- published: 31 Aug 2012
- views: 5962
Mystic Seaport or Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea, in Mystic, Connecticut, is the largest maritime museum in the world. It is notable for its collection of sailing ships and boats, and for the re-creation of the crafts and fabric of an entire 19th-century seafaring village. It consists of more than 60 original historic buildings, most of them rare commercial structures moved to the 19-acre (0.077 km2) site and meticulously restored.
The museum was established in 1929 as the "Marine Historical Association". Its first fame came with the acquisition in 1941 of the Charles W. Morgan, the only surviving wooden sailing whaler. The seaport was one of the first living history museums in the United States, with a collection of buildings and craftsmen to show how work was done. The seaport now receives about 250,000 visitors each year.
In addition, it supports research via an extensive library; runs the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies, a summer graduate-level academic program, established in 1955 by maritime historian Professor Robert G. Albion of Harvard University; and, in conjunction with Williams College, hosts Williams–Mystic, an undergraduate program in maritime studies. Outreach includes sailing and history classes for area children.