When you think of museums, what comes to mind? Perhaps a beautiful building that contains gorgeous works of art, or another that houses artifacts. Webster’s Dictionary defines them as institutions devoted to the procurement, care, study, and display of objects of lasting interest or value, and lucky us, San Diego County is rich when it comes to museums.
“We’re all about showing everybody the museums that San Diego has to offer and making them more accessible," said Bob Lehman, executive director of the San Diego Museum Council. The group has sponsored Museum Month since 1989.
“All the museums get together and offer half-price admission. And what you do is you go and get a museum pass. It looks just like this at any Macy’s in San Diego County or at any public library. There’s over 80 locations," said Lehman.
When you think of museums in San Diego County, Balboa Park probably comes to mind and there are 17 of them spread throughout its lush confines. But there are so many more museums in the county outside the confines of the park. One of them is on the water at the Embarcadero. It’s San Diego’s Maritime Museum — which started out as part of the San Diego Zoo!
RELATED: San Salvador Replica Debuts At Parade Of Sail
Maritime Museum President and CEO Ray Ashley explained, “The plan was for there to be an aquarium on the waterfront as part of the zoological society. Grape Street would link the aquarium to Balboa Park and the Zoo and the Star of India was going to be the centerpiece.”
That was in 1927. The “aquarium” separated from the zoo in 1948; that’s when it became the Maritime Museum. All these years later, the Star of India is still the centerpiece. She was restored in 1976 in time to go sailing as part of the bicentennial celebrations.
By that time, the museum’s board of directors realized the museum needed more ships.
“They acquired the Berkeley to be a museum building and then just… the Medea kind of came along at the same time, so that was three ships and now it’s expanded to about nine from that, so we have a much larger collection of vessels. We’re telling a much larger narrative and a much larger story," Ashley said.
There’s the Dolphin, a U.S. sub that holds the world record for the deepest dive ever. Other ships include the Surprise, used in the Russell Crowe movie "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," and a particular point of pride for the museum — the San Salvador, built here, largely by museum volunteers.
The Berkeley began its life in 1898 as a ferry boat traversing San Francisco Bay. It serves now as the museum’s building, but not for much longer. A new museum building is in the works.
“We’d move all the ships out some distance, about 100 feet away from the Embarcadero... and then the building would go right about where the Berkeley is now," said Ashley.
But — for now — there’s plenty to see at the Maritime Museum, one of more than 45-museums from Oceanside to the South Bay, where you and three friends can get 50% off for the rest of this month.
