Spaulding Wooden Boat Center, Maritime museum in Sausalito, California.
The Spaulding Wooden Boat Center is a working museum along the Sausalito waterfront where craftspeople restore and build wooden boats using traditional methods. The facility offers workshops, tours, and hands-on demonstrations where skilled boatbuilders share their techniques and knowledge with visitors.
The center began in 1951 as the private project of yacht designer Myron Spaulding. In 2002 it became a non-profit organization through a charitable trust established by his widow Gladys.
The center keeps wooden boat traditions alive through daily craftsmanship that visitors can watch firsthand. The place serves as a gathering spot where maritime heritage remains part of the living community rather than just history.
Visit during regular opening hours when craftspeople are actively working and guided tours are available. The waterfront location is most enjoyable during milder months when spending time outdoors is comfortable.
The facility houses the Arques School of Traditional Boatbuilding where apprentices learn plank-on-frame construction through hands-on training programs. This apprenticeship model keeps an old woodworking tradition alive in a way that most modern boat programs do not.
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