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The Herreshoff Marine Museum/America’s Cup Hall of Fame in
Bristol, RI is just a short distance from Newport Harbor and well
worth a visit for any boating enthusiast. You can arrive by sea – dock
space and moorings are available by hailing Channel 68 – or
by land via a quick drive or RIPTA bus trip right to the Museum’s
campus. You’ll recognize it by the giant 1992 America’s
Cup Yacht DEFIANT displayed on the lawn.
The Museum is located on the site of the legendary Herreshoff Manufacturing
Company and celebrates its accomplishments from 1863 to 1945, educating
and inspiring visitors from all over the world. Not only did Bristol’s
famous family build eight America’s Cup defenders, they were
innovators in naval torpedo boats, steam engines and commercial craft.
You can read more about the Herreshoffs in Richard V. Simpson’s
book, Seven Generations of Industrialists, Inventors and Ingenuity
in Bristol, reviewed here on page 40 and available for sale at the
Museum store.
Hall of Boats
The main building on the Museum’s campus is the Hall of Boats,
in which you’ll see examples of the world’s finest yachts
on the cutting edge of design and engineering. The genius of naval
architect Captain Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, along with the business
acumen of his blind brother John Brown Herreshoff, truly built the “better
mouse trap” for which the world beat a path to Bristol. Accordingly,
Rhode Island’s oldest cat boat, SPRITE (claimed to be the oldest
existing private yacht in the U.S.), and RELIANCE, the largest America’s
Cup boat ever built (featured on the RI Quarter), were Herreshoff
designs.
As a result of more than thirty-five years of careful documentation,
acquisition and restoration, visitors are awed by the Museum’s
collection of sixty original Herreshoff boats. The yacht collection
ranges from the 8 ½‘ dinghy NATHANAEL to the 75' DEFIANT,
built in 1992 for the successful defense of the America's Cup by
Goetz Custom Boats, also of Bristol. Harold Vanderbilt's TRIVIA,
William Strawbridge's 12 ½‘ HEFFALUMP and Captain Nat's
personal yachts, CLARA, built in 1887, and PLEASURE, built in 1925,
also grace the collection. You’ll also see steam engines, artifacts,
and photographs and timelines related to America’s “Golden
Age of Yachting.”
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The Model Room
Here you’ll see how a Herreshoff yacht evolved from an idea
to a work of art. This area replicates Captain Nat Herreshoff’s
model room and workshop from his nearby home, where he created over
500 half models from which all his yachts were built. The workshop
features all equipment and tools that aided him, and houses his library
and personal papers. Because of the fragility of the papers and models,
access to the N.G. Herreshoff Model Room is possible only by advance
appointment.
America’s Cup Hall
of Fame
The Museum’s campus also houses the America’s Cup Hall of Fame to
share the excitement and honor the legends, the innovators and the yachts. Learn
about the drama of the America’s Cup and the greatest moments in its 157
year history as the world’s oldest international sporting trophy. The Hall
includes a display honoring the Hall of Fame inductees, half models of most challengers
and defenders, artifacts including spars, innovative steering wheels, and tank
test model hulls, exciting photos of America's Cup matches, a video room, and
special exhibits incorporating many aspects of America’s Cup competition.
On the Waterfront
The Manufacturing Company’s classic building sheds over the
marine railways are gone, replaced by an inspiring waterfront park
dominated by a giant flagpole, emblematic of proud traditions and
honoring its nautical legacy. The Museum’s dock is also host
to extraordinary visiting vessels each year, such as the Cousteau
Society’s ALCYONE. This summer they will host a visit from
the beautiful ELEONORA, an exact replica of the famed Herreshoff
racing schooner WESTWARD.
Seamanship Program
Each summer the Museum hosts a Seamanship Program for youth and adults
aboard classic Herreshoff 12 ½’s. As each new class
discovers the thrill of sailing in Narragansett Bay, they also
learn the principles of navigation, weather, seamanship and safety
with the goal of promoting responsibility, accountability and self-reliance
on the water.
General admission for adults is $8, seniors $7, children under 12
n/c.
© 2008 Newport Harbor
Guide. All rights reserved.
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