Mystic Seaport Museum announces it is participating in Connecticut’s Summer at the Museum program, which offers free admission to resident children and one accompanying adult from July 1 to September 6.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced the program at a press conference at the Connecticut Science Center on Wednesday. The program is part of the Governor’s plan to use recovery funds to provide students and families engaging educational and enrichment experiences in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are grateful to Gov. Lamont and the state legislators for making this program possible and enabling us to welcome to our Museum many who might not otherwise be able to afford admission in these challenging times,” said Peter Armstrong, president of Mystic Seaport Museum. ”After a traumatic year where children were cooped up in front of a computer screen, we are pleased to be able to offer an outdoors learning experience, where they can be outside, go for a boat ride, and learn new things — but most important, get out in the fresh air and have fun with their family.” 

The offer is available to all Connecticut children ages 18 and younger, plus one accompanying adult. To be eligible, families must be Connecticut residents. Participants are asked to fill out a brief form online to order their free admission tickets in advance of their visit. They can do that by visiting Mysticseaport.org/CTKidsFree.

Please note the free admission offer is not available during The WoodenBoat Show, August 20-22.

Included in admission is the Museum’s newest exhibition, A Spectacle in Motion: The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World. The Panorama, which is owned and conserved by the New Bedford Whaling Museum, is the longest painting in North America at more than 1250 feet long and recreates the experience of a whaling voyage of the 1840s. It depicts the story of whaling and the cultural ties born of that global industry.

Mystic Seaport Museum is one of the five leading attractions in the state to participate. The others are the Mystic Aquarium, the Beardsley Zoo, the Connecticut Science Center, and the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. For a complete list of all participating museums, please visit CTVisit.com.

How are you celebrating Independence Day weekend? Add a visit to the Museum to your list because we are re-opening some of our favorite indoor exhibit buildings, including Key to Liberty: The American Revolution on Lake Champlain! Select indoor exhibits will be open starting this Friday for the rest of the season. Join us this weekend and learn about how Lake Champlain was involved in the Revolutionary War and our nation’s independence, explore Abenaki art and culture, walk through the evolution of small boats in the Champlain Valley, and more. Remember, admission is free for everyone in your group!

Discover the Penobscot Marine Museum through special crafts and activities. These weekly programs are designed for children and their families to have fun at the museum and with the museum from home. Each will explore a different topic and will include a craft to take home!

Photography July 7th11am on Facebook Live (free)
10am-5pm in person (Included with museum admission)
Find out more here.
Life at Sea July 14th11am on Facebook Live (free)
10am-5pm in person (Included with museum admission)
Find out more here.
Wild Weather July 21st11am on Facebook Live (free)
10am-5pm in person (Included with museum admission)
Find out more here.
All Things Maine July 28th11am on Facebook Live (free)
10am-5pm in person (Included with museum admission)
Find out more here.

With the port of Los Angeles’ strong legacy  of commercial fishing , it may be surprising to realize that there was a time when consumers were leery of eating fish from a can. In the latest edition of the Palos Verdes Pulse, museum director Marifrances Trivelli explains how successful marketing techniques from local canneries made canned tuna a staple of diets across the globe.

The Museum building is temporarily closed until later this year due to construction of the “Town Square”. In the meantime, you can make a virtual voyage from your personal electronic device. Just follow this link to enjoy a 360 virtual tour, made possible by a grant from the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council.

During closure, the museum continues to make its historic photograph collections available online. Visit the website and enjoy rare views of harbor history, along with a few surprises!

On August 8, 2021, as part of its 30th-anniversary activities, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum will be sponsoring a Search & Find Harbor Cruise. Electric boats and dinghies less than 25 feet are invited to participate in this fun “Search & Find” Mission. Participants will enjoy a Museum visit, a harbor cruise with a mission, and the chance to win some great prizes. Pre-registration is required with a $30 donation to the Museum per boat. All proceeds benefit the Channel Islands Maritime Museum programs. Participants can register online at www.cimmvc.org or at the Museum until August 7^th.

“The Museum has always loved its Channel Islands Harbor home,” says CIMM Executive Director Adri Howe. “As a part of our 30th-anniversary celebration, we knew we wanted to feature the beauty of the harbor. This Search and Find Cruise lets us enjoy our home harbor while having a fun-filled day exploring and seeking out the answers to a variety of great clues!”

Day of Event plans and additional information for the cruise can be found at www.cimmvc.org. Participants and boats can register on the Museum website or in person at the Museum which is located at 3900 Bluefin Circle in Oxnard.

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) presents a rare event…two women surfers–author Vicky Heldreich Durand and filmmaker Heather Hudson–will join forces for a book talk about Durand’s Wave Woman: The Life and Struggles of a Surfing Pioneer and about other women surfers that Hudson has celebrated in film. This special book presentation, Q and A session, and signing event will take place in the museum’s Munger Theater on Thursday, July 29, 1921, at 4 pm PDT. Limited seating. Free with Museum admission, but reservations are required and can be made online at reservations@sbmm.org.  SBMM members who attend will get a 25% discount on the purchase of Ms. Durand’s book and a 10% discount on Heather Hudson’s DVDs and posters.

Durand’s book is a biography of her mother, Betty Pembroke Heldreich Winstedt, who was one of the first women surfers in the mid-1950s who competed in big wave competitions and won first place in Lima, Peru. Ms. Hudson’s films, The Women of the Waves and The Women of the Waves 2, premiered at the Museum, are screened in the Munger Theater on Saturdays, and are available for purchase in the SBMM Museum store. 

WHAT: Ding Schoonmaker Day—FREE Admission to Museum Ships
WHEN: Thursday, July 1, 2021; 10am-5pm
WHERE: National Museum of the Great Lakes
1701 Front St., Toledo, OH 43605
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
The National Museum of the Great Lakes will be holding “Ding Schoonmaker Day” on
July 1st—offering FREE admission to museum vessels with the purchase of
museum-only admission. Ding Schoonmaker Day was developed to be both a
celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the rechristening of the Col. James M.
Schoonmaker Museum Ship and in honor of the late Ding Schoonmaker, the grandson
of the vessel’s namesake who was instrumental in the boat’s restoration.
Please note that pre-order tickets will not be available for July 1, admission will be
walk-in only. In addition, to help increase available visitor opportunities, individuals
interested in remaining later can consider purchasing tickets for our after-hours
History Happy Hour: Sailor Stories, an interactive experience taking place on top of
the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship the same day from 5-7:30 p.m.
Additional Information on Ding Schoonmaker Day and History Happy Hour: Sailor
Stories can be found online at nmgl.org
ADMISSION: $11.00 Museum & Ship (Regularly $17.00) – Adults (18-64)
$10.00 Museum & Ship (Regularly $16.00) – Seniors (65+)
$8.00 Museum & Ship (Regularly $14.00) – Youth (6-17)
FREE – Children 5 and under
FREE – GLHS/NMGL Member

The ranks of national marine sanctuaries grew by one this week, as NOAA and the State of Wisconsin announced the designation of America’s 15th marine sanctuary. Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary will encompass 962-square miles of Lake Michigan that contain a multitude of cultural and historical treasures. Among the 36 known historic shipwrecks, the sanctuary includes Wisconsin’s two oldest shipwrecks and several others preserved almost completely intact due to the lake’s icy cold freshwater. Kris Sarri, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, said, “The new sanctuary will foster new opportunities for exploration, education, research, and tourism that benefit Wisconsin’s coastal communities and bring increased attention to the Great Lakes role in the growth of our Nation.”

Learn More

WHEN: Saturday, July 3, from 7pm to 10pm (fireworks start around 9:15pm).

WHO’S INVITED: Anyone who wants to reserve a spot and join us on Nantucket/LV-112’s weather deck, with friends and family, to watch a spectacular fireworks display in Boston’s inner harbor. Nantucket/LV-112’s berth has one of the best views of Boston’s vibrant city skyline from the East Boston waterfront.

WHAT TO BRING: Picnic supper, your favorite beverages, beach/lawn chairs to sit on the decks of Nantucket/LV-112, which will remain at the dock. We’ll supply the ship, panoramic views and lively music. The ship’s powerful rotating light beacon will be activated just before the fireworks begin.

 WHY: We want to show you our restoration progress. Plus, this is a fundraising event for LV-112, for which we still have much work to do; visit our Facebook page. The ship’s restoration solely depends on the generous contributions of corporations, private foundations, federal, state and municipal grants, maritime enthusiasts and individuals such as you.

RESERVATIONS: We request a $25 donation per person. Tickets can be purchased by clicking on EventBrite.

WHERE:LV-112 is berthed at the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina, 256 Marginal St., East Boston, MA; directions. There’s free street parking next to the shipyard, but it’s limited due to holiday weekend volume.
Best option is public transportation. MBTA Subway: take Blue Line to Maverick Station, walk to shipyard/marina (approx. 15 walk), view walking route. Water Taxi to Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina, stop #68 view map. For more information, contact: 617.797.0135 or email.

Join us on July 15th for an exciting conversation about marine protection and collaborative conservation! Make sure to visit our Facebook page on Thursday, July 15th for a discussion on cultural heritage protection celebrating the 15th anniversary of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The distinguished panel will include viewpoints from American Samoa, Palau, and Hawaii and speak to how we can simultaneously preserve crucial natural and cultural heritage resources for the benefit of future generations.

RSVP Now

Our ocean contains a diversity of life. Large marine protected areas are an essential tool to conserve marine ecosystems at-scale. In 2000, the establishment of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (now Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and World Heritage Site) launched a movement to establish large-scale MPAs to strengthen the management of our global ocean. Today, there are 33 designated large-scale marine protected areas in 16 nations or territories. These MPAs cover a total of 4.6% of the ocean. Notably, many of these MPAs also protect significant cultural resources and engage local communities and Indigenous people in co-management.

The virtual event will take place on Facebook Live at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT / 1:00pm HT through our Blue Beacon Series: Big Ocean Protection Facebook event page.  It can also be streamed on the Foundation’s website. RSVP today on the Facebook event page as “Going” or “Interested” to join us for this can’t-miss event. Mark your calendars – we will see you on July 15th!

Learn More About the Event