Erie Maritime Museum & U.S. Brig Niagara

05/29/2026

Nautical Trivia Question!

What is this part of a ship called and what does it do?

(Hint, its not the block but the piece of wood that the block is hanging from).

Give your answer below in the comments!

05/25/2026

05/21/2026

Due to technical difficulties, Penelec has extended today’s power outage through tomorrow Friday, May 22. Due to this unfortunate situation, the Museum will have to remain closed through this Friday. We hope to reopen this Saturday and apologize for the inconvenience.

05/21/2026

In case you missed the broadcast this weekend, you can now read the full NPR feature on the U.S. Brig Niagara online!

NPR has posted the complete digital story detailing the Commonwealth flagship's overhaul, featuring great new photos from the shipyard. Click the link below to see the ship back in the water and read about the incredible work our crew and Bristol Marine accomplished:

After months in dry dock in Maine, the USS Niagara slipped down the ways last week after nearly a year of work. The two-masted, 20-gun brig will soon return to its home port on Lake Erie.

05/19/2026

Erie Maritime Museum will be closed Thursday, May 21st due to a Penelec scheduled power outage which affects the Bayfront area. We apologize for the inconvenience. The museum will be open Wednesday and Friday as usual.

05/17/2026

The U.S. Brig Niagara made national news this weekend!

If you missed it, NPR's Weekend Edition highlighted the massive preservation effort that has been keeping Bristol Marine and our crew busy in Maine! Listen as Captain Greg Bailey, 3rd Mate Lillian Kiser Taylor, and Bristol Marine's Lead Shipwright Ross Branch take you behind the scenes leading up the Niagara making her splash back into the water!

Click the link below to hear directly from the crew about the incredible work done during this complex project, and celebrate our successful relaunch!

A replica of the historic USS Niagara — the two-masted warship that helped secure the Great Lakes during the War of 1812 — is back in the water after a costly refit.

05/16/2026

For fans of US naval and/or Western PA history, cool FREE program coming up through the The State Museum of Pennsylvania

Make plans for June! Sign up for the next Learn at Lunchtime and learn about a unique historical event at a Pennsylvania state park that helped change naval warfare during World War II.

Join Jared McGary, Environmental Education Specialist from Pymatuning State Park, to learn about torpedo testing at the park.

Presentations begin at 12:15 PM and are followed by a question-and-answer session. Registration is required to attend the free, virtual program.

https://statemuseumpa.org/events/virtual-pymatuning/

05/16/2026

The U.S. Brig Niagara is back in the water at Bristol Marine Sample's Shipyard and sea trials for the engines and crew are next on the agenda. This captures Niagara's return to the sea after its major refit. We can't wait for the historic vessel's highly anticipated return to its homeport in Erie.

05/14/2026

We are thrilled to report that the U.S. Brig Niagara is back in the water! The team at Bristol Marine Sample's Shipyard did an amazing job of getting her ready for today! Next up: sea trials for the engines and crew! Video of this morning's relaunch will be posted later!