Mystic Experiences

Explore the seafaring village of Mystic CT, so rich in maritime history, and the surrounding islands from the spacious wooden deck of the sailing ship, ARGIA. Relax as you sail by scenic coastlines and lighthouses or help the crew hoist and trim the sails aboard this elegant schooner.

Mystic Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through conservation, education and research.

The aquarium strives to foster an interest in and understanding of the science and conservation of the aquatic world through formal and informal programs, written interpretive materials and exposure to living marine animals. The aquarium endeavours to collect, evaluate and disseminate scientific data gathered through investigations and collaborations sponsored by the Aquarium and the scientific community. Such data will advance knowledge of aquatic animal husbandry and aquatic animal biology and behavior and promote a better understanding of our place in nature.

The aquarium promotes the health and stability of natural habitats and the populations of marine life, particularly those of Long Island Sound and adjacent waters. Mystic aquarim also develops techniques that advance the art of live animal display and its role in stimulating interest in the aquatic world.

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Mystic Seaport Museum grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. 

A stroll through the historic village enables visitors to experience firsthand from staff historians, storytellers, musicians, and craftspeople just what life was like to earn one’s living from the sea.The Museum’s 41,000 square-foot Collections Research Center (CRC) offers exceptional physical and electronic access to the more than 2 million artifacts. The collections range from marine paintings, scrimshaw, models, tools, ships plans, an oral history archive, extensive film and video recordings, and more than 1 million photographs. To share the experience this physical record represents, Mystic Seaport employs a diverse staff of scholars, librarians, historic interpreters, educators, scientists, musicians, and skilled artisans.