Bath Marine Museum

BATH MARINE MUSEUM

The Bath Marine Museum consists of four locations with exhibits depicting Bath and the shipbuilding industry of yesterday and the present. In a period of 100 years, 1820 to 1920, more than 1,000 ocean going vessels were launched in Bath. Arrangements may be made by contact The Bath Marine Museum...Cost to the students is $.70 for the first site visited. One adult receives free admission for each ten students. Other adults in the group pay the student rate.

Bath may be reached from Bangor area by traveling Interstate 95 to Augusta, the Maine Turnpike to the Gardiner exit and Interstate 95 to the Topsham exit and then Route 1 east to Bath. Traveling time from the Bangor area is approximately two and one half hours. This allows for a rest stop along the way. Lunch may include a picnic in the City Park or at Percy & Small Shipyard or at [a local eatery] in Bath. An alternate return route to the Bangor area may be Route 1 to Wiscasset and Route 27 to Augusta. From the Portland area travel I-95 north to U.S. 1 to Bath.

The Bath Marine Museum consists of a choice of four sites for school group visitation. The Winterstreet Center, 880 Washington Street, opposite City Park, has three floors of exhibits including a history of the Kennebec River, shipyard workers, and a sailor's life at sea as well as articles brought from foreign ports. Before starting a tour of Winterstreet Centar a 15 to 20 minute slide orientation to the museum is given. The amount of time spent at any site will vary accordingly.

The Sewall House, 963 Washington Stree, is a short walk from the Winterstreet Center. Her one finds displays of ship models, half models, maritime paintin, dioramas, navigational instruments, plus an exhibit on the Bath Iron Works.

The Apprenticeship, also within walking distance, encompasses a training program in small wooden shipbuilding and a related loft exhibit. Visitors may watch apprentices in the process of learning their trade.

The Percy & Small Shipyard, located at 263 Washington Street, is the last intact shipyard in the country where large wooden sailing vessels were built. On exhibit are a number of Maine watercraft, shipbuilding tools and memorabilia. From the shipyard you may take a guided tour aboard the M/V "Sasanoa" on the Kennebec River and view the Bath Iron Works.

The Bath Marine Museum is open seven days a week, 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., May 20th to October 29th. After tht the Museum is open every Sunday, 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. at Sewall House on Washington Street.

Student Rating - 2.5
Teacher Rating - 3.0


(Excerpt from The Maine Journey Field Trip Guide, 1980, p.14-15.)


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