COMING SOON: The Sailing Museum
The Sailing Museum, which will be home to the National Sailing Hall of Fame and the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, will open at its new home in Newport, Rhode Island, in 2022. The museum will be located downtown in the historic armory building. The structure was originally built in 1894 and became famous during the America’s Cup years between 1958 and 1983 as the headquarters for national and international media. The current plan is to open the facility to the public in May 2022 following an exhaustive renovation and the creation of an innovative series of interactive displays for schoolchildren. The exhibits will give the opportunity for visitors to solve problems using science, technology, engineering, art and math.
The mission of the National Sailing Hall of Fame is to honor the heroes of sailing in three categories, including competition, contributions and technical innovations. The goal is to inspire future generations of sailors to reach for greatness and safely enjoy time on the water. The common thread of all the inductees is the quest to achieve excellence. These sailors tell many stories about how they overcame adversity before achieving their dreams. The organization was originally established in Annapolis in 2004; then in 2019, the board of directors made a bold gesture to move to Newport.
The 11,000-square-foot waterfront building will feature six thematic areas throughout the two-story building. Visitors will be issued a radio device that will customize the experience of learning about the history, science and legends of sailing. The first theme begins with the wind and water with a focus on weather, tides, currents and climate. The next theme is Making of a Champion, and includes both the mental and physical aspects of sailing. The center of the museum demonstrates the importance of teamwork and then proceeds on to a display about competition.
The bottom floor of the building is owned by the City of Newport and opens to the waterfront. It is called the Newport Maritime Center, and welcomes visiting cruisers with useful facilities such as a laundry room, lockers, showers, picnic tables, internet service and other essentials.