Museum Guide

Historic Ships in Baltimore, is a vital and growing institution located in the heart of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The organization/museum is steward of the Sloop-of-War USS Constellation, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WHEC-37, Submarine USS Torsk, Lightship 116 Chesapeake, and the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse. This stewardship includes managing the collections related to these mega-artifacts, and preserving and interpreting the history of these sites. The Museum plays a key role in the heritage and cultural landscape within the City of Baltimore and strives to raise awareness throughout Maryland and the United States of these important elements of our nation's history. Located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, our exhibits celebrate over 200 years of Maryland's naval and maritime history. We offer a variety of events throughout the year to enrich your experience and support our exhibits. Historic Ships offers a variety of unique programs that you can choose from to experience life aboard our vessels. Check out how you can rent out one our venues - https://historicships.org/events/venue-rental When you reserve a group program, you will get to explore one of our vessels with a museum educator as your guide. Guided tour programs last about 1 hour and cover your choice of topics and include presentations & hands-on activities that focus on the lives and duties of those who served at sea. These tours are perfect for many type of groups and ages – great for Veterans wanting look back in history! Check our list of upcoming activities and events below, or select your desired month from the dropdown here. https://historicships.org/activities. Walk to Decks, Learn the Ropes, Live the Life! Experience 19th century life at sea with one of the most impressive collections of military vessels in the world. We look forward to welcoming you and your families to expererience the history of Baltimore and the US Navy! 410-539-1797. https://historicships.org/      

The people of Philadelphia and the Greater Delaware Valley region have played very important roles in the development of the Navy over the past two and a half centuries, building some of the Navy’s most iconic and historic vessels. Early shipbuilding in Philadelphia, including the United States and the Constitution, was done along the waterfront at shipyards owned by Pennsylvania Quaker Joshua Humphreys. A formal navy yard in Philadelphia was created at Southwark in 1800 before moving to a bigger plot of land at its current location on League Island in the 1870s. For the next ninety years, the yard served as one of the Navy’s primary shipbuilding and repair facilities. Over the course of two centuries, important Naval vessels were designed, built, and launched in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, from the Swedish-American engineer John Ericsson’s USS Princeton in 1843, to the USS Michigan in 1904, to the USS Francis Robinson during World War II. Though the Philadelphia Naval Yard ended most of its activities at the shipyard in the 1990s, the legacy left by the vessels produced there and at other local shipyards looms large in US naval history, especially at this 250th anniversary of the United States Navy. In partnership with the American Swedish Historical Museum, the National Museum of the United States Navy (NMUSN) is proud to present, And Let Victory Tell the Rest: 250 Years of Shipbuilding in Greater Philadelphia, opening June 26th at ASHM. The exhibit will include artifacts from USS New Ironsides, USS Michigan, a model of the John Ericsson- designed USS Passaic, among others. Visit -https://www.americanswedish.org/exhibitions/and-let-victory-tell-rest-250-years-shipbuilding-greater-philadelphia  to learn more about the exhibit and its related events. And Let Victory Tell the Rest is part of Homecoming250, citywide celebration of this historic anniversary in Philadelphia. https://www.homecoming250.org/ US Navy Shipbuilding in Philadelphia, was written by Gordon Calhoun, Historian & Curator, National Museum of the United States Navy and Edited by the American Swedish Historical Museum.

Nestled in the mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, the Wingfield Heritage House Museum invites visitors to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of local history. Originally built in the 1920s by Ike and Lula Wingfield, the house served as a family residence for three generations before eventually becoming part of the heart of the community. Today, beautifully restored to reflect its original character, the museum stands as both a tribute to the Wingfield legacy and a living record of Ruidoso’s development. Inside, each room is thoughtfully curated to tell stories about early settlement life, native cultures, and the growth of the region’s industries, arts, and tourism.  One of the museum’s signature projects is Ruidoso Rewind, a weekly radio show aired on KRUI The Mountain. The program, written and narrated by the museum’s curator Stephanie Long with production by Greg Widener, explores the hidden histories and significant events that shaped the Ruidoso area. In 2025, the show earned a prestigious Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), recognizing its role in bringing local heritage to life.  The Wingfield Heritage House Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and admission is FREE. The museum also hosts community-oriented events, such as Hands-on History Family Day, which features interactive activities like retro games, historic handwriting practice, and artifact mystery challenges.  To help support its mission, the museum works closely with the Friends of the Wingfield Heritage House Museum, a nonprofit dedicated to fundraising, collecting artifacts, and engaging new volunteers. For those planning a visit or looking to contribute historical items from life, business, or tourism in the Ruidoso area, the Wingfield Heritage House Museum stands as a cherished gateway into the past—anchoring community memory and inspiring future discovery. https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/wingfield-heritage-house-museum