Erie Maritime Museum & U.S. Brig Niagara

08/28/2026

Pardon our dust as we protect our history!

Big things are happening at the Erie Maritime Museum! We are currently undergoing a facility-wide climate control upgrade to ensure our incredible collections are safely preserved for generations to come.

To keep our most sensitive artifacts safe from construction dust as well as temperature and humidity fluctuations, our curators have temporarily moved about 50 items—including our iconic Battle of Lake Erie painting—into secure, climate-controlled storage.

Because our galleries look a little different right now, we are excited to offer "Pay As You Wish" admission through December 2026!

We invite you to come down, see the remaining exhibits, view the Niagara, and enjoy the waterfront for whatever donation amount you choose. Thank you for your patience as we improve your museum!

08/21/2026

Erie Maritime Museum Announces Critical Infrastructure Upgrades and Temporary “Pay As You Wish” Admission
Because visitors will not be receiving the standard, full-gallery experience while artifacts are safely stored, PHMC has authorized the "Pay As You Wish" model to ensure equitable access. Beginning August 22, guests can enjoy the museum's remaining exhibits, public programming, and views of the U.S. Brig Niagara for a donation amount of their choosing. See details below!

08/17/2026

It has been an exciting, hands-on week at the Erie Maritime Museum! On Wednesday, we housed the Niagara's topmast using the ships capstan. We had an excellent question that came out of that process: how would the up-rig of a ship have been completed in the age of sail?

In short, it was muscle and mechanics! The entire process would have been done using the capstan, just as we did: manually lifting each piece, spar, mast, rigging, into place, building from the bottom-up using the trunk of the masts. Think of it like building a skyscraper: you use the strong lower levels as the foundation to hoist and build the next level up.

This video, from Captain Wes Heerssen’s YouTube channel, shows exactly how the process works from start to finish!

A short time-lapse loop of the crew of the US Brig Niagara removing...

08/13/2026

Today in U.S. Navy history, U.S.S. "Essex" captures H.M.S. "Alert" in 1812, becoming the first Royal Navy warship captured in the War of 1812.

"Essex" was an American 32 gun frigate under the command of Capt. David Porter, while "Alert" was a British 20 gun sloop commanded by Capt. Thomas Laugharne. The battle, if it can be called that, lasted less than 10 minutes. The backstory of the battle is perhaps even more interesting than the action itself.

"Essex" has been sailing alone in July 1812 when a British Convoy was spotted heading to Quebec. Porter disguised "Essex" as a merchant ship by keeping the gunports closed, sails in a more disordered fashion and minimal crew on deck. This was enough for him to near and slip into the convoy overnight and capture the merchant "Samuel and Sarah". He subsequently captured seven more ships over the intervening weeks, which is a remarkable feat for any captain at the time and would result in a great amount of prize money for him and his crew. Porter was not done though.

On August 13th, 1812, the lookout spotted another sail, it was the "Alert". Porter once again made his ship appear to be a merchantman and "Alert" closed the range to within a couple of miles before uncovering the deception. Capt. Laugharne continued to close the range after discovering he could not outrun the "Essex". "Alert" opened fire but did little damage, "Essex" however fired a devastating broadside and "Alert" struck her colors after one broadside, thus becoming the first British warship to surrender during the War of 1812.

08/04/2026

A big happy 236th Birthday to the U.S. Coast Guard!

08/01/2026

Important Volunteering Update for this Tuesday, 8/4/26.

07/30/2026

Today is National Intern Day, and we want to highlight our fantastic Keystone Intern for 2026, Zoe!

Zoe hails from Berks County, PA and is a rising Senior at Juniata College. She is studying dual majors is Education and Museum Studies and hopes to work in the museum field after graduation. Zoe has been with us since late May and almost finished her internship. We appreciate all the hard work and effort she has put in with us this year and hope she has a great senior year!

07/30/2026

Calling Ship and Shop Volunteers!

We are starting the process of staging and readying Niagara and the site for up-rigging! Next week, we will be sending masts up under the direction of Capt. Wesley Heerssen.

There is plenty of preparation to do before then, and we need your help moving gear out of the rig shop. Volunteer shifts are available Tuesday through Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Because this will be a fast-paced up-rigging process, we ask that volunteers be at least 18 years of age.

How to join us:

When: Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except Tuesday 8/4/26 due to a Penelec scheduled power outage.

Contact: Chad will oversee ship volunteers this week until Capt. Heerssen takes over next week. Please confirm the day and time you can volunteer with Chad by email at [email protected], or by office phone at 814-452-2744 ext. 214

Check-In: Please sign in downstairs or at the staff office when you arrive.

Thank you in advance for your hard work and support!

07/29/2026

We want to thank Wabtec Corporation for lending us their interns for a day of service this past Wednesday. Thanks to their many hands, we completed projects both inside the museum and around the property. They got to learn about Erie’s history as a port city, the War of 1812, and Battle of Lake Erie and the "Niagara's" role before they broke into smaller groups for projects. We appreciated their help and look forward to having them come back in the future!

“If you know of an organization that would like to plan a day of service at the Erie Maritime Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara, please reach out to us at https://www.eriemaritimemuseum.org/contact-us

07/21/2026

Very exciting - an incredible opportunity for us! We're LITERALLY right around the corner - no bus or trolley transportation needed!
Been waiting a loooong time for this .......⛴️🛟⚓️🇱🇷👨‍✈️😁