Our Exhibits Are Closed for the Season

Our regular exhibit season has come to a close, but there's still plenty happening at the Essex Historical Society & Shipbuilding Museum!

While our docents enjoy a well deserved winter break, we continue to welcome school groups, host workshops and talks, and keep the shipyard busy throughout the year.

Regular exhibit hours return in May 2027. In the meantime, there's still plenty to see and do!

Explore Our Calendar Inquire About a Visit

Help Us Pass It On

Every boat built, every student welcomed, every piece of history preserved is made possible by people who believe this work matters.

As we look toward another year of education, preservation, and stewardship, we invite you to support the Museum's Annual Appeal.

A Living Legacy

Founded in 1937, the Essex Historical Society began with a simple idea: that local history matters. In 1976, it expanded into the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, bringing new life to old stories.

The 1993 acquisition of the Story shipyard brought the museum to the river’s edge, where rising tides, skilled hands, and deep roots continue to shape the work.

Today, the work continues across a growing campus. We teach, build, restore, and care for the land and water that shaped the nation. Fifty years in, the past is still at work here... and the future is taking shape.

(978) 768-7541

office@essexshipbuilding.org