gloucester maritime heritage center

This is a great stop to have a family adventure in and out of the Maritime Heritage Center. It is a learning center for all ages with touch tanks outside, schooners providing day sails, some let you board and observe. Lots of observation areas, fishing boats, Coast Guard station, famous landmarks close by and a Harbor Walk with historic markers as you enjoy this beautiful city. Every restaurant has its' specialties. I live here and enjoy every one of them. The 64' Schooner Ardelle is docked there and a short walk will get you to lots of cute little shops downtown.

This was a cool tour. The scenery around it was awesome. The tour guides were very informative. It was a beautiful boat. I wish we could have gone below deck though. The guide was very nice and offered to take pictures of us.

Lots of history about fishing and the start of the Coast Guard. This is a must see when in the area.

Great place to learn the fishing history of Gloucester. Lots of interactive and hands on experiences to choose from. Right on the docks so you can see the Schooners come and go.

It is worth a visit with young kids, they are able to learn and hold some of the sea life that is found locally. The staff is great, friendly and informative. They also offer other activities and drop in classes. My grandchildren ages 3 and 5 love it.

On Harbor Loop, there's a little maritime discovery center. Got to hold Lobster, Hermit crabs, spider crab, and best of all starfish and sea urchin. Really neat for the kids. They loved it!

The museum had some interesting facts and a small hands on aquarium. Nothing sensational but worth a quick stop.

Great hands on fun with able to touch a live skeet, starfish, sand dollar, among others. They also saw and tried to identify different types of live plankton they made slides for and looked at on computer screens. The educators were informative and great with all ages of children. It is a small but fun museum and well worth it.

We learned so much of the maritime history of this town and area during our visit to this heritage center.

My sister and I arrived before the season began. The door of Maritime Gloucester was ajar, but they hadn't really opened yet. Nevertheless, the friendly staff who were there let us come in and wander around looking at the exhibits and informative maps. They really educated me on fishing not just out of Gloucester, but throughout the various fishing grounds and banks. I would like to return when they are in full season. They have an interesting Facebook page, also (Maritime Gloucester).

The mini aquarium provides a lot of amusement for kids 7 and under. The center hosts a number of great lectures for adults and offers a number of camps for kids during school breaks. A local gem.

The staff is really nice and are very interested in there job, they are always happy. Theres amazing views and always wild life around or in there aquamarine

Although initially impressed with the information about the Stellwagen Bank, fisheries and whaling, the aquarium portion on the lower level was in dreadful condition. The tanks are so cloudy that there is no hope of seeing any creature within, if there are any! If this part of the Center cannot be maintained it should be closed to the public as it certainly detracts from the whole.

Initially I was a bit underwhelmed by the scale and appearance but I am so glad I went. The "whales" part of the exhibition was educative and interesting. A great intro for anyone hoping to catch a whale watching trip from the area. Interactive but not gimmicky and cleary well informed. The top floor has a lot of great stuff but it may lack a bit of a narrative. If you are interested in the maritime history of the region, make sure you read "Cod" by Mark Kurlansky ahead of coming to the heritage center. If you have, the artefacts take a while different dimension and are fascinating. If you are not that much of a history buff, not to worry: certain things on exhibition might leave you cold but the rope making machine, and the cockpit replica are sure winners. Do spend a bit of time watching the videos in the fr corner of the room. The time lapse of the construction of a schooner is particularly beautiful and exciting (all the more so as you can see the schooner nearby). The aquarium is a nice surprise. Even as a grown up you can't help being excited at the idea of petting horseshoe crabs, skates and flounders. The young people who work there are full of knowledge and clearly enjoy sharing their passion for marine wildlife. All in a great experience and a great intro to the importance of whaling and cod fishing in the development of New England, with some conservation work thrown in !

Small aquarium that is hands on for the children. Lots of marine information. Enjoyed watching kids ages 12, 11, 9 and 3 touch and learn.