Connecticut River Foundation At Steamboat Dock Inc

THE CONNECTICUT RIVER MUSEUM'S MISSION IS TO DEEPEN APPRECIATION OF THE RIVER'S HISTORY AND TO INSPIRE ITS STEWARDSHIP BY PROVIDING UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL EXPERIENCES TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES.

MUSEUM PROGRAMS CRM OWNS BEAUTIFUL BULK HEADED RIVERFRONT PROPERTY IN ESSEX, CONNECTICUT UPON WHICH ARE THREE HISTORIC BUILDINGS HOUSING EXHIBITION GALLERIES, A RESEARCH LIBRARY, A MUSEUM SHOP, MEETING/EDUCATION PROGRAM SPACE AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES. ALONG OUR RIVERFRONT ARE DOCKS TO WHICH ARE MOORED OUR THREE VESSELS. WE SERVE A BROAD AND DIVERSE AUDIENCE NUMBERING NEARLY 25,000 PER YEAR, BY PROVIDING UNIQUE PROGRAMS ON LAND, ONLINE AND ON THE WATER. THE MUSEUM OFFERS A ROBUST ARRAY OF EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INSPIRED BY OUR COLLECTION, THE RIVER'S STORIED HISTORY AND OUR LOCATION. ON VIEW INSIDE OUR HISTORIC MUSEUM BUILDING (BUILT IN 1878 AS A WAREHOUSE AND STORE SERVING THE STEAMBOAT TRADE BETWEEN HARTFORD AND NEW YORK FOR THE FOLLOWING 50+ YEARS) ARE TWO FLOORS OF CAREFULLY CURATED INFORMATIVE INSTALLATIONS OF OUR PERMANENT COLLECTION INCLUDING FINE ART, ARTIFACTS, AND INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS. MOST POPULAR IS THE WORKING REPLICA OF THE FIRST SUBMARINE, THE TURTLE, WHEREIN VISITORS MAY EXPERIENCE CLOSE QUARTERS AND THE IDEA OF BEING SUBMERGED. SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS ON OUR THIRD FLOOR TELL STORIES ABOUT THE RIVER THAT MAY BE UNFAMILIAR BUT NONETHELESS ENGAGING FOR VISITORS OF ALL AGES SUCH AS OUR MOST RECENT EXHIBITION, SPEED. THIS EXHIBITION EXPLORED THE HISTORY OF HYDROPLANING ON THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AND ENLIGHTENED VISITORS ABOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN WHO SUCCESSFULLY RACED. OUTSIDE ON OUR LAWNS AND DOCKS, VISITORS MAY ATTEND NUMEROUS EVENTS SUCH AS THE BURNING OF THE SHIPS (WITH MANY LOCAL FIFE AND DRUM CORPS, CELEBRATING THE BRITISH RAID ON ESSEX IN 1814); CONQUER THE CURRENT (A 10-MILE PADDLE RACE FROM HADDAM TO ESSEX); DOGS ON THE DOCK (CANINE CAPERS); TREES IN THE RIGGING TOWN-WIDE HOLIDAY CELEBRATION; INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY (A DAY-LONG EDUTAINMENT EXPERIENCE PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ESSEX HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE ABENAKI AND NEHANTIC TRIBES); AND, LIVE MUSICAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS SHANTIES AND SAILS AND THURSDAYS ON THE DOCK. OUR PROGRAMS ARE LARGELY FREE TO AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE MUSEUM IS STAFFED BY 6 FULL-TIME AND 8 PART-TIME PROFESSIONALS, PLUS SEASONAL BOAT CREW, AND IS GOVERNED BY UP TO 23 TRUSTEES. ADDITIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES ARE PROVIDED BY UPWARDS OF 40 ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS WHO PROVIDE DEDICATED SERVICE ACROSS A BROAD ARRAY OF NEEDED SKILLS.

WATERFRONT PROGRAMS ON THE RIVER THE MUSEUM HAS A FIXED PIER AS WELL AS FLOATING DOCKS TO WHICH ARE MOORED THREE VESSELS: A 30-PASSENGER RECREATION OF ADRIAEN BLOCK'S 17TH CENTURY VESSEL OF TRADE AND EXPLORATION CALLED THE ONRUST; A 50-PASSENGER RESEARCH VESSEL CALLED RIVERQUEST; AND A UTILITY BOAT. THE MUSEUM SECURED OWNERSHIP OF ONRUST IN 2021 AND PROVIDES NARRATED EXCURSIONS ON THE RIVER IN-SEASON. IN 2022, THE MUSEUM ACQUIRED RIVERQUEST WHICH OPERATES A FULL SUMMER SEASON OF NARRATED RIVER TRIPS AND A WINTER TRIP SCHEDULE FOR WATCHING AMERICAN BALD EAGLES AND OTHER BIRD LIFE. THE MUSEUM OFFERS SEVERAL THEMED CRUISES PER YEAR ONBOARD RIVERQUEST AND ONRUST FOR CELEBRATORY OCCASIONS SUCH AS MOTHER'S DAY, FATHER'S DAY, AND JUNETEENTH. FINALLY, THE MUSEUM OWNS A 24' ALUMINUM WORK BOAT USED IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY AND WATERFRONT UTILITY. OUR VESSELS ARE WELL-UTILIZED TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEISURE AND LEARNING, HAVING SERVED ABOUT 8500 PASSENGERS DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER 2022 SEASONS.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THE STORIES OF THE NATURAL CONNECTICUT RIVER AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED ON OR NEAR IT FOR MILLENNIA ARE TOLD NOT ONLY IN PERMANENT AND CHANGING GALLERY EXHIBITIONS BUT ALSO THROUGH ABUNDANT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. IN OUR MEETING SPACES - AUGMENTED BY OR SOLELY PROVIDED VIA ZOOM - WE HOST A YEAR-LONG SERIES OF LECTURES AND BOOK SIGNINGS ON TOPICS ACROSS A BROAD SPECTRUM, BUT WITH THE CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY AND RIVERS IN GENERAL AS A UNIFYING THEME. K-12 STUDENTS FROM MIDDLESEX, HARTFORD, NEW HAVEN, AND NEW LONDON COUNTIES MAKE USE OF CURRICULUM-SYNCHED PROGRAMMING BOTH ONSITE AT THE MUSEUM - OFTEN ON THE VESSELS - OR IN THEIR OWN CLASSROOMS WITH VISITING MUSEUM EDUCATORS. CRM PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS TO ALLOW UNDERSERVED STUDENT POPULATIONS TO ATTEND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT NO COST.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES THE MUSEUM CONDUCTS TWO MAJOR EVENTS EACH YEAR WHICH ARE IMAGINATIVELY CREATED AND MULTI-PURPOSED. THESE EVENTS NOT ONLY BOLSTER FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BUT ALSO REINFORCE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND BUILD ON THE STRONG RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE MUSEUM AND OUR LOCAL AND WIDER COMMUNITY.