On December 5, Maine Maritime Museum’s iconic sculpture, the evocation of the schooner Wyoming, will be illuminated for the first time ever. In celebration of the holiday season, each of the six 120-foot-tall masts of Wyoming will be up-lit by 300-watt, low-energy LED fixtures, brightly illuminating the striking sculpture and creating a dramatic, one-on-a-kind holiday lighting display. The public is invited to the museum free of charge at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, to celebrate the inaugural lighting of Wyoming. Wyoming will be illuminated nightly throughout the holiday season.

Wyoming, the largest wooden sailing vessel ever built in the U.S., was constructed at the Percy & the Small Shipyard, which is now home to Maine Maritime Museum. The Wyoming sculpture, completed with masts in 2013, replicates the dimensions and location of the historic vessel as it was constructed at the Percy & Small Shipyard in 1909. The complete sculpture spans almost 450 feet of the museum’s riverfront campus.

Maine Maritime Museum Executive Director Amy Lent said, “The sculpture of the schooner Wyoming is a Maine icon and from June to October visitors from all over the world are amazed by the grandeur of the sculpture and what it represents. Illuminating all six 120-foot masts this winter will bring the sculpture to life for the people of Maine. I hope everyone will enjoy it and also be reminded of the maritime heritage we share, and the hard work and ingenuity required to build this schooner – the largest wooden ship ever constructed in America.”

The December 5 Wyoming lighting celebration closes out a day of holiday-themed activities at the museum, which includes a free Festive Family Fun Day from 1 to 4 p.m. and a Maine-made rum tasting from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Details are available at www.MaineMaritimeMuseum.org.