Nina & Pinta to Visit South Haven!

Discover the Nina and Pinta at the Michigan Maritime Museum August 31st through September 4th! These ships are replicas of those sailed by Columbus to the New World and focus on historically accurate shipbuilding techniques and the history of early exploration by Europeans. The Nina was built completely by hand and without the use of power tools.  Archaeology magazine called the ship, “the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.”  In 2005, the Pinta, also a caravel, was launched in Brazil. Historians consider the caravel the space shuttle of the fifteenth century. Both ships tour together as a new and enhanced ‘sailing museum’ for the purpose of educating the public on the caravel, a Portuguese ship design used by many early explorers to discover the world outside their own.  “It’s such a great opportunity for people to step aboard vessels that represent this period,” says Ashley Deming, Museum Director of Education and Administration. “Without any authentic images of these ships, historic research was conducted using input from artists, archaeologists, model builders, architects, and historians to create an accurate depiction of caravels. As a maritime archaeologist myself, I can’t wait to step aboard ships I’ve only read about. A great combination of history and science!” You can learn more about the history of these vessels and their construction at www.thenina.com.

Visitors can experience self-guided tours aboard both ships while at the Museum docks as well as all exhibits at the Michigan Maritime Museum. Tickets will be available at the Museum daily between 9am and 6pm. There are no advanced tickets available. Tickets are $15 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $10 for children (under 4 free). This includes deck tours of both boats and admission to the museum. Make history come alive at the Michigan Maritime Museum!
As large crowd are expected at this event, the Museum has secured free off-site parking at South Haven High School. There will also be a free shuttle available Saturday-Monday from 9am to 5 pm to pick up and drop off visitors at the Museum.
To accommodate these amazing vessels, the Museum’s own tall ship Friends Good Will will be docked at the South Haven south municipal marina August 30th-September 4th and all ticket holders will depart and return to that dock. The Museum will also be operating river cruiser Lindy Lou on the regular schedule, a great opportunity to see these ships from the water!
For more information on this event, visit www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org or call 269-637-8078.