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Independence Seaport Museum
With historic vessels to board and interactive exhibits to explore, the Independence Seaport Museum encourages visitors to explore Philadelphia’s river of history and world of connections.
Along with displays that chronicle the city’s role in the founding of the U.S. Navy, exhibits delve into the Delaware River’s role in the African American journey through the Middle Passage, enslavement, emancipation, Jim Crow and the civil rights movement.
Berthed right outside are the Olympia, a 19th-century cruiser most famous for being Admiral Dewey’s flagship during his Spanish-American war victory in Manila Bay, and the Becuna, a World War II-era submarine.
Historic Ship Tours on the Olympia and Becuna
Olympia, the nation’s oldest floating steel warship, first rose to prominence as the 19th-century warship that carried hero Admiral George Dewey during the Spanish-American War and the Battle of Manila Bay.
After 27 years of service and two wartime tours of duty, Olympia was entrusted with one final mission in 1921: to sail to France and bring the American Unknown Soldier of World War I back home to be interred in Washington D.C.
Guests of all ages explore the Olympia, a 19th-century cruiser. — Photo by J. Fusco
The submarine Becuna was commissioned in 1944 and immediately deployed to the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The vessel went on to complete five wartime patrols, sink three and a half ships, and earn four combat stars for her success.
Post-combat duty, the submarine served as a military training vessel before being decommissioned after 25 years of service.
The two famed vessels are docked beside one another outside of the museum. Self-guided tours of the Olympia are included with all tickets to the museum, while the Becuna is only accessible through guided tours. Guided tours for both vessels are available for guests 10 years of age or older.
Entryway and Introductory Gallery Exhibit
The museum’s renovated entryway welcomes guests and invites them to take the plunge into the nautical history found within its walls.
The introductory exhibit begins with America’s revolutionary struggles, touches on the the country’s triumph during the Spanish-American War, and brings guests home to more recent history and contemporary life for Philadelphians who have lived near and worked in the city’s shipyards.
A peek inside the entrance exhibit at the Independence Seaport Museum — Photo courtesy Independence Seaport Museum
The gallery’s 150 artifacts — naval defense technology used in the Revolutionary War, military medals cast to honor a beloved war hero, and a whimsical sheet metal man (reminiscent of Oz) produced by a Navy Yard worker — create a carefully laid out prologue for what is to come during one’s visit.
River Alive!
The museum fully embraces its Delaware River setting with River Alive!, a 4,000-square-foot permanent exhibit that transforms the attraction’s first floor into an area devoted to the water it overlooks.
The exhibition examines how millions of people use the Delaware River for water, food and recreation and teaches guests about what lives in and around the river, the threats to the watershed and what people can do to help preserve the river and its surroundings for future generations.
The River Alive! exhibit helps connect the Independence Seaport Museum with the nearby Delaware River. — Photo by D. Wisniewski for Visit Philadelphia
Boat Building Workshop
Guests can check out The Seaport Boat Shop, a working boat shop where maritime tradition meets creativity, hands-on experiences, and community.
As the shop’s expert boat builders carefully build or restore vessels from the museum’s own collection or privately owned boats, guests can watch and ask questions about their work.
On-water Programming
When the weather allows, kids (and their adults) can also rent kayaks or museum-built rowboats to explore the calm waters of the basin and get a close-up view of the historic ships at Paddle Penn’s Landing.
The Independence Seaport Museum, dedicated to exploring the maritime history of the Delaware River, the Delaware Bay and tributaries, opened on Philadelphia’s waterfront in July 1995 after more than 35 years of rich history as the Philadelphia Maritime Museum.
In 1996, the museum assumed responsibility for the Cruiser OLYMPIA and Submarine BECUNA, which are both designated as National Historic Landmarks ships.
Cruiser Olympia at the Independence Seaport Museum — Photo courtesy Independence Seaport Museum
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The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.