It’s a little hard for me to describe Mystic Seaport in just a few words. Yes, it’s a maritime museum—the largest in the U.S. Yes, it’s a 19th-century coastal village—except that it only dates to 1929, though its buildings are older. Yes, it has historic sailing ships—but its fleet also includes ships built as recently as the 1950s. Yes, it’s a museum—but it also includes a working shipyard that restores ships and builds new ones.
So, obviously, not one blog’s worth of things to say; even an abbreviated visit is nearly more than a day can encompass, although I had the advantage of having been before, years ago, when my children were young and kept me moving fast!
So, for today, a stroll along the shore and the small streets of the village that occupies a large part of the museum’s 19+ acres, occupying a site that was used by shipbuilders in the 19th century, and within eyesight of the actual town of Mystic.
These days, with the pandemic at hand, many of the buildings are closed, but those that are open offer insights into 19th century life; the ‘demon rum’ was a big issue, and a recording of an 1890s sermon against it had plenty of fire and brimstone in it.
In the schoolhouse a little further down the road, a teacher could be heard praising one child and scolding another—and then interrupting to stop one who was carving initials into a desk. A bit eerie with no one else in sight, but…
The American Seamen’s Friend Association, a 19th-century Temperance-oriented group, operated a ‘Sailor’s Bethel’ in nearly every American port, hoping to keep sailors away from rum and vice by providing clean accommodations, reading material and a safe haven. In larger ports, they might also include dormitories and more.
Most of the stores along the village street and waterfront, closed for now, exhibit the kinds of good that townsfolk would have needed and shopped for, the items they could not make themselves. An exception is the tavern, just above, now serving a limited range of lunches to visitors.
Other businesses represented in the port area focus on the needs of the ships and sailors. The wood-carving business wasn’t just for decorative items such as figureheads for ships; many other wooden specialty items were needed. Just above, this ‘Mutt and Jeff’ pair of buildings has a reason: a tall sailmaker’s loft, and a low building for the ropemaker: the cordage company building is low, but incredibly long to allow making of long coils of sturdy rope.
Speaking of ships, they have a way of reminding you what this village is based on; there’s almost nowhere that a turn to the left or right doesn’t remind you, as above. Below, a working replica of the schooner Amistad, a slave ship that was taken over by its captives and sailed to nearby New London, triggering a famous court case that led to their freedom and a 1997 film. The replica was built by Mystic’s working historic shipyard in 2000.
Some of the newer specimens along the shore as well…
When I described Mystic as a museum of museums: quibble if you will, but many of the exhibits stand on their own as museums, such as the ropeworks, the Children’s Museum, and exhibits devoted to whaling, and to the ocean itself.
One particularly fascinating (to me, at least) is a model of the entire area as it was in the 19th century, affording a look at how the specific site was used, and the kinds of activity that surrounded it. One detail photo of that model, below, was our One-Clue Mystery this week, solved by George G and PortMoresby.
A few more views, including some historic ‘street dressing’—a cannon and an anchor, as well as a harbor lighthouse.
Mystic Seaport, or to give it its formal name, Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea, is located on the Mystic River, just east of New London, Connecticut, about a mile south of the Mystic exit of the Turnpike.
For now, it’s open Thursday through Sunday. Tickets are $25.95, with discounts for youth and seniors. Nearby, there’s also the Mystic Aquarium and for fans of Julia Roberts movies, there’s the original Mystic Pizza.
