San Diego Maritime Museum

Since many children love museums, why not visit the San Diego Maritime Museum? Many of us have fond memories of our own childhood trips to museums. They're magical places where all that stuff we learned in books comes to life. And we didn't seem to care that we were actually learning in the process.

What's the San Diego Maritime Museum all about? Its goals are in "restoring, maintaining and operating" notable sea vessels. Instead of simply reading about ships, children can enjoy the thrill of seeing them up close and personal. The museum's ship collection is quite extensive, and includes the Star of India, the largest active ship in the entire world! Public tours of the ships are daily available to the public.

You'll discover for youself all the neat things this museum has to offer, but here are a few things to look out for:

Educational Programs
The San Diego Maritime Museum includes a wide array of special educational programs for children. This includes those for school groups ranging in age from kindergarten to 12th grade, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and families. You can actually go on one day or multiple-day trips to the sea, where the trained museum staff conducts workshops and educational programs.

Let's face it; the star attractions of the Maritime Museum are the ships and submarines! Kids of all ages will enjoy exploring the various sea-faring vessels, from fore to aft and deck to hold.

Ships on Display

The Californian became the official tall ship of the state whose name it bears. Its launching at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games was quite spectacular.

Eight decades before the Mayflower ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean to New England, Europeans in the San Salvador entered the harbor known today as San Diego.

The "star" of the show, this is the oldest active sailing ship in the entire world! At the time, this iron ship was somewhat experimental, since most ships were constructed of wood. Children with an interesting in swashbuckling pirates will really enjoy the Lost Galleon Treasures exhibit, stowing away on the ship through Novembe 2010.

The USS Dolphin can dive deeper than any other submarine in the world! This capability has made the vessel unique in its naval career of nearly four decades.

One of my boys is a huge military history fan, so getting a chance to explore this Soviet sub was a rare treat.

The San Diego Maritime Museum provides an array of guided tours for groups. This includes school groups, community groups, and youth groups. Tour guides with sufficient knowledge and skills lead the tours, helping to make history come alive. The tours include visits to various ships, galleries, and exhibits of the museum. The tour guides can even cater the tours to particular topics, such as those that schoolchildren are currently studying.

Who said that learning was boring? Both children and adults alike can enjoy the various displays and activities at the San Diego Maritime Museum. Having fun will be such smooth sailing that you'll forget that you're learning!

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