Mystic, Connecticut was once the center of a shipbuilding industry that brought fame to the town in the 19th-century. When you visit Mystic one of the must-sees is Mystic Seaport Museum. It’s an authentic New England seaport village as it would have been 200 years ago. Located on the Mystic River with historic buildings and fine old sea captain’s homes shaded by ornamental trees it looks much the same as it did 200 years ago. 

Mystic Seaport Museum has plenty of great activities for children and adults alike. You can explore the historic ships, watch craftsmen make candles, see boat building and blacksmithing. The buildings you see aren’t replications; they’re the original trade shops and businesses from the 1800s that were transported to Mystic Seaport from locations around New England.  

The watercraft collection at Mystic Seaport Museum is the largest of its kind in the United States and includes four National Historic Landmark vessels: the 1841 Charles W. Morgan, the last whaleship, and the vessels Dunton, Sabino, and Emma C. Berry. 

Currently, the museum is open with six indoor exhibitions, including A Way with Wood, Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers, Figureheads & Shipcarvings, Mary Mattingly’s Open Ocean, the Benjamin F. Packard Ship’s Cabin, and Sailor Made. You can also visit the Planetarium with shows and presentations and the Home Port children’s activity center.

In the warmer months, you can rent a rowboat boat or a sailboat and cruise around the scenic harbor or take a ride on the steamboat Sabino. The Sabino is the oldest wooden, coal-fired steamboat in regular operation in the U.S and was formally designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992. She sails on regularly scheduled runs on the Mystic River. 

If you want to do some shopping while at the Mystic Seaport Museum their 8,300 square-foot Museum Store offers products not widely seen in most retail stores. They have ship models, deck prisms, apparel, children’s toys, and jewelry. The Maritime Bookstore offers one of the nation’s most complete selections of maritime books

If you’re in need of refreshments the new coffee bar, Social, is located in the Thompson Building lobby and is open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Schaefer’s Spouter Tavern is open for casual dining 10:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Friday-Sunday. 

The museum will be open from January 1-March 30, 2021, Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Museum will follow all best practices concerning public health and social distancing. Masks are required. Visitors are encouraged to buy their tickets online to promote a touch-free transaction. When visiting the Mystic Seaport Museum park in the north parking lot and enter through the main entrance at the Thompson Exhibition Building.

This is just a shortlist of some of the activities and exhibits you’ll find at the Mystic Seaport Museum. If you’re planning on visiting the Mystic Seaport Museum I would suggest that you visit their website for all the latest information on their website.