Frequently Asked Questions

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The Basics

  • Pets

    • Only service animals are allowed in the building.

    Food and Beverages

    • Are not permitted in exhibit areas but can be enjoyed outside.

    No Smoking

    Cell Phone Use

    • Kindly be considerate in your use of cell phones.

    Respect This Historic Site/Museum

    • By not running, climbing, or jumping inside, littering, drinking alcoholic beverages unless served as part of a property head-approved site activity, or engaging in other disruptive or dangerous behaviors. Street clothing and shoes are required. Unless otherwise noted, please do not touch the exhibits.

    Children Under 12

    • Must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

    Photography and Recording

    • For commercial use may only be done with permission from the Site Administrator. During your visit, you may be filmed, videotaped, and/or photographed by a facility staff or contract photographer. Your attendance serves for the use of your image by the facility for promotional or marketing purposes.

    Special Use of the Site

    • Please talk with staff if interested in any special use of the site, or to schedule private visits.

    The above rules have been adopted pursuant to 46 PA Code. Chapters 1,3, and 7

  • The Erie Maritime Museum and the U.S. Brig Niagara are owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC), the Commonwealth’s official history agency.

  • PHMC plans to help share the significance of Erie and its maritime history in the Pennsylvania story by positioning the Erie Maritime Museum as a premier maritime history center. To realize this vision, PHMC is making a substantial investment in the Erie Maritime Museum Complex, including the U.S. Brig Niagara.

    Both the museum and the U.S. Brig Niagara will receive significant upgrades, with the development of new exhibits at the museum and repairs and improvements to the ship over the next few years. The elevation of the museum as a top-tier maritime history destination will draw a wider audience, educating more people about this important history and serving as a driver for Erie’s tourism economy.

    PHMC’s vision for the museum features the U.S. Brig Niagara as a centerpiece of its programming and educational curriculum. The agency’s goal is for the Erie Maritime Museum and the U.S. Brig Niagara to deliver dynamic educational experiences that highlight Pennsylvania's maritime history to those who visit this destination. Future sailing programs at the Erie Maritime Museum will promote the Niagara as a destination for experiential learning and an ambassador of Pennsylvania’s maritime history.

  • Earlier in 2024, representatives of the Erie Maritime Museum/PHMC and the Flagship Niagara League (FNL) held several meetings to explore the possibility of a continued collaboration between the two organizations. In a joint statement on March 22, PHMC and FNL announced that the FNL Board of Trustees had voted in favor of moving forward with becoming the Associate/Friends Group (nonprofit support organization) for the Erie Maritime Museum.

    However, in early April, a number of FNL’s trustees, including the three trustees serving on the PHMC/FNL Collaboration Committee, left the FNL board suddenly. In light of these circumstances, PHMC and FNL both concluded independently that plans to pursue a partnership should not move forward at this time.

  • A Museum tour includes a self-guided exploration of our two-story exhibit gallery as well as a docent-led tour of the Brig Niagara (when in port). A typical tour lasts anywhere between 45 minutes to 2 hours.

  • The Museum is not considered “pet friendly” however, we do accommodate service dogs in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A Service Dog is considered a “dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities”. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets.

    PLEASE NOTE: Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA

  • We’re taking a pause on booking any event rentals here at Erie Maritime Museum for the foreseeable future. As with many other businesses & organizations over the past few years, changing dynamics in staffing, funding, and contractual relationships are forcing us to reevaluate & revisit our operational model. We will offer event rentals here in the future but with clearer and more concrete policies, procedures, and pricing. Our intent is to structure our rental program to keep the mission of the museum paramount and has guidelines in place to ensure a consistent quality experience for both guests and support staff.

  • There are public restrooms in the Museum’s lobby.

  • Yes! We are still honoring memberships for the Flagship Niagara League until the close of business, on December 31, 2024.

  • As we are state-owned Museum, we do not have, or issue, W-9 forms.

  • The Schooner Lettie G. Howard is owned by the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City and is operated as a programmatic collaboration between that museum and the Flagship Niagara League. The Erie Maritime Museum has not participated in this arrangement. Questions regarding the Lettie G. Howard’s sailing program and maintenance status should be directed to the Flagship Niagara League.

Niagara Operations

  • The U.S. Brig Niagara has always been owned by the Commonwealth and administered by PHMC. For 18 years, PHMC served as the operator of Niagara, sailing her as part of the agency’s programs, though in more recent years, the Flagship Niagara League served as PHMC’s contracted ship operator, charged with managing sailing operations and cyclical maintenance. The existing contract between FNL and PHMC expired in December 2023, and there was no provision for renewal.

    PHMC made the decision to reinstate its direct management of the Niagara in order to:

    - Bring operations under one organization and eliminate conflicts of interest

    - Reduce overhead costs for more efficient use of program funding

    - Ensure preservation of the ship

    - Prioritize sailing and ship tour services for Pennsylvanians and those visiting the Commonwealth.

    Under the previous operating model, the Niagara was sailing mainly outside of Erie, meaning many visitors to the area did not have the opportunity to tour or sail aboard the ship. The new operational model will strike a better balance between offering tours and daysails in Erie and visiting ports within the Great Lakes. Niagara will contribute more to heritage tourism and the local economy, and the Niagara experience will be more accessible to Pennsylvanians and those visiting the Commonwealth.

    Moreover, bringing the maintenance and operations of the Niagara under the direct stewardship of PHMC will provide the agency with a clear understanding of the ship’s ongoing maintenance and repair needs and allow for proactive long-term preservation planning.

  • Yes, PHMC operated the Niagara prior to outsourcing ship operations. PHMC will be hiring the ship’s professional crew, a staffing model successfully employed by the agency from 1992 to 2009. This model will include hiring a captain, a chief mate, and a shipwright, all full-time, as well as seasonal crew members.

  • PHMC is currently engaged in hiring the captain and the shipwright. These hiring processes are progressing. Once positions have been filled, we will make a public announcement introducing our new team members.

  • For over a decade, PHMC has earmarked $350,000 annually for ship maintenance and operations. As part of its increased investment at the Erie Maritime Museum, the agency will now allocate an additional $400,000 annually to support U.S. Brig Niagara operations. This combined annual base allocation of $750,000 underscores PHMC’s dedication to sustaining the program's success.

Niagara Maintenance

  • At this time, we know that Niagara needs the following repairs:

    - The replacement of both propellers is required after the ship lost a propeller during the 2023 sailing season.

    - Major repairs are required to stabilize the ship’s stem and bow area. Niagara’s stem has shifted forward and canted to starboard because of the significant weight and dynamic strain placed on it by the ship’s large bowsprit. The shifting of the stem has caused significant gaps between the stem and other bow components.

    - Continued remediation of deterioration above the waterline, specifically but not limited to waterways, hatch combings, and gun ports.

    PHMC has contracted with a certified professional marine surveyor to conduct a comprehensive survey of Niagara’s current mechanical and maintenance requirements. The surveyor completed the above the waterline portion of the survey in January 2024. The below the waterline portion of the survey will be completed when Niagara goes to shipyard during the summer of 2024. This comprehensive survey will allow PHMC to develop the repair plan for a more extensive shipyard visit in 2024–2025, as well as a long-term maintenance plan for the ship, ensuring future sailing seasons for years to come.

  • PHMC is planning for two trips to shipyard. In the coming months, Niagara will transit to Cleveland, Ohio, for a first round of repairs, including replacement of the propellers and minor work on structural issues with the ship’s stem. A certified professional marine surveyor will also complete a below the waterline survey of the ship during this trip.

    Another trip to shipyard to be undertaken in 2024–2025 will address more time-intensive repairs to the ship’s stem, remediation of deterioration, and other time-sensitive issues as determined by the comprehensive survey of the ship.

    PHMC has been coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). They have agreed with the general approach proposed, and final plans for shipyard will be submitted for their review and approval. Once we have a USCG-approved plan, PHMC will provide a more exact departure date and length of time for the first trip to shipyard

  • We are still working on a final determination for how Niagara will transit to shipyard and are exploring all possible options to ensure the ship’s safety in transit. The shipyard plans that PHMC files with USCG will include a plan for the ship’s transit to Cleveland. USCG will approve all repair plans as well as the method of transit.

Niagara Sailing Programs

  • PHMC is committed to the success of the U.S. Brig Niagara and that success entails sailing her well into the future. Niagara is not only a centerpiece of the programming and educational curriculum at the Erie Maritime Museum but also a significant tourism and economic driver for the Erie region. Our goal is to ensure that sailing experiences highlighting Pennsylvania’s maritime history are accessible and available to Commonwealth residents and that they attract new and returning visitors to the Erie region.

  • USCG has placed Niagara in “inactive” status in preparation for shipyard. This is common practice when a ship will be out of service for an extended period due to repairs. Niagara is slated for extensive repairs during 2024 and 2025. The ship’s current Certificate of Inspection as a sailing school vessel remains valid, and once repair work is fully completed and USCG approved, Niagara will return to “active” status, and we will have her sailing once again.

  • While in “inactive” status, Niagara is not permitted under USCG rules to host tours as a dockside attraction. Once repairs have been completed and approved by USCG, Niagara will return to “active” status, allowing for the return of ship tours and sailing programs.

  • PHMC is committed to the success of the U.S. Brig Niagara. Our goal is to ensure that the ship can continue to sail in Pennsylvania for years to come. In the short term that means the ship will have to remain docked (except to go to shipyard) until necessary repairs are completed.

    We anticipate that the ship will be undergoing repairs and unable to sail for the entirety of 2024 and a portion of 2025. Our hope is that the necessary repairs and updates will be completed in time for Niagara to sail as part of Tall Ships Erie 2025, but as shipyard plans are still being developed, we do not want to overpromise and then disappoint. PHMC is committed to having Niagara ready to sail for America’s 250th anniversary celebration in 2026.

    Once the second round of shipyard repairs are well underway, we will be able to provide a more exact schedule for Niagara’s next sailing season.

  • Niagara will not participate in the Philadelphia event. The ship will be undergoing extensive repairs in 2024 and 2025, and as yet we don’t know how long she will be in shipyard. Under these circumstances, PHMC could not responsibly commit to participating in Homecoming 250 Navy-Marine Corps in 2025. Furthermore, factoring in the cost of approximately $1.5 million, or 6.7 percent of PHMC’s total annual budget, for transporting Niagara to Philadelphia made participation even more unfeasible.

  • Although Niagara will spend most of her time daysailing from her home port, Erie, PHMC plans to sail to other Great Lakes destinations several times a year. Niagara will continue to play a significant role in future Tall Ships Erie events. We also have been in contact with Tall Ships America and look forward to Niagara’s future participation in the Tall Ships Challenge Series.