Morro Bay Maritime Museum celebrates grand opening 25 years in the making

After 25 years of planning, fundraising and building, the Morro Bay Maritime Museum is opening its doors.

The museum celebrates its grand opening Saturday with an official kick-off ceremony and a Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting.

Grand opening activities, which run 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, include a blessing by Salinan Tribe representatives and a keynote address by Cal Poly professor emeritus and Tribune columnist Dan Krieger. Jenna & the Funky Fellows will provide musical entertainment.

Community members can then check out interpretive exhibits focusing on subjects including Central Coast Native Americans, abalone diving and Morro Bay’s military history.

Vistors will also see the museum’s fleet of watercraft, which includes a U.S. Navy rescue submarine and a U.S. Coast Guard surf rescue boat. Perhaps the most prized vehicle is the tugboat Alma, which helped rescue survivors of the Union Oil tanker Montebello after it was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Cambria during World War II.

In addition, the museum features a waterfront weather station provided by PG&E.

On Oct. 6, PG&E meteorologist and Tribune columnist John Lindsey will launch a large weather balloon to inaugurate the weather station. That event coincides with the Morro Bay Harbor Festival.

The Morro Bay Maritime Museum is located at 1210 Embarcadero, near the T-shaped pier. For more information, call 888-502-5115 or visit morrobaymaritime.org.

This story was originally published September 28, 2018 at 5:59 PM.