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The Basics

  • Please Enjoy Your Visit and Observe the Following Rules

    Pets

    · Only service animals are allowed in the building, on our grounds, or on the Brig Niagara.

    Pets whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    Food and Beverages

    · Are not permitted in exhibit areas or on the Brig Niagara but can be enjoyed outside.

    No Smoking

    · Smoking or vaping is not permitted anywhere in the building or on the grounds, including onboard the Brig Niagara.

    Cell Phone Use

    · Kindly be considerate in your use of cell phones while visiting.

    Respect This Museum

    · By not running, climbing, or jumping either indoors or outside on the grounds or ship, littering, drinking alcoholic beverages unless served as part of a Site Administrator-approved site activity, or engaging in other disruptive or dangerous behaviors. Street clothing and shoes are required. Unless otherwise noted, please do not touch the exhibits.

    Children Under 12

    · Must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

    Photography and Recording

    · For commercial use, may only be done with permission from the Site Administrator. During your visit, you may be filmed, videotaped, and/or photographed by a facility staff or contract photographer. Your attendance serves for the use of your image by the facility for promotional or marketing purposes.

    Access to Ships or the Outdoor Boat Mooring Area

    · No public access to ships or the gated concrete Boat Mooring area behind the museum without staff escort.

    Special Use of the Site

    · Please talk with staff if interested in any special use of the site, or to schedule private visits.

    The above rules have been adopted pursuant to 46 PA Code. Chapters 1,3, and 7

  • The Erie Maritime Museum and the U.S. Brig Niagara are owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC), the Commonwealth’s official history agency.

  • PHMC plans to help share the significance of Erie and its maritime history in the Pennsylvania story by positioning the Erie Maritime Museum as a premier maritime history center. To realize this vision, PHMC is making a substantial investment in the Erie Maritime Museum Complex, including the U.S. Brig Niagara.

    Both the museum and the U.S. Brig Niagara will receive significant upgrades, with the development of new exhibits at the museum and repairs and improvements to the ship over the next few years. The elevation of the museum as a top-tier maritime history destination will draw a wider audience, educating more people about this important history and serving as a driver for Erie’s tourism economy.

    PHMC’s vision for the museum features the U.S. Brig Niagara as a centerpiece of its programming and educational curriculum. The agency’s goal is for the Erie Maritime Museum and the U.S. Brig Niagara to deliver dynamic educational experiences that highlight Pennsylvania's maritime history to those who visit this destination. Future sailing programs at the Erie Maritime Museum will promote the Niagara as a destination for experiential learning and an ambassador of Pennsylvania’s maritime history.

  • Early in 2024, representatives of the Erie Maritime Museum/PHMC and the Flagship Niagara League (FNL) held several meetings to explore the possibility of a continued collaboration between the two organizations. In a joint statement on March 22, 2024, PHMC and FNL announced that the FNL Board of Trustees had voted in favor of moving forward with becoming the Associate/Friends Group (nonprofit support organization) for the Erie Maritime Museum.

    However, in early April 2024, a number of FNL’s trustees, including the three trustees serving on the PHMC/FNL Collaboration Committee, left the FNL board suddenly. In light of these circumstances, PHMC and FNL both concluded independently that plans to pursue a partnership should not move forward at this time.

  • A Museum tour includes a self-guided exploration of our two-story exhibit gallery as well as a docent-led tour of the Brig Niagara (when in port). A typical tour lasts anywhere between 45 minutes to 2 hours.

  • The Museum is not considered “pet friendly” however, we do accommodate service dogs in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A Service Dog is considered a “dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities”. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets.

    PLEASE NOTE: Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA

  • We’re taking a pause on booking any event rentals here at Erie Maritime Museum for the foreseeable future. As with many other businesses & organizations over the past few years, changing dynamics in staffing, funding, and contractual relationships are forcing us to reevaluate & revisit our operational model. We will offer event rentals here in the future but with clearer and more concrete policies, procedures, and pricing. Our intent is to structure our rental program to keep the mission of the museum paramount and has guidelines in place to ensure a consistent quality experience for both guests and support staff.

  • There are public restrooms in the Museum’s lobby.

  • No. As of close of business on December 31, 2024, we no longer honor Flagship Niagara League Memberships.

  • As we are state-owned Museum, we do not have, or issue, W-9 forms.

  • The Schooner Lettie G. Howard is owned by the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City and is operated as a programmatic collaboration between that museum and the Flagship Niagara League. The Erie Maritime Museum has not participated in this arrangement. Questions regarding the Lettie G. Howard’s sailing program and maintenance status should be directed to the lettieg.org.

  • Guidelines for temporary ship dockage at the Erie Maritime Museum can be found here.

Niagara Operations

  • The U.S. Brig Niagara has always been owned by the Commonwealth and administered by PHMC. For 18 years, PHMC served as the operator of Niagara, sailing her as part of the agency’s programs, though in more recent years, the Flagship Niagara League served as PHMC’s contracted ship operator, charged with managing sailing operations and cyclical maintenance. The existing contract between FNL and PHMC expired in December 2023, and there was no provision for renewal.

    PHMC made the decision to reinstate its direct management of the Niagara in order to:

    - Bring operations under one organization with a single mission and eliminate conflicts of interest

    - Reduce overhead costs for more efficient use of program funding

    - Ensure preservation of the ship

    - Prioritize sailing and ship tour services for Pennsylvanians and those visiting the Commonwealth.

    Under the previous operating model, the Niagara was sailing mainly outside of Erie, meaning many visitors to the area did not have the opportunity to tour or sail aboard the ship. The new operational model will strike a better balance between offering tours and daysails in Erie and visiting ports within the Great Lakes. Niagara will contribute more to heritage tourism and the local economy, and the Niagara experience will be more accessible to Pennsylvanians and those visiting the Commonwealth.

    Moreover, bringing the maintenance and operations of the Niagara under the direct stewardship of PHMC will provide the agency with a clear understanding of the ship’s ongoing maintenance and repair needs and allow for proactive long-term preservation planning.

  • Yes, PHMC operated the Niagara prior to outsourcing ship operations. PHMC will be hiring the ship’s professional crew, a staffing model successfully employed by the agency from 1992 to 2009. This model will include hiring our own captain, chief mate, and engineer.

  • PHMC has hired a Captain and is now working on hiring a Chief Mate and an Engineer. As each position is filled, we will make a public announcement introducing our new team members.

  • For over a decade, PHMC has earmarked $350,000 annually for ship maintenance and operations. As part of its increased investment at the Erie Maritime Museum, the agency will now allocate an additional $400,000 annually to support U.S. Brig Niagara operations. This combined annual base allocation of $750,000 underscores PHMC’s dedication to sustaining the program's success.

Niagara Maintenance

  • PHMC completed the first of two trips to shipyard in November 2024. The first round of repairs included the installation of new five-blade variable pitch propellers, the inspection of hull planking with replacement of defective planks as necessary, the refurbishment and/or replacement of drivetrain components as needed, and the cleaning, inspection, repair and replacement (as needed) of fuel tanks, through-hull fittings and zinc anodes. Additionally, a certified professional marine surveyor, specializing in wooden ship construction and restoration, completed a below the waterline survey of the ship during this trip. The same surveyor completed an above the waterline survey in January 2024. The comprehensive survey informed PHMC’s plan for an extensive shipyard visit in 2025 and 2026 and will contribute to a long-term maintenance plan for the ship, ensuring she sails for years to come.

    On June 5, 2025, the Niagara, completed a 2,000-nautical-mile voyage via the St. Lawrence Seaway, arriving at Bristol Marine’s historic Sample’s Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The ship will spend one year at the shipyard undergoing a more than $5 million Commonwealth capital repair and refit project. Project priorities include repairing the ship’s stem assembly; replacing framing, hull planking, waterway timbers, and compromised sections of gun ports, decking and bulwark planking; recaulking the deck and painting the hull topsides and bulwarks; installing new engines and transmissions, as well as new generators; and upgrading the ship’s electrical system. PHMC and Sample’s Shipyard have planned the project with the ability to address any possible unforeseen, hidden, or concealed conditions that come to light as enclosed portions of the ship are opened.

    The Niagara is scheduled to return to Erie in July 2026, in time to participate in the celebrations for America’s 250th birthday.

    PHMC continues to coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on all proposed repairs and updates.

LAST UPDATED-7/16/25

Niagara Sailing Programs

  • PHMC is committed to the success of the U.S. Brig Niagara and that success entails sailing her well into the future. Niagara is not only a centerpiece of the programming and educational curriculum at the Erie Maritime Museum but also a significant tourism and economic driver for the Erie region. Our goal is to ensure that sailing experiences highlighting Pennsylvania’s maritime history are accessible and available to Commonwealth residents and that they attract new and returning visitors to the Erie region.

  • USCG placed Niagara in “inactive” status in preparation for shipyard. This is common practice when a ship will be out of service for an extended period due to repairs. Niagara is slated for extensive repairs during 2025 and 2026. PHMC has been in constant communication with the USCG throughout this process to ensure that once Niagara’s repairs are complete, she will return to active sailing service as the platform for experiential education, historical interpretation and seamanship training that she is.

  • While in “inactive” status, Niagara is not permitted under USCG rules to host tours as a dockside attraction. Once repairs have been completed and approved by USCG, Niagara will return to “active” status, allowing for the return of ship tours and sailing programs. These programs are scheduled to resume in summer 2026.

  • PHMC is committed to the success of the U.S. Brig Niagara. Our goal is to ensure that the ship can continue to sail in Pennsylvania for years to come. The Niagara is currently at shipyard in Boothbay Harbor, Maine undergoing an extensive repair and refit project. She is scheduled to return to Erie in July 2026, in time to participate in the celebrations for America’s 250th birthday. Upon her return to Erie, visitors will be welcomed aboard for sailing once again.

  • Niagara will not participate in the Philadelphia event. The ship will be at shipyard in Boothbay Harbor, Maine undergoing an extensive repair and refit project in 2025 and 2026. She is scheduled to return to Erie in July 2026, in time to participate in the celebrations for America’s 250th birthday.

  • Although Niagara will spend most of her time daysailing from her home port, Erie, PHMC plans to sail to other Great Lakes destinations several times a year. Niagara will continue to play a significant role in future Tall Ships Erie events. We also have been in contact with Tall Ships America and look forward to Niagara’s future participation in the Tall Ships Challenge Series.