FAR REACH: Executive Director Heather Ruhsam says The Sailing Museum in Newport will help connect visitors with sailing resources from throughout the country. PBN Photo / David Hansen

Editor: Jacquelyn Voghel 06/24/2022

The Sailing Museum in Newport opened last month with two audiences in mind: avid sailors and, perhaps even more prominently, potential sailing enthusiasts.

“We anticipate that a good number of our visitors are not going to be sailors, and this is our opportunity to introduce them to everything we love about sailing, as sailors,” said Heather Ruhsam, the museum’s executive director.

The museum, located at 365 Thames St., features numerous artifacts from the National Sailing Hall of Fame and America’s Cup Hall of Fame, as well as interactive experiences for visitors, such as designing their own sailboats and learning to steer a boat.

While the museum’s seaside Newport location, which once served as the America’s Cup press room, is a natural fit, Ruhsam said, staff members can connect visitors with sailing resources throughout the country.

“We’re trying to break down barriers and show people that sailing is for everyone,” Ruhsam said, “and there’s a reason that people who sail love it.”

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of October, with plans to operate during higher tourism weeks in the offseason.