Independence Seaport Museum
The Independence Seaport Museum is an American museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located on the east side of Independence Historic Area directly on the Delaware. Each year, about 80,000 people visit the exhibition.
History
The museum was founded in 1960 as the Philadelphia Maritime Museum, located on the Delaware. 1961 was officially opened and had an exhibition area of only about 185 m² (2,000 sq. Ft. ). In 1965 it moved to a rented building at the Chestnut Street and expanded to now about 930 m² (10,000 sq. Ft. ). The first major exhibition took place until 1 May 1966 by March 16. Again, the museum moved in 1971 to a now around 2,880 m² ( 31,000 sq. Ft. ) big building also in the Chestnut Street. Also this year, could be used for issuing the Gazela Primeiro from Portugal, but the ship was delivered to the Penn 's Landing Corporation in 1984. In 1980, the cargo ship Maple are obtained for boat building workshop. The museum will then change its name in 1995 in Independence Seaport Museum and moved into the former Port of History building at the so-called Penn 's Landing. Thus, the area was further enlarged to now 10,220 m² ( 110,000 sq. Ft. ). The greatest success achieved as the museum, in 1996, the responsibility for the USS Olympia ( C-6) and was allowed to take over USS Becuna (SS -319), both of which are National Historic Landmark. In 2004, the millionth visitor was welcomed since moving to Penn 's Landing.
Exhibition
The museum has an exhibition building with approximately 10,200 m² ( 110,000 sq.ft. ) and a pier. In the museum itself, models and diagrams and other exhibits are on display. There, among other things, the history of navigation in the city of Philadelphia and the USA and especially of the two ships is discussed. The highlights of the exhibition are the two former warships of the U.S. Navy. On the one built in 1892 protected cruiser USS Olympia ( C -6) and the diesel-electric submarine USS Becuna (SS -319) from the year 1944. Not the exhibition include the three-masted sailing ship Gazela Primeiro, until 1981 part of the exhibition, and on the opposite side of the river, even in the state of New Jersey, at anchor USS New Jersey, a battleship of the Second world War.