Snow Squall: An American Clipper

Renovated in 2021, this permanent exhibit houses the last remaining example of an American clipper ship. Launched in Portland in 1851, Snow Squall—like all clippers—was built for speed with a sharp, narrow hull, and an enormous amount of sail. In 1864, Snow Squall ran aground near Cape Horn and lay abandoned in the Falkland Islands for over a century. A series of archaeological expeditions in the 1980s culminated in the retrieval of a 36-foot section of the bow, now on view in this exhibit.