Museum of Maritime Industry highlights the region's seafaring past
A propeller from retired ocean liner the SS United States can be found at SUNY Maritime College, where the Maritime Industry Museum is located. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Tucked away in the shadow of the Throgs Neck Bridge, a small museum pays tribute to the region’s maritime history — from its famous shipwrecks to the evolution of seafaring in the area.
The Museum of Maritime Industry at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx can be found on the campus of SUNY Maritime College. Created in 1986 by Capt. Jeffrey W. Monroe, then an associate professor at the college, it is maintained primarily through volunteer support and funding.
“We are often referred to as a hidden gem of New York City,” said executive director Tara Quinn.
The museum’s exhibits are grouped on two floors and, Quinn said, “Everything has a story.”
Perhaps the most compelling story is that of the General Slocum, a steamboat headed for Long Island’s North Shore that caught fire and sank in the East River in 1904. More than 1,000 people were killed in what remains the worst maritime accident in the region’s history. Visitors to the museum can see artifacts and a model of the ill-fated vessel, as well as book and magazine accounts of the tragedy.
Other famous shipwrecks are also highlighted at the museum, including that of the SS Andrea Doria off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 1956, and the deadly 1934 SS Morro Castle fire off Asbury Park, New Jersey.
There is also an exhibit focusing on the retired ocean liner SS United States, which was recently ordered removed from the pier in Philadelphia where it has been berthed for nearly 30 years. Three of its captains graduated from the state maritime academy.
The museum also recounts the history of merchant marine training and shipbuilding. One wall features portraits of school graduates who died at sea in wartime.
Quinn doesn’t have a tally for annual visitors but said, “We get a small trickle here and there.” She recommended visiting on weekends, when the campus is quiet and parking is easier.
IF YOU GO
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free.
The museum is located at 6 Pennyfield Ave. in the Bronx. To get there, take the Cross Bronx Expressway to the first exit north of the Throgs Neck Bridge, then follow signs to the campus.
Weekday visitors must arrange for parking at the guard booth at the entrance of the campus. On weekends, you can drive right in.
For more information, call 718-409-7218 or visit
nymaritimemuseum.org.
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