Navigate Your Way Through Maritime History
Maritime enthusiasts, history buffs and those interested in learning more about the role of Newburyport in international trade will find the Custom House Maritime Museum fascinating. Even if you don’t fall into one of these categories, a visit to this charming local museum is well worth your time. Spend a December day taking in the sights, picking up some interesting facts and escaping your 2015 routine for a few hours.
History of the Custom House Maritime Museum
In 1835, the Newburyport Custom House was built to help handle booming overseas trade at the East Coast’s first important commercial port. Over time, international trade declined. In the following century, the custom house was used to store submarine components and manufacture heels for women’s shoes.
Maritime History of Newburyport
It may surprise you to hear of the building’s lengthy transition period. Visitors in 2015 find the museum to be such a natural fit that it’s impossible to imagine it as anything else. Temporary exhibits and permanent galleries display all things maritime, including large collections of the following:
- Clipper ship models
- Half-hull models
- Portraits of clipper ships
- Items salvaged from shipwrecks
- Captains’ artifacts and supplies
- Currier shipyard diorama
- Items related to the Coast Guard
- Library honoring captain Daniel Marquand
Docents are available to share a wealth of knowledge about local history. The Custom House Maritime Museumis located at the following address:
25 Water Street
Newburyport MA 01950
Contact museum staff by phone at 978.462.8681, or e-mail them at info@thechmm.org. The Newburyport Maritime Society, Inc., manages the museum. The society was established in 1968.
As the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard and home to the coast’s first notable commercial port, Newburyport has plenty of stories to tell. Get the inside scoop with a December visit to the Custom House Maritime Museum. Relish the opportunity to lose yourself in the romance of the sea and leave 2015 behind for a while.