History
In 1962 seven residents of Bath, Maine formed the Marine Research Society of Bath which did business for years as the Bath Marine Museum.
In 1975, the name was officially changed to Maine Maritime Museum. The Percy & Small Shipyard, the only intact shipyard in the in the U.S. which built large wooden sailing vessels was donated by Mr. and Mrs. L. M. C. Smith in 1975; in 1981 Mrs. Smith also donated the Donnell House.
In 1985 the Museum added the Leon L. Bean Building to house its Lobstering Exhibit. In that same year the long-standing relationship between the Grand Banks Schooner Trust and the Museum was launched, allowing the schooner Sherman Zwicker to be a floating waterfront exhibit during the summer season. In 1989, following a successful capital campaign, the Museum opened its brand new Maritime History Building, just south of the Percy & Small Shipyard, allowing all its facilities to be in one major location for the first time.
In 1994 the Museum rebuilt the Deering Pier which allows us to welcome larger visiting vessels. We saw the arrival of the remains of the clipper ship Snow Squall in 1995, and with further improvements in 2006, this remains an important aspect of a Museum visit.
In 2001 the Museum added a meeting and dining facility, Long Reach Hall. This beautiful timber frame building is equipped with a full caterer's kitchen. The following year the Visiting Yachtsmen's Building was added to provide amenities for those visiting us by boat.
In our ongoing effort to stay current with technology while presenting a glimpse into the past, the Musuem recently added several interactive exhibits including the Tugboat Pilothouse, the Ship 's Fo'c's'le, and a Pirate Play Ship.