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November 2023 by Antoinette
Amazing Maritime Center, model ship collection, and beautiful ship undergoing winterizing maintenance.
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October 2023 by Stephen Bell
A fun trip up and down the river. The museum has lots of interesting information, arrive early and check that out! Good for kids as well as adults.Recommend ?
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September 2023 by Nick Belial
While the location for this review comes up as Wilmington for the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, we sailed out of the historic New Castle port. The address of the pier is 1 Delaware St, New Castle, DE 19720.Our sail on August 26th was the first day the Kalmar Nyckel was back in our area with the crew just coming off a trip to New England. Captain Lauren greeted everyone on the pier then welcomed us on-board. The crew were especially helpful as passengers navigated the dock, ramp and steps assuring everyone got on board safely.After a brief safety demonstration on the use of PFDs and 'what to do in an emergency' we were underway. It was a hot day and the crew kept everyone happy and hydrated by handing out free bottles of water.The 2.5 hour trip goes by too quickly. The Kalmar Nyckel's crew is exceptional at every turn. Many are volunteers and it's easy to see they love their jobs-- and the ship. They are skilled and professional at what they do. They also love to engage guests with the history of the vessel and even with helping to raise the sails. (No easy task, btw)There's a small selection of snacks and soft drinks available along with an array of souvenirs ranging from stickers and fridge magnets to recipe books and t-shirts. After the cruise, Captain Lauren handed out 'diplomas' to each passenger which were actually beautiful line drawings of the Kalmar Nyckel.A beautiful day on the Delaware with a crew who are passionate about sailing and sharing their experiences aboard the Dutch tall ship. The Nyckel sails out of two Delaware ports. I can highly recommend the Newark port, as the surrounding area is certainly worth exploring.If you're planning to head out on the Kalmar Nyckel, you can't go wrong with choosing a sail location. That said, Battery Park, the historic buildings and several restaurants are all within walking distance of the Newark port.We had lunch at the outstanding Jessop's Tavern, then walked down to the waterfront where a festival was underway with live music and numerous food trucks and vendors. Couldn't have asked for a better day-- Kudos to the Kalmar Nyckel and her awesome captain and crew!
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September 2023 by Candice Shore
Was docked in Bristol, Pa for tours. The price of the tour was $10 adults and $5 kids. The tour itself was a ripoff. Was on the ship for 4 minutes. They rang a bell when it was time to move to the next station. There were four stations with a staff member talking about their station. No time to actually look or ask questions. The last station was items for purchase and a box for donations. Not impressed with this tour at all. Considering a two hour cruise ride is $50 adults and $35 kids. Maybe consider time slots of 20mins per group and be able to purchase that time slot online.
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July 2023 by 703BillB703
The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is dedicated to a ship that lived many lives. It is conveniently located next to Fort Christina Park, where Kalmar Nyckel first landed with its Swedish settlers in 1638. I felt quite fortunate to have an individual guided tour by an incredibly knowledgeable docent through the extensive collections and displays within the museum. It quickly became apparent that this one ship led the way to centuries of industrial prowess by the city of Wilmington in ship building and train car construction that had national and global reach in providing transportation for governments armed forces, and businesses. The museum is well designed in terms of combining artwork, artifacts, educational videos, and historic replicas. Actual training of the rebuilt but authentic Kalmar Nyckel takes place using these replicas as well as the real ship when it is at home. There is an impressive collection of model ships and sculpture and art representation of ships throughout history. I was pleasantly surprised to see a carving and a mud cloth depiction of an African log boat that plied the waters of the Niger River in Mali. An actual Finnish log cabin was also on display showing the intricately cut and fitted construction that the Finns, who were part of Sweden at the time, brought to North America. The grounds contain a blacksmith shop that was used in the construction of the current Kalmar Nyckel. The blacksmith, as well as the current captains of the vessel and much of the crew, are women. The docent noted that the fact that the Kalmar Nyckel made four transatlantic crossings as the Colony was being established was in itself impressive, but that the ship later continues to serve commercial, military and government purposes for many years was a feat few others could achieve. This amazing chapter in North American should not be missed.
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July 2023 by Jamie G
The museum is very informative with some hands on items. The sail is absolutely fantastic! The entire crew’s goal is to make sure everyone has a terrific time, safely. They’re extremely helpful, informative, knowledgeable, professional, and extremely friendly. I would absolutely do this again any time. Highly worthwhile. Very glad that we did it!
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July 2023 by Christopher Alderson
Beautiful 17th century ship that is a replica of the Swedish naval ship that made four passages to settle Wilmington DE
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July 2023 by B W
Went out for a “sail”. All we did was stay under power the entire time on the nasty Christina river and literally watch used prophylactics aka rubbers float by while they put one sail up for less than 5 minutes and then took it down. The guy next to us was drinking beers! I’m pretty sure there were more crew than customers and most of them did nothing but enjoy the ride. The one redemption was learning about the history of the boat and the settlement. Everyone was nice for the most part. I just wish they disclose that it’s not an actual sail and just a demonstration of how to put one sail up and take it down immediately!
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July 2023 by John
Great place for the family, Pirate day was a lot of fun, plenty of activities to enjoy and a wonderful staff and volunteers.
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June 2023 by Withney M
Nice. Clean. Organized. Tons of historical information. Self guided tour of the museum.
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May 2023 by Ktol 11
Had a blast cruising up the Christina river. The crew and other passengers made the day even more enjoyable. The museum gave a lot of historical information that is not so easy to find.
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May 2023 by Gibs
We went for a 90 minute cruise on this beautiful ship filled with history. The captain, staff and volunteers were all so helpful and informative. They also have a small but interesting museum. We had no problem parking. Drinks and snacks are available on the ship and there is a scavenger hunt for the little ones.
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March 2023 by Mike
Very cool ship, and facility. No where in Delaware can transport you back to the 1600s like the Kalmar Nyckel ship can. This is an extremely close, working, full size replica of the original. The only think more amazing than the ship is the people and volunteers. They are always helpful, knowledgeable and willing to tell how things were almost 400 years ago. If you can, take a ride on the Kalmar, this is very cool!! Enjoy
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March 2023 by Kat H.
If you are visiting Wilmington DE and the ship is available to tour or take a day sail on, this is a must! This tall ship is really unique and beautiful, and the educational center is fantastic for people interested in boats and history. They have educational events for kids regularly as well. The Kalmar Nyckel also sails up and down the east coast - so you might be able to take a tour even if you aren't in Delaware. Call the foundation to see their schedule.
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October 2022 by Kyle Schalitz
Neat museum with very interesting and widely unknown history. Definitely a bargain price too!
