A multimedia exhibition highlighting the history and diversity of America’s lighthouses is the newest visitor experience at Mystic Seaport.
Open as of Friday, July 4, the exhibition is housed within the replica of Nantucket’s Brant Point Light on the southwest grounds of the Museum. A scenic icon of Mystic Seaport since its arrival in 1966, this summer marks the first time visitors can enter the lighthouse.
Two short films, “The Heyday of Lighthouses” and “How to Look at a Lighthouse” are displayed on five panoramic LCD screens within the light. The films document the crucial role lighthouses had in the safety of sailors and ships throughout America’s history and are comprised of contemporary and historical footage, as well as first-hand accounts from lighthouse keepers, illustrations, images of the Museum’s artifacts and archival imagery.
“The lighthouse exhibit combines modern technology with an historic setting, giving visitors an exciting new way to explore history,” said Susan Funk, vice president of education at Mystic Seaport.
Connecting with one of the Museum’s National Historic Landmarks and her upcoming three-year restoration, the exhibition content also links with the Charles W. Morgan and the lighthouses she sailed past during her 80-year whaling career. Historic and modern imagery of lighthouses from ports the Morgan called on in New England, San Francisco and Hawaii is displayed.
In conjunction with the exhibition, a new 30-minute performance is held daily outside the lighthouse at 4:30 p.m. Museum actors reenact stories of New England lighthouses keepers and also answer visitors’ questions.
The lighthouse exhibition is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is handicap accessible. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org.