Maritime Museum of San Diego, Maritime museum in Downtown San Diego, United States.
The Maritime Museum of San Diego occupies the west side of North Harbor Drive between Ash and Grape Streets, where its ships are moored along San Diego Bay. The centrepiece is the Star of India, an 1863 iron barque; the fleet also includes the 1898 ferryboat Berkeley, the 1904 steam yacht Medea, the 1914 pilot boat Pilot, the submarine USS Dolphin and the 2015 replica San Salvador.
The museum was founded in 1948 and focuses on the maritime heritage of the region. The Star of India, a ship from 1863, is among the oldest continuously active sailing vessels in the world and forms a significant part of the collection.
The museum publishes Mains'l Haul, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal of Pacific maritime history, and keeps the MacMullen Library and Research Archives aboard the 1898 ferryboat Berkeley. The 1984 schooner Californian, a replica of the 1847 cutter C.W. Lawrence, holds the title of official tall ship of the state of California.
The museum stretches along the west side of North Harbor Drive, between Ash and Grape Streets, south of San Diego International Airport. Boarding the ships means crossing gangways and steep companion ladders, so wear flat shoes and allow time to walk between the Berkeley, the submarines and the tall ships. The railroad barge docked behind the Berkeley has no tracks left and is often mistaken for a floating dock.
The museum houses the HMS Surprise, a replica of a British Navy frigate that appeared in major film productions. The ship was constructed for filming and has since become one of the site's most notable attractions along the waterfront.
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