The Custom House Maritime Museum in Newburyport, MA is part of the Essex National Heritage Area an affiliate of the National Park System. Built in 1835 and designed by the same architect that designed the Washington Monument; Robert Mills. The building is located on the harbor in downtown Newburyport and is surrounded by restaurants and pleasant shops within easy walking distance. The museum has ship models and artifacts from the heyday of Newburyports trade and shipping history. The museum is small and an interesting overview of Newburyport’s maritime past and the docent we had as a guide was tremendous. If you go I hope you get the same guide but the trip is worth it for the architecture alone.
There is a Passport to your National Parks cancellation station in the small gift shop.
