Take a step back in time to 1542 when Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and his crew set sail, discovering the lands that would become California’s popular coastline. Experience life on a 16th-century sailing ship hosted by the Morro Bay Maritime Museum from August 11-20 during the Pacific Heritage Tour 2023, featuring Maritime Museum San Diego’s full-scale galleon replica of Cabrillo’s San Salvador.
“Public tours of this impressive vessel will transport guests into an immersive, educational experience as they step aboard the creaky decks of the 16th-century time-machine”, said Larry Newland, founding member of the Morro Bay Maritime Museum.
After the completion of the building of San Salvador in San Diego in 2015, MMSD’s maiden Pacific Heritage Tour set sail in 2016 to offer tens-of-thousands Californians and worldwide visitors a look into our historic maritime past. More than 10,000 visitors enjoyed the public tours offered in Morro Bay during her 10-day visit. MMSD’s generous revenue-sharing support cemented an ongoing partnership that jumpstarted the building of the first structure of the Morro Bay Maritime Museum, which today also includes a fleet of six historic vessels and outdoor maritime exhibits. MBMM is poised to expand the museum’s footprint, having recently gained approvals from the City of Morro Bay and again MMSD’s visit will donate back shares of San Salvador tour revenues, demonstrating a unique relationship among California maritime museums.
“San Salvador is a full-scale replica of the flagship used by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 during the first European voyage to explore what would one day become the West Coast of the United States,”said Raymond Ashley, Ph.D., K.C.I., president/CEO of Maritime Museum of San Diego. “Meticulously constructed by Maritime Museum of San Diego over six years and US Coast Guard Certified, San Salvador is one of very few early modern replica ships in which members of the public can glimpse through experience what seafaring beyond the known world was like half a millennia ago.”
Morro Bay Maritime Museum President, Bonnie Jones, said, “San Salvador’s first visit to Morro Bay Maritime Museum was an enormous success. We are looking forward to the ship’s return to share this innovative, engaging, and educational experience with our community and visitors. Guests will learn of San Salvador’s history and be introduced to today’s Salinan Tribal Members, who fished Morro Bay’s Pacific Coast in 1542.”
Tickets sales are now open for San Salvador dockside tours August 11-20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Costs are $12. for adults (18-64), $10 for seniors (ages 65+, active military), $8 for children ages 4-17 and children three and under are free. Morro Bay Maritime Museum is located at 1210 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, CA 93442. For information, go to morrobaymaritime.org, morrobay.org, and morrobaychamber.org.
