Independence Seaport Museum

01/08/2024

in 1945, Submarine Becuna at Independence Seaport Museum and her crew arrived in Freemantle, Australia, concluding their second war patrol. Lasting 53 days, this patrol resulted in the sinking of two Japanese Sea Trucks.

✏️A Sea Truck is a type of small merchant vessel that supports larger ships and naval operations by ferrying supplies and serving as pilots or coastal patrol ships. The Japanese often used them as spy vessels as well, equipping them with radios and other intelligence-gathering equipment to report American naval and submarine movements.

01/05/2024

Alexa play "Boats to Build" by Jimmy Buffett! 🛶

Boatbuilding 101 is back at the Independence Seaport Museum this month! Offered over two weekends in January (20th-21st, 27th-28th), join us and The Seaport Boat Shop as they cover a wide range of topics from traditional wooden boatbuilding to lofting, steam bending, mold making, and much, much more! Each attendee will leave the session with the knowledge and skills necessary to start their own boatbuilding journey!

⚓ The cost for non-members is $350 (includes a one-year individual membership), and ISM members receive 25% off.

⚓ Participants must attend all 4 sessions.

Reserve your spot here: https://tickets.phillyseaport.org/webstore/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=program&C=cl&fbclid=IwAR2b01n19H8NMQsajnumaE-Xtp1fIHDgCSxVKV-HDLn5kKS-BkQa8dH0IhY

01/04/2024

Happy National Trivia Day! Head to our Instagram story to put your skills to the test with some ISM-specific trivia questions! 🧐⚓️

01/03/2024

Last month, the Independence Seaport Museum received a generous gift from the Cruiser Sailors Association. Jim Chryst presented the donation on behalf of the organization to fund restoration work on the Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum. He was welcomed on board by President and CEO Peter Seibert, Executive Vice President and COO Mike Flynn, and Director of Development Meg North. We thank them again for their generosity as we continue to work on preserving the oldest floating steel ship in the world for future generations.

01/01/2024

Happy New Year from the Independence Seaport Museum! Wishing you and your family a year full of health, happiness, and boatloads of time on the water ⚓️🎊.

12/30/2023

Traveling during the holidays can be problematic for a whole host of reasons. But could you imagine if, say, airline travel didn’t even exist? That was the case for Dr. Berthold Stern of Philadelphia, whose suitcase is part of ISM’s collection and is one of those pictured below. While the majority of the stickers document his trips aboard two steamships (from the North German Lloyd and United States Lines, respectively), during his lifetime, he also was able to experience traveling through flight. Tell us, are you flying anywhere this month? Or somewhere exciting in 2024?

12/29/2023

Don't miss the boat (😉)! Spots are still available for our Boatbuilding 101 class on January 20, 21, 27, and 28.

Attendees will learn the traditional wooden boatbuilding methods. The area's finest teaching craftspeople will show you the skills of lofting, mold making, steam bending, stem carving, planking techniques, and more, equipping each student with the knowledge and ability to build a wooden boat on their own.

The cost for non-members is $350 (includes a one-year individual membership), and ISM members receive 25% off.

Reserve your spot here: https://tickets.phillyseaport.org/webstore/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=program&C=cl

12/29/2023

It's your last chance to give the gift of a Seaport membership this season! Recipients will receive benefits like:

🎁 Unlimited free admission to the museum and Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum, guided tours of Submarine Becuna at Independence Seaport Museum, and guided tours of OLYMPIA's Engine Room.

🎁 Discount on ISM programs, classes, and events.

🎁 Member-only events and museum access.

Plus, if you give the gift of membership between now and December 31, the recipient will receive a complimentary extension of their membership (an extra 2 months!) and a tote bag.

Visit https://www.phillyseaport.org/membership/ and enter the code GIFTMEM23 at checkout.

12/27/2023

Looking for something fun to do during the winter break? Look no further than Independence Seaport Museum! Whether browsing our exciting exhibits or touring one of our historic ships, there's something for everyone to enjoy on the waterfront 😎.

ISM is open daily from 10 AM-5 PM (please note we will close at 3 PM on 12/31)!

12/26/2023

The Independence Seaport Museum wishes our friends and followers a happy first day of Kwanzaa to everyone celebrating.

12/25/2023

The Independence Seaport Museum wishes our friends and followers a very merry Christmas to everyone celebrating.

12/23/2023

Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum operated in many capacities during her years in service. But, that on December 25, 1920, American Forces in the Adriatic region of Europe participated in a Christmas celebration for the benefit of children "blind, crippled, orphaned through war or otherwise" as part of ongoing humanitarian relief in the region? OLYMPIA and her crew were part of this celebration, which involved 1,700 service personnel and 4,000 children from Italy to Dalmatia (now modern-day Croatia).

12/22/2023

It's not too late to give the gift of a Seaport membership this season! Recipients will receive benefits like:

🎁 Unlimited free admission to the museum and Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum, guided tours of Submarine Becuna at Independence Seaport Museum, and guided tours of OLYMPIA's Engine Room.

🎁 Discount on ISM programs, classes, and events.

🎁 Member-only events and museum access.

Plus, if you give the gift of membership between now and December 31, the recipient will receive a complimentary extension of their membership (an extra 2 months!) and a tote bag.

Visit https://www.phillyseaport.org/membership/ and enter the code GIFTMEM23 at checkout.

12/21/2023

❄️ ISM Holiday Hours ❄️

Mark your calendars! The museum will be operating on an adjusted holiday schedule:

❄️ 10 AM – 3 PM on 12/24 (Christmas Eve), with last admission at 2:30 PM.
❄️ CLOSED on 12/25 (Christmas).
❄️ 10 AM – 3 PM on 12/31 (New Year’s Eve), with last admission at 2:30 PM.

Normal operating hours, 10 AM – 5 PM, apply to all other days.

Happy Holidays from ISM!

12/21/2023

For our final installment, we are highlighting Sarah Augustine (aka YouTube's breakout star of 2023). Says Sarah, "I loved creating these videos for the public to interact with the collection, but it wasn't always smooth sailing as we worked to get the final product."

Curious about what went wrong? Or why Sarah's laughing like this in the graphic? Stream our 2023 Blooper Reel here: https://youtu.be/RMpukF_dy3g.

12/19/2023

📣 Early Closure Announcement 📣

Independence Seaport Museum and our historic ships will close at 4 PM today (last admission will be at 3:30 PM) to celebrate the hard work of our staff with a holiday party.

12/18/2023

UPDATE...

Due to the continued road closures on Columbus Blvd., the museum and historic ships will be closed today, 12/18. We apologize for the inconvenience.

🚨Morning Alert 🚨

The Independence Seaport Museum will be operating on a delayed opening today. We will update you as more information becomes available.

12/18/2023

🚨Morning Alert 🚨

The Independence Seaport Museum will be operating on a delayed opening today. We will update you as more information becomes available.

12/18/2023

Are you still in need of some last-minute holiday shopping inspiration? Look no further than our museum store!

Open seven days a week, from 10 AM - 5 PM, there is something for everyone on your list. Whether searching for OLYMPIA-specific items, locally made gifts, or even an ornament for the tree, we are your one-stop shop.

Do good while shopping with us this holiday season 🎁.

12/16/2023

For our next installation of , we talked to Caroline Phelps, ISM's Manager of Membership.

Her favorite memory for 2023? A member sail on the Skipjack SIGSBEE! Says Caroline, "The member sail was a great way to experience the city from the Delaware River and connect with the members who joined us. I'm thrilled we get to offer these types of opportunities year-round."

What fun things did you do at the Seaport this year? Let us know in the comment section ⚓.

12/14/2023

Reminder! Our last Captain's Corner for the year is this Saturday at 2 PM aboard Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum.

Join ISM and Mike Westermeier, Exhibit Curator at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, as he discusses an 1863 ill-fated attack on the Confederate-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.

On the night of September 8, 1863, over 400 Marines and sailors from the U.S. Navy's South Atlantic Blockading Squadron under Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren launched the attack. It failed miserably, and 117 Marines and sailors were captured and held as prisoners of war by the Confederate Army. The odyssey that the Marines began on the rubble-strewn face of Fort Sumter ended for most in the squalid stockade at the infamous Andersonville Prison in Georgia, while many of those who survived the experience suffered illness for the rest of their lives.

Access to the program is included with any general admission ticket package and is free for museum members.

12/13/2023

Independence Seaport Museum is excited to announce the return of Boatbuilding 101 in January 2024. Scheduled for January 20, 21, 27, and 28, attendees will learn the traditional wooden boatbuilding methods. The area's finest teaching craftspeople will show you the skills of lofting, mold making, steam bending, stem carving, planking techniques, and more, equipping each student with the knowledge and ability to build a wooden boat on their own.

The cost for non-members is $350 (includes a one-year individual membership), and ISM members receive 25% off.

Reserve your spot here: https://tickets.phillyseaport.org/webstore/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=program&C=cl.

12/12/2023

Dive in (figuratively, of course, 😏) with archivist Sarah Augustine in the next installment of the Seaport Vault, where we talk about diving in the Delaware River! She talks about why people would have dove into the water, plus highlights Philadelphian Herman Wolter, a prominent and respected local diver.

Watch the video on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/v2yEdnflQ9s.

12/11/2023

Have you shopped our 12 Days of Super Holiday Savings on our online gift shop yet? If not, don't worry; you still have 3 days left!

To see the daily specials, visit https://www.phillyseaport.org/events/12-days-of-super-holiday-savings/.

To start shopping, visit https://giftshop.phillyseaport.org/.

12/09/2023

Good luck to the Navy Athletics' Midshipman as they take on the Army West Point Football's Black Knights in today's Army-Navy game.

This year marks the 124th time this game has been played. Among the storied history, something interesting to note is that recently, both teams started changing their uniforms annually to honor their respective branches. In 2023, the Navy uniform will pay tribute to the U.S Submarine Force (you can read more about it here: https://armynavygame.com/news/2023/11/20/navy-athletics-and-under-armour-unveils-2023-army-navy-football-game-uniform).

Go Navy, Beat Army! ⚓

12/08/2023

Last night marked the beginning of Chanukah. The Independence Seaport Museum wishes our friends and followers a happy and healthy holiday to all those celebrating.

12/08/2023

, 82 years ago, Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor to severely weaken the United States’ naval capabilities. Something they didn’t take into account, however, were the submarine pens and fuel reserves also stationed at the base. Because of that, the U.S. submarine service was the first armed service to conduct offensive operations against Japan.

As Chester Nimitz said, “We shall never forget that it was our submarines that held the lines against the enemy while our fleets replaced losses and repaired wounds.”

The events at Pearl Harbor led our country to enter World War II. By the war’s end, 52 submarines and 3,505 officers and men were lost during the fighting.

12/06/2023

You might have heard of Spotified Wrapped (total Swifties over here, BTW 🙋‍♀️), but we'd like to introduce you to , where, over the course of this month, we will be highlighting favorite memories from staff members as we look back at 2023.

We talked to Mike Madeja, ISM's Director of Education, to kick us off. When asked for his favorite memory, Mike pointed to Philly's first-ever Navy Week (which took place in October 2023). He says, "There was really something magical about having the Navy and Marine Corps bands playing for students in a museum that prides itself with collections that speak so richly to the history of the Navy."

If you visited this past year, let us know your favorite memory in the comment selection below ⚓.

12/05/2023

Our gift of membership holiday campaign is still going strong at ISM! Recipients will receive benefits like:

🎁 Unlimited free admission to the museum and Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum, guided tours of Submarine Becuna at Independence Seaport Museum, and guided tours of OLYMPIA's Engine Room.

🎁 Discount on ISM programs, classes, and events.

🎁 Member-only events and museum access.

Plus, if you give the gift of membership between now and December 31, the recipient will receive a complimentary extension of their membership (an extra 2 months!) and a tote bag.

Visit https://www.phillyseaport.org/membership/ and enter the code GIFTMEM23 at checkout.

Discovering Philadelphia's river of history and world of connections.

12/05/2023

🎼 It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood....🎼

Celebrate with us by purchasing any of the pairs you see here in the Museum Store. Keep your feet warm and do good while you shop this holiday season 🛍. All purchases made in the store are reinvested in the museum's mission of encouraging visitors to discover Philadelphia's river of history and world of connections.