Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum

Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum

Founded	1986
Location	Biloxi, Mississippi
Coordinates	30°23′35″N 88°51′31″W / 30.39306°N 88.85861°W / 30.39306; -88.85861
Country	United States
Executive Director	Robin David
Website

Museum, opened 1986, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina,

The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum (MSIM) was established in 1986 to preserve and interpret the maritime history and heritage of Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It accomplishes this mission through an array of exhibits on shrimping, oystering, recreational fishing, wetlands, managing marine resources, charter boats, marine blacksmithing, wooden boat building, net-making, catboats/Biloxi skiff, shrimp peeling machine and numerous historic photographs and objects. The Wade Guice Hurricane Museum within the museum, featuring 1,400 square feet (130 m²) of exhibit space and a state of the art theatre. The Museum has brought life to local maritime history and heritage by replicating two 65' two masted Biloxi Schooners^[1]

In August 2005, the Museum was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The Executive Director, Board of Directors and City of Biloxi are working diligently to rebuild the museum.

Programs

The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum currently sponsors two programs annually, The Sea and Sail Adventure Camp and the Billy Creel Memorial Wooden Boat Show.

In the Sea and Sail Adventure Camp, children aged 8–13 are given experience of the history and heritage of the Mississippi Gulf Coast through sailing trips, fishing, maritime crafts, and seafood industry field trips.

The Billy Creel Memorial Wooden Boat Show presents the historic, antique, classic and contemporary wooden boats at the largest gathering of watercraft on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.^[2]

Schooners

Glenn L. Swetman

The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum has recaptured a piece of history in their two famous schooner, the "Glenn L. Swetman" and the "Mike Sekul". For a truly unique way of enjoying the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Mike Sekul

Step on board an authentic replica of a Biloxi oyster schooner. These "White Winged Queens" once sailed the Coast from the late 1800s to the early 1900s; however the introduction of marine engines and the changes in oyster harvesting laws caused these beautiful crafts to disappear.

Schooner Pier Complex

Completed in June 2006, the Schooner Pier Complex provides a home for the two Biloxi Schooner replicas, Glenn L. Swetman and Mike Sekul. The pier has three pavilions, storage area for schooner parts, handicapped accessible rest room facilities and a second story observation deck. It also has a marine pump out station and an area for a future gift shop and office area for schooner business.

Rebuilding efforts

Plans are being made to rebuild the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum on the former site of the Tullis-Toledano Manor site, across the street from the Schooner Pier Complex.

References

1. ^ Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum Mission Statement
2. ^ Maritime & Seafood Industry Web Site

External links

• Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum - official site