Lake Champlain Maritime Museum open for business with new exhibits, no admission fees

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will open for the 2021 season for free for all visitors. The museum will be open seven days a week, 10 am to 4 pm, for all outdoor museum experiences from May 22 to October 17.  

Last March, the museum made the difficult decision to remain closed for the 2020 season. Amid the unprecedented challenges caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the museum found new ways to stay connected with enthusiastic audiences of all ages and continued to share important stories of history and ecology.  

The 2021 season will invest in these successes, increase access for all to the region’s history and environment, and further the museum’s commitment to building a healthier and stronger community. 

What Is Past is Present 

Since 1985, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has been telling the stories of the Champlain Valley, allowing visitors to look to the past and see what is possible for the future. By removing barriers to access, the museum hopes to ensure this history, the lake, and the museum are available to all residents and visitors to the region.  

Free for All 

To that end, the museum will charge zero admission fees in 2021. Additionally, the museum introduced a new pay-what-you-can tuition model for all summer camps and teen expeditions to make sure that all children have equal access to a great summer on Lake Champlain.  

Visitors will find new exhibits, self-guided tours, group rowing lessons, and more. Indoor galleries and exhibits will remain closed temporarily.  

Prohibition in the Champlain Valley is a new exhibit that explores the complex relationship between government and individuals and changing attitudes over time. 

The new display Lake Health vs. Lake Threats examines the natural and human-made threats to the lake and how to keep our watershed healthy.  

The replica canal schooner Lois McClure is docked at the museum and open for visitors every Thursday through Saturday, conditions permitting.  

The replica Revolutionary War gunboat Philadelphia II is on display on the museum’s green. 

Learn to Row 

The museum is introducing custom small group rowing tours and lessons for youth and adults this summer, led by experienced open-water rowing staff and using the fleet of traditional wooden rowing gigs. To book a tour or lesson, visit www.lcmm.org/group-rowing. 

There’s no better way to learn about the region’s most significant body of water and connect with all of its related history, ecology, and archaeology than with a visit to Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.