On Saturday, June 4, Maine Maritime Museum in Bath will open two new exhibits: MEETING the BOAT: Steam Travel Along Maine Waters, and 20 Years of Discovery Boatbuilding. MEETING the BOAT explores the ways in which steamboats transformed life along the Maine coast, while 20 Years of Discovery Boatbuilding celebrates a milestone for the museum’s youth boatbuilding program.

Whether returning world-weary mariners to their Maine hometowns, carrying the mail to hitherto remote peninsulas and islands, ferrying lumberjacks north to the spring log-drive, or running excursions from resort hotels, steamboats connected Maine to the world and established social and economic patterns that still echo today. Drawing on Maine Maritime Museum’s extensive steamboat-related collections, MEETING the BOAT will harken back to the technology, lifestyle, and bravado of a time when Maine ran on steam. The exhibit will be on view in The John G. Morse Gallery at Maine Maritime Museum from June 4 through September 5, 2016.

In 1996, Maine Maritime Museum developed the first curriculum in the state integrating a comprehensive traditional boatbuilding program with middle school students. Twenty years later, we celebrate the successes of this groundbreaking program with photos, videos, and personal stories from alumni and staff in the new exhibit 20 Years of Discovery Boatbuilding. The exhibit will be on view in the Marjorie W. Kramer Gallery from June 4 through September 18.

Call (207) 443-1316 or visit www.MaineMaritimeMuseum.org for more information. The museum is located at 243 Washington St., Bath.