The year 2000 brought big changes to Gloucester Harbor. Nearly
300 Cape Ann residents came together to rehabilitate a neglected
area of the waterfront. They broke ground on the Gloucester
Maritime Heritage Center: an educational outpost that would
transform one acre of the harbor into a living classroom. The
project turned the old icehouse into a science-teaching center,
transformed dilapidated buildings into exhibit spaces, and
completely rehabilitated the pier—it now stands as the largest
public wharf in Gloucester Harbor. But perhaps the biggest
transformation took place in the minds of visitors. In just a
little over a decade, the educators sparked scientific interest
in countless kids through educational programs at the
elementary, middle school, high school, and collegiate levels.
Many of these young minds now work as high school and college
interns, and have gone on to pursue graduate degrees at
institutes of higher learning such as Columbia University.
Admission to the museum packs a maritime wallop,