Warren Lasch Conservation Center, Research institute and museum in North Charleston, United States.
The Warren Lasch Conservation Center is a research institute and museum in North Charleston, South Carolina, dedicated to the preservation of underwater archaeological finds. It contains working laboratories, exhibition spaces, and the actual H.L. Hunley submarine, which is currently undergoing active restoration on site.
The center was established after the H.L. Hunley was raised from the ocean floor in 2000, more than 130 years after it sank following its 1864 mission. The building was set up specifically to house and treat the submarine and the thousands of artifacts recovered with it.
Unlike most museums, this one lets visitors watch conservators at work through large viewing windows, making the process part of the visit itself. What happens in the laboratory is as much on display as any object in the room.
The center is located in North Charleston and is most easily reached by car, as it sits away from the main tourist areas of the city. Visiting on a weekday tends to offer a calmer experience and a better chance of seeing active work in the conservation labs.
After being raised, the H.L. Hunley was placed in a tank of treated water because exposing it directly to air would have caused rapid deterioration. This means visitors see a submarine that is still, in a sense, being kept underwater even on dry land.
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