From the launch of America’s first naval architecture program in 1893 to ongoing partnerships with the US Navy, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Sea Grant, MIT has had a deep history with the sea, long playing a leading role in the field of ocean engineering.

On display are objects defining past challenges that are still relevant today. How do you harness a new source of energy? How do you make an innovative idea commercially viable? And how do you build the infrastructure for technology that will change the world?

The Hart Nautical Gallery is open daily from 10 to 4:30. Advance appointments are required on weekends when the MIT campus is closed to general access. Please contact our Visitor Experience Team at least 24 hours prior to your intended visit.

For more information and to explore the MIT Museum’s Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections, visit our onsite collections portal.

Note: The Hart Nautical Gallery will be closed to visitors April 15, 2024 - April 19, 2024. The gallery will re-open on Saturday, April 20.