The Museum

The Maritime and Classic Boat Museum

The Maritime and Classic Boat Museum was established in 1993 as a non-profit community organization and opened its doors to the public in 1995. The Museum is rich in artifacts that span the history of boats and boating from the canoes of the Ais Indians to internationally significant developments including the sport fishing boat, the Rybovich chair, and the Evinrude motor in the early twentieth century.

Thousands of visitors annually are attracted to the Museum’s exhibits, and a devoted coterie of boat enthusiasts use the Museum’s facilities for restoring classic boats, preserving a culture that, for the Treasure Coast, goes back centuries.

The Museum enjoys collaborations with History Miami, the Marine Industries Council, the U.S. Sailing Center – Martin County, Indian River State College, and Indian RiverSide Park neighbors including the Frances Langford Pavilion, the Children’s Museum, and the Mansion at Tuckahoe. Over the years it has been privileged to earn the interest and support of families who pioneered the boating industry on the Treasure Coast, including the Evinrudes, the Whiticars, and the Lowes.

Now it stands poised for a bold new venture within Indian RiverSide Park: the construction of the Restoration Workshop, the first phase in a comprehensive complex that honors the history of boating, its cultural significance to the Treasure Coast, and its role as an economic engine of the past and future.