About The Museum

Penobscot Marine Museum brings Maine’s maritime history to life on a campus of beautiful historic buildings in the charming seacoast village of Searsport, Maine. Exhibits throughout the campus tell unique stories of ship captains and their families, the industries of Penobscot Bay, global maritime trade, and today’s fisheries.

The Museum develops changing seasonal and traveling exhibits, and conducts educational outreach throughout Maine. In addition to exhibits, the museum is home to over 300,000 historic photographs, an extensive collection of maritime artifacts and archives, and a maritime history research library. Museum offices, photo archives, and research library are open year-round. Exhibits are open Memorial Day weekend through the third Sunday in October.

Penobscot Marine Museum inspires curiosity and fosters understanding about life and work on the Maine coast to encourage stewardship of our communities and the sea.

The museum has collections of historic small boats; marine paintings; artifacts from around the world collected by mariners; ship models; photographs; and manuscripts. 

Exhibits illustrate the industries of Penobscot Bay-fishing, lumber, shipbuilding, ice, and granite-that built the Maine coast. Visitors learn how families from Maine often went to sea together, raising children aboard ship as they traveled the world. They get an in-depth look at the lobster, an icon nearly synonymous with Maine. Researchers use the library for genealogy, maritime records, and local history.

The Savage Education Center, Gone Fishing, and Crew's Life exhibits provide hands-on activities and programs, and the outdoor Set Sail Demonstration allows children and adults to experience the workings of a square-rigger's sails, yards, and capstan.

For more information on Penobscot Marine Museum, visit www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org.

To schedule a field trip and learn about outreach options, click here.

Want to contact a PMM staff member? Click here.

Click here to find out more about Copyright and Use Restrictions.