Photos provided by Jenna Freck
“Summertime and the living is easy” or so the classic lyrics promise! Seriously, is it easy today? Many families must modify their regular schedules and find childcare or activities for their school-aged children who are on summer break. If that is your quest, here’s a great opportunity.
The Morro Bay Maritime Museum (MBMM) started a summertime experience program for kids 8-12 in 2025 and are scheduled to offer a refreshed program this year on eight consecutive Mondays starting June 15. It’s free – yes FREE! The goal is to have lots of creative fun at the museum while learning about our waterfront community — our bay, our boats, and our marine-life. SLO County residents or visitors available on a summer Monday? All are welcome to reserve your child’s spot by signing up at www.morrobaymaritime.org or if it is more of a last-minute decision, show up by 9:30 a.m. to register at 1210 Embarcadero.
According to Jenna Freck, this year’s MBMM volunteer director, “We have several knowledgeable volunteers returning this year and have added some very talented and respected community groups and volunteers to join us in this summer.”
She mentioned the ever-popular John Lindsey, who is now retired from his career as a weather specialist for PG&E, but continues to update Central Coast weather weakly on social media. And Ken Foran, who is an internationally known master model-maker, who happens to live in Morro Bay. He created the model of the iconic fishing boat “The Dirty Dozen” on display at MBMM and has another model ready for placement.
Jenna further explained, “This year’s program is developed around a theme for the day based on the skills of the volunteers who are donating their time to work with the participants. Although the themes have been set and registration is in full swing, some volunteers are still working out their final commitment dates at the time this column will publish.’’
The first experience date begins Monday, June 15. All sessions run from 10 a.m.to Noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. with a break for lunchtime. Participants can sign-up for all or pick and choose their dates. The first session is intended to be a fun day at the museum introducing the vessels, favorite maritime interactive activities, and each participant will craft their own sailboat or submersible, also known as a submarine like the mammoth green DRSV-2 Avalon that fronts the museum on the Embarcadero on the way to Morro Rock.
June 22, the theme is navigation while at sea with insights led by Morro Bay’s Steve Dunkelberger. Joining him is Avila Lighthouse docent Susan Posner to explore how lighthouses along our western and eastern coasts help guide boats to sail a safe distance from our rocky shores.
June 29, participants will learn all about weather.
July 13, MBMM’s Jenna Freck and Steve Dunkelberger will co-present activities with visiting docents from the Central Coast Aquarium in a program called, “Sea Life – Octopuses and Squids.” Participants will enjoy watching the wiggly sea life that will have traveled from Avila’s museum in touch tanks.
July 20 looks at the strong bonds that were created early in the development of MBMM with our first residents, the Native American Salinan Tribe. Members created and gifted a permanent hand-crafted reed boat to be permanently displayed inside the museum when it first opened and last year a Salinan Garden area was completed. Participants will learn about Morro Bay’s early American roots directly from Patty Dutton and other members of the Central Coast Salinan Tribal Counsel.
July 27 – Sailing and fishing the ocean develops a variety of skills. MBMM’s founding board member, Larry Newland, will demonstrate a variety of such skills. What a treat for participants to return home and show off new knot tying tricks to their families!
August 3, the Morro Bay Estuary Program’s Education Specialist Forrest Lurz will show and tell little known facts about our bay’s sea life and vegetation.
August 10 is celebration time! Some folks whistle while they work, but sailors are known for singing Sea Shanty verses. Local Sea Shanty performer Gregory Anderson will be back this summer to guide the participants in “work” that becomes a lot more fun when learning to sing several Shanty-songs.
Kendall Welch, MBMM board president, shared why this summer program is important to MBMM. In 2025 she attended the American Maritime Association’s annual conference, which was held on the USS Constitution in Boston. She returned with invaluable insight gleaned from maritime museum leadership around the country. Multiple times she heard, “Attracting younger children and their families to your maritime museum is a smart way to build future sustaining membership. Building memories at the museum bonds future loyal members to the museum. They will recall fond memories and want to share the experiences with their children when they are adults.”
Once home in Morro Bay, Kendall expressed her hope to create some kind of children’s program and was delighted how quickly MBMM’s board and membership demonstrated their approval by offering donations to fund a summer experience in 2025. She also summed up the museum’s plans and future goals. “We hope to extend a children’s experience program all year long on weekends as well as the summertime. For now, our free summertime experiences are fashioned like summer camp, and Jenna’s creative skills as an artist and teacher is the perfect MBMM member to lead our program in 2026.”
