats and vehicles. All first responders will receive free admission to the event.
  1. 33rd Annual Antique Marine Engine Expo, Saturday–Sunday, August 17–18 | One of the oldest major marine engines shows in the nation, this expo offers over 300 exhibits.

Additionally, visitors can enjoy a multitude of ongoing activities from a variety of tours, lectures, live music, world-class exhibitions, including Entwined: Freedom, Sovereignty, and the Sea, the annual Moby-Dick Marathon, dining, and more! The Funk Children’s Museum, Home Port activity center, Discovery Barn, and ships playscapes provide ample opportunity for daily family fun.

Add-on activities include designing and building your own toy boat in the Toy Boat Workshop and navigating the stars at Treworgy Planetarium.

 For the latest events, information, updates and for tickets, visit us at www.mysticseaport.org.

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on FacebookXYouTube, and Instagram.

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The Museum Announces the Grand Opening of Mystic Seaport Museum: At the Drawbridge

The Museum Announces the Grand Opening of Mystic Seaport Museum: At the Drawbridge
A pop up shop in the heart of downtown Mystic

Mystic, Conn. (June 6, 2024) – Mystic Seaport Museum is excited to announce the opening of Mystic Seaport Museum: At the Drawbridge, a new pop-up location in the heart of downtown Mystic, Connecticut. At the Drawbridge is located on the corner of E. Main and Cottrell Streets in a shared space with the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center.

The Museum will be staffing the location daily Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. to welcome visitors and provide information about the Museum.

At the Drawbridge visitors will also be able to purchase:

  • General admission tickets to the Museum
  • Tickets for a daily Sabino sunset cruise departing at 5:30 p.m.
  • Tickets for river tours aboard Mystic Seaport Express, a shuttle service enabling visitors to easily travel from downtown to the Museum. Tickets for Mystic Seaport Express include Museum admission.*
  • Limited edition retail products, including a 2024 summer time capsule clothing collaboration co-curated with local brand Just Mystic

Tour times for Mystic Seaport Express are as follows:

Monday–Thursday, 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 5:45 p.m. *Friday–Sunday, there will be additional evening tours available at 6:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Museum admission is not included in the evening cruises.

River cruises board directly across the street at the dock alongside S&P Oyster Restaurant and are weather dependent.

“The Museum is a proud member of the Mystic community, and we are excited to expand our presence in this new downtown experience, Mystic Seaport Museum: At the Drawbridge. It allows us to extend our reach locally to visitors of historic downtown Mystic, giving them a glimpse of all we have to offer and encourage them to find their sea story at the Museum” says Museum President Peter Armstrong.

While in the shop, our youngest visitors will have the opportunity to climb aboard a small-scale Sabino re-creation, one of the Museum’s National Historic Landmark vessels, for a photo opportunity. We encourage visitors to share their photos with the hashtag #findyourseastory. The Sabino re-creation was built by local woodworker Nick Wilson of NBW Custom Woodworking.

Following along with the Sabino theme, a key feature in the storefront’s window display is a ship model of Sabino built to ¾ scale of the iconic vessel. The model was built by local ship modeler Bill Stevens and took three months to build in 2015 and has been previously displayed at the Museum’s Antique Marine Engine Exposition, a legacy event which takes place every August.

The Museum extends its gratitude to the Whaler’s Inn, owners of the building, for providing us with the opportunity to transform this space for this limited engagement. At the Drawbridge will be open through October 15.

We look forward to welcoming visitors to the area and share the ongoings at the Museum, including world-class exhibitions, a historic seaport village, daily family activities, historic vessels, shipyard projects, and opportunities to get out on the water. Find your sea story at Mystic Seaport Museum this summer!

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on FacebookXYouTube, and Instagram.

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2024 Artists in Residence

Artist-in-Residence Program at Mystic Seaport Museum, hosted in collaboration with the Center for American Marine Art

Mystic Seaport Museum welcomes four artists in residence this summer. Visitors are invited to visit each artist to learn more about their unique techniques and processes as they work in Clift Block in the Seaport Village. Much of the artwork on view is available for sale.

Joyful Enriquez, June 7–21, 2024

Joyful Enriquez is a marine wildlife artist specializing in paintings of the underwater world. Her energetic oil paintings capture the essence of life underwater and its unique lighting, atmosphere, and movement. Joyful will be at the Museum daily June 7 through 21 in Clift Block in the Museum’s Seaport Village.

Tom Swimm, July 9–16, 2024

A self-taught artist who has been painting since childhood, Tom Swimm’s work conveys a remarkable realism that gives one a sense of “being there.” Upon first viewing, people frequently comment that his paintings look almost photographic, but after studying them, his work reveals properties that are distinctly impressionistic. Tom will be at the Museum daily July 9 through 16 in Clift Block in the Museum’s Seaport Village.

Brechin Morgan, July 16-August 4, 2024

Renowned maritime artist Brechin Morgan lived many a sailor’s dream when he sailed his 27-foot cutter rigged sailboat Otter around the world, visiting 32 countries and traveling 32,000 miles. He has been painting from the 18 watercolor sketchbooks he filled on the voyage, the ten-volume journal, logs, memory, and boxes of reference photos. Summer sailing trips in New England waters and the vista here at Mystic Seaport Museum provide continued inspiration. Brechin will be at the Museum daily July 16 through August 4 in Clift Block in the Museum’s Seaport Village.

Serena Bates, August 6–10 and 13–17

Sculptor Serena Bates studied at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Art and considers herself to be a storyteller. A representational artist, she has an affinity for portraits and animals. She primarily works in clay, bronze, and stone. Serena will be at the Museum daily August 6 through 10 and August 13 through 17 in Clift Block in the Museum’s Seaport Village.

The Center for American Marine Art

The Center for American Marine Art is dedicated to bringing endangered historic American marine art to the forefront of our identity as a country through documenting and imaging works using the most advanced cultural heritage technology and techniques. They are creating a free database featuring high-resolution 3D images for use by museums, scholars, and the public, and developing virtual and national traveling exhibitions.

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Press Releases

Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures Plunges Audiences into the Mysteries of the Deep at Mystic Seaport Museum

A new immersive exhibition opens June 8, 2024, in the Collins Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum.  The Australian National Maritime Museum and Flying Fish present Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventuresan interactive exhibition that blends exploration and adventure in an imaginative setting—the kind immortalized by Jules Verne’s novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and celebrated in popular culture from Jacques Cousteau to the Octonauts. 

At the heart of this exhibition lies the fantastical submarine Nautilus inviting visitors to climb aboard to discover the inner workings of a deep-sea vessel. Curious, adventure-loving kids of all ages can take the helm, peer through periscopes, crank the propeller, test out the bunks, and delve into Captain Nemo’s Cabinet of Curiosities, filled with incredible marine specimens. The highly interactive experience offers insights into marine habitats, diving equipment, and maritime archaeology, providing immersive experiences for children and engaging content for adults. 

“At Flying Fish, we strive to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, and this partnership with the Australian National Maritime Museum allows us to do just that. Through imaginative technology and masterful storytelling, this exhibition creates a multi-sensory experience that transports visitors into a world where exploration and wonder merge seamlessly,” said Jay Brown, Principal and Managing Director of Flying Fish. 

“Jules Verne’s novel was a work of imagination, encouraging wonder at the unknown world beneath our seas. There’s still so much we need to learn about the underwater world, and Voyage to the Deep will inspire the next generation of undersea explorers. Dive in!” said Dr. Peter Hobbins, Head of Content at the Australian National Maritime Museum. 

Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures includes a wide range of activities, from full-body experiences like slides and climbing structures to simple tabletop games. It’s an unforgettable journey that combines science education, exploration, and entertainment for families, students, and adventure seekers alike. 

We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for everyone seeking adventure this summer. Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures will allow visitors to experience the magic of Captain Nemo’s world in this celebration of Jules Verne’s literary masterpiece.” said Margaret Milnes, Vice President of Visitor Journey. “We invite visitors to dive into the wonders of the deep sea to find their sea story at the Museum!” 

Visit to find your sea story within the rich tapestry of maritime history at Mystic Seaport Museum. Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures will be open daily throughout the summer, closing on September 2, 2024. 

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on FacebookXYouTube, and Instagram.

About Flying Fish 

A leading creator of traveling exhibitions, Flying Fish collaborates with top museums and science centers to produce extraordinary and influential experiences. Our exhibitions have impacted millions of visitors, from Melbourne to New York, generating sustainable income for their clients and inspiring fans worldwide. For Museums. By Museums. flyingfishexhibits.com

About Australian National Maritime Museum 

The Australian National Maritime Museum is Australia’s national centre for maritime collections, exhibitions, research and archaeology. The museum presents a changing program of stimulating exhibitions and events to share Australia’s maritime history and connect the stories, objects, people and places that are part of our country’s narrative. We welcome over 850,000 visitors annually including families, interstate and international tourists. Connecting with audiences outside of Sydney, interstate and across regional Australia is a big part of what we do. Our diverse touring exhibitions give regional communities the chance to view and learn more about the fascinating stories behind the National Maritime Collection.
www.sea.museum

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Riverfest returns to Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum kicks off summer early with Riverfest on Saturday and Sunday, June 1–2! There will be many activities to satisfy curiosities and adventurous spirits over this two-day event. Visitors will be able to tour visiting fishing vessels docked at the Museum and immerse themselves in special historical demonstrations like cod fishing, open-hearth cooking, and sail handling aboard historic vessels. Enjoy local seafood and beverages while listening to live music by the Mystic River. Shop at a variety of artisan vendor booths, and peruse the newest exhibitions: Entwined: Freedom, Sovereignty, and the Sea and Spineless: A Glass Menagerie of Blaschka Marine Invertebrates. The Museum Boathouse will also be open, allowing visitors a chance to spend time out on the water with a captained boat ride or on their own in a sailboat, rowboat, or pedal boat.

This event is free for Members and included in general admission for non-members.

For a full schedule of events and to purchase tickets visit the event page here. Tickets are also available at the gate. Plan your visit to Riverfest at Mystic Seaport Museum and find your sea story!

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