SAN DIEGO–Maritime Museum of San Diego will continue their special re-opening offer as San Diego county moves into the Purple Tier.
The restriction requires museum indoor operations to temporarily close to continue to fight the spread of COVID-19. The museum staff closely monitored the guidelines from the state, local, and health authorities and have prepared to abide by public health safety and CDC recommendations to ensure visitors enjoy a clean and safe experience.
The museum has maintained since reopening August 22 an outdoor only visitor experience, which has been very popular for guests looking for a safe, outdoor, educational and entertaining experience amidst the global pandemic.
“While we move into cooler months, visitors are encouraged to grab their cozy sweaters and jackets for a dose of healthy fresh air and experience a joyful yet educational and cultural escape amid the current conditions,” according to Raymond Ashley, president and CEO of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
The museum will remain open Thanksgiving day on November 26 and Christmas Day, on December 25, and plans to extend the offer through December 31, if state and county guidelines go unchanged and do not require further operational adjustments, and closure of the museum.
Harbor History Bay tours are normally offered at an additional charge with admission. This outdoor experience includes a walking tour of the upper decks of the Maritime Museum’s historic fleet and a complimentary boat ride which is normally an additional charge when guests purchase general admission to the museum. Four 45-minute narrated bay tours are offered daily at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Guests must check-in for boat rides 15 minutes prior. Space is limited due to lower capacity requirements in accordance with state guidelines. Two Maritime Museum restored vintage vessels take visitors out on the bay, including the oldest active operating harbor pilot boat, the 1914 Pilot and the restored Vietnam-era U.S. Navy PCF 816 Swift boat.
General admission tickets to the Maritime Museum of San Diego are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 62 and up, military and ages 13 to 17. Children 12 and under are $10 and can be purchased at the museum ticket booth daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., located on the north embarcadero at 1492 N. Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego. Credit or debit cards may be used to purchase tickets at the museum ticket booth machines located on the embarcadero. Cash will not be accepted at this time. Offer may not be combined with any other offer.
Bay Boat tour reservations can be made by customers upon arriving at the museum when purchasing general admission passes from the ticket booth or at https://sdmaritime.org/, while supplies last. Once scheduled, guests may check-in for boat tours on the docks behind the Berkeley 15-minutes prior to scheduled runs, before or after they explore the Maritime Museum.
The museum has condensed hours of operation from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Monday through Sunday. Ticket sales end one hour prior to closing (or 4 p.m.). Tickets are for same day visits, and are based on the new reduced capacity.
Additional sanitation, disinfection and cleaning procedures have been implemented throughout the museum vessels. Museum staff and crews will sanitize the boats before and after each tour. The museum has invested in additional convenient hand sanitizer dispensaries available for use before and after touching handrails. Frequently touched surfaces will be sanitized multiple times on a daily basis.
Temperature checks and wellness screenings are required of all staff, volunteers and visitors prior to admittance. Anyone feeling ill or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 will not be permitted at the museum to protect everyone’s safety. Facial coverings are required at all times. Social distancing protocols will be followed and aided by 6-foot markers throughout the tour.
The museum continues to temporarily pause marine operations for San Salvador and Californian adventure sail experiences due to COVID-19 and the health and safety of volunteer crew. Traditional tall ship sailing experiences require a number of people, both regular crew and participating guests, exerting physical effort while working in very close proximity in order to set and trim sails on these historic vessels and make it difficult to comply with current best public health safe practices.
Located at Star of India Wharf, the Maritime Museum of San Diego is a collection of historic vessels moored together dockside along the north embarcadero between Grape and Ash Streets located at 1492 North Harbor Drive in San Diego.
For more information, to make a donation or learn more about the restoration projects underway, visit sdmaritime.org.
