We wanted to go to a museum we thought Elora would enjoy, so we told her we were going to a museum about boats and pirates – the maritime museum. She thought it was great! Especially the cannons, which she played with for like 15 minutes before we lured her away by promising more big boats to look at.
I am not sure you are allowed to touch anything… but Elora was so excited to steer the boat… it would be funny if this steering wheel (?) was from some famous ship and we were those parents letting our two year old play with it… luckily, there weren’t many people in the museum.
There are lots of neat models of different boats and ships to look at, as well as old maps, charts, anchors… (and sextants, says Chris).
Here is the life size replica of a large boat… it was one of those ships where the slaves or prisoners had to row it. Very large. Elora liked that you would see inside of it when you walked around it, and there were barrels and stuff inside.
We also walked on top of the large ship and there was a projection that showed people rowing the ship as you were standing on it. Now Elora sits on her bed (pirate ship) and makes us sit on it to help row.
Oliver liked crawling around on the floor… In this picture there are some of the figures that are placed on the front of the ship – the bow(?). There are apparently very few of them left in the world, so it was neat to see them. As you can see by our lack of definative maritime knowledge, we got the audio guide, but instead of including facts and history, it just told fictional narritives describing what it was like to be a sailor back in the day. Very fun, but not quite as educational as I had hoped for… but that is what happens when people try to make education an entertainment… you don’t learn anything, but have a good time! Viva la Revolution!
Here we are in a replica of a ship’s hull. Elora liked the barrels and also the hole in the ground where there was a barrel hanging from a rope. Chris wonders how many monkeys you can fit in the barrel.
Check out our picture gallery for more pictures of our European adventures as well as hiking trips in Utah and family photos.
