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SEAFARING SOIREE gala: buy Masters raffle tickets, live auction, event details

Coming Soon: New Kids' Discovery Center

Touch tank, walk-in models, play space & more

Learn 10,000+ Years of Newburyport History in 5 Minutes

In the video above, Curator Kevin tells the story of Newburyport and the exciting collections of the Custom House Maritime Museum.

Custom House Maritime Museum Exhibits

Get a virtual sneak peak at our exhibits through Curator Kevin’s video tour.

Moseley Gallery

The Moseley Gallery is our largest gallery, providing many highlights of what made Newburyport a rich maritime town. This includes the Newburyport Marine Society and cutting-edge ships like the Dreadnought.

Marquand Gallery

The Custom House’s Marquand Gallery details Newburyport’s golden age—the first 50 years after its founding before and during the Revolutionary War.

Coast Guard Gallery

This gallery shows off many aspects of the U.S. Coast Guard. Founded in 1791 as the United States Revenue Service in Newburyport, the Coast Guard got its name change from President Woodrow Wilson in 1915.

Collector of Customs Gallery

The Collector of Customs Gallery talks about what our museum building was used for. Ship captains coming to or from other parts of the globe would need to stop at the Customs House and pay taxes on the goods being imported or exported.

The CHMM has multiple galleries, each focused thematically on historical narratives unique to the Custom House and its collection.

Want to Plan Your Event?

Upcoming Events

Friday, Sep 6th - 6:30 pm

Enemies at Sea, Companions in Death - First Friday Lecture

Join Captain Bob Cronin as he presents an epic story of honor and heroism from our nation’s past. Also highlighted are the ties to Newburyport smuggling and a largely unknown historic cemetery in modern downtown Portland Maine. September 5, 1813 brought these random threads together and took the USS Enterprise and the HBMS Boxer into ship-to-ship combat just off the coast of Pemaquid Point (District of Maine) Massachusetts. This encounter will forever interweave these ships and their captains in the history of both the United States Navy and the Royal Navy.

Bob is a member of the London chartered “1805 Club” and the New York based “National Maritime Historical Society”. The 1805 Club charter puts focus on the age of sail of the Georgian Navy and the preservation of Trafalgar Way. The National Maritime Historical Society is a generous resource of the emerging sea power of the United States Navy. Bob currently serves as Chair of the CHMM.

Saturday, Sept. 14th - 10am-2pm

Maritime Adventure Day - Trails and Sails

The Custom House is very excited to take part in this year’s Trails and Sails event, hosted by the Essex National Heritage Area!

Stop by the Custom House from 10 am – 2 pm on September 14th for games, crafts, tours, and scavenger hunts. See the Discovery Center on the ground level, including a special display of whale bones. FREE ADMISSION to the museum.

Kick off the event with some local history! Our visitor center is stocked with plenty of guides to activities across the Essex National Heritage Area – a total 31 towns and cities!

Seafaring Soiree gala - tickets, Masters raffle, live auction

Join us to celebrate the past 50 years and launch us into the next 50!

The Seafaring Soiree will kick off our Golden Jubilee year on September 19th, 2024 at the Blue Ocean in Salisbury with a fun evening of dining, dancing and exclusive auction.

Plan Your Visit

Plan Your Visit

  • Museum Hours

Tue-Sat: 10AM-5PM
Sun: 12PM-5PM

  • Tickets

Admission is free with any membership level. For non-members, tickets can be purchased at the museum. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for Newburyport residents.

Docent-led Tours

Join our volunteer docents for a tour of the museum. Registration is not required and tours are on a first come, first served basis. Tours are included with admission.

Contact 978-462-8681 or info@thechmm.org for special arrangements and private tours.

Accessibility

Accessibility: The CHMM building is not ADA compliant due to the configuration and physical constraints of this unique and historic building.