About

Ahoy, mates! Experience Erie’s rich maritime heritage by visiting the Erie Maritime Museum & U.S. Brig Niagara. For over twenty-five years, the museum has been dedicated to sharing the story of the people of our region to visitors from around the globe. The Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara are owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission – the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s official history agency.

The Maritime Museum shares a home with the Raymond M. Blasco Memorial Library just off the Bayfront Parkway in Erie’s Historic Waterfront District. The museum is housed in the former PENELEC East Front Street Generator station which supplied steam heat and electricity to the City of Erie from 1917-1991. Remnants of the building’s past can still be viewed inside, courtesy of one of the original steam turbines and a gantry crane which are often the first things in view for visitors to the museum.

Set sail into history by exploring our interior exhibits which include the War of 1812; the construction of the American Lake Erie Squadron – commanded by Oliver Hazard Perry; the Battle of Lake Erie; Age of Fighting Sail; various reconstructions of the Brig Niagara; commercial fishing industry; USS Michigan/Wolverine; and the US Life-Saving Station Erie/Presque Isle.

Once finished inside, be sure to visit the Museum’s largest exhibit – the beautiful U.S. Brig Niagara, the official flagship of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This faithful reconstruction of Oliver H. Perry’s relief flagship during the Battle of Lake Erie is available for deck tours and day sails and continues to interpret and employ the ancient art of square-rigged sailing.
For more information, be sure to visit our website at www.eriemaritimemuseum.org.