Hart Nautical Gallery and Collections, MIT Museum - Cambridge, MA
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N 42° 21.543 W 071° 05.612
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The Hart Nautical Gallery, located in the MIT campus, is partly a display of ship models and partly an exhibit on ocean research at MIT.
Waymark Code: WM4ZW7
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 10/19/2008
Views: 20
The Hart Nautical Gallery and Collections are maintained by the MIT Museum and are important collections for naval architecture and maritime history. Most of the collections are available by appointment only with the museum. Details are on their web site:
(
visit link)
There is a visible version of the gallery located away from the museum and in the main campus of MIT a couple blocks away. Unfortunately, it is not marked with any signs but isn't too difficult to get to (the MIT Museum can help you get there). To get to the gallery, enter Building 7 at the main entrance on Massachusetts Avenue (there is a crossing with traffic lights on it), then immediately turn right and enter the hall toward Building 5. Walk about 100 feet to the gallery on the left and right sides. There is no fee to view the exhibits.
Most of the exhibit space has cases of ship models. Another portion shows current research at MIT.
The ship models are miniatures of ships from many different eras, from the 1600s through present day. A few examples is a large model of the U.S. Frigate, U.S.S. President (sister ship to the U.S.S. Constitution), the clipper "Flying Cloud" and a model showing a modern racing yacht being built.
The other portion relates MIT's research, including autonomous devices and robots developed. MIT is a Sea Grant School, which is a special program funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).