The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame, Newport RI
Multi-media and tradition for combined exhibits at the Newport museum.
NEWPORT — The Gilded Age helped the City by the Sea gain its reputation for mansions.
Those majestic cottages overlooking the Atlantic Ocean remain a top attraction, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. But it could also be time to consider Newport, the Hall of Fame City.
The opening of the Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2022 gave Newport two locations to honor the best of the best of their respective sports as they joined the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In addition to serving as each sport’s hall of fame, both sites are filled with interactive exhibits to highlight the past and future.
Of course, many of those mansion owners sailed, according to The Sailing Museum’s interim executive director, Gordy Wagner. Many were also tennis players, according to the Tennis Hall of Fame’s communication director, Megan Erbes.
To them and other fans of these sports, the city’s stature centers partially on being the hall of fame capital of these two sports.
Wagner, a former America’s Cup sailor, says The Sailing Museum is a well-kept secret in the city that could be considered the sailing capital of the United States.
Once located in Annapolis, Maryland, before moving to Newport in 2019, The Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame are tucked away on Thames Street in an armory building among shops and other tourist attractions. The museum and hall of fame building are not very conspicuous to the average Newport visitor.
Within the walls, however, is a treasure of history, artifacts and stories about watercraft that have weathered many storms, as well as the athletes that have elevated the sport.
The museum offers interactive exhibits, including displays on how boats are built, steering exhibits, as well as a three-dimensional mini-theater that brings to life a racing experience.
Wagner says some have even reported being seasick from the exhibit, thanks to its realistic nature.
Some exhibits offer information on America’s Cup contenders and other sailing legends.
Wagner noted one photo of an all-female boat, America Cubed, which competed in 1995.
Wagner joked that his wife was a member of that team but that was a year before the two met. Wagner, who was competing on another team, said he is glad his meeting with his wife occurred a year after that regatta.
The co-presidents of the museum and hall of fame are Sailing Hall of Famers Gary Jobson and Tom Whidden, who Wagner refers to as “the Michael Jordans of sailing.”
The museum “brings to life the heroes of our sport and their stories,” Wagner said.
Not only does it bring to life sailing heroes, but on any given visit, a patron could run into a Sailing Hall of Famer, according to Wagner — the only Hall of Fame sport where that is possible.
But the stories don’t end with the sailors. The museum celebrates the yachts and boats that have helped launch sailors to international fame, elevating the city’s status as well.
The center of the museum room has a 65-foot print of famous entrepreneur Ted Turner’s boat, the Courageous. The boat notched several cup championships for Turner, earning him a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1977 — another preserved artifact.
The south side of the museum features Jobson and ESPN analyst, Jim Kelly, calling America’s Cup tournaments in the 1980s. That area, according to Wagner, was the former press conference area from 1958-83 for America’s Cup contenders.
The upstairs section of the museum features a conference room, which is used by staff but can be rented for private use. There is also a room dedicated to one of the most historic racing ships, the Dorade, chronicling its history, design and restorations over the years.
The museum is also building a deck so patrons there can step out and see the harbor, something that inspires all sailors.
Even the gift shop offers inspiration and uniqueness, with items celebrating boating and city history. One best-seller is a remote-control boat, which Wagner says is hard to keep in stock due to high demand.
Wagner says field trips from local schools are conducted there. They have partnered with the New England Sailing & Science Foundation, which provides ocean-based STEAM education. The museum staff has been also working with students from Thompson Middle School on a STEAM project.
Just a few miles from the Sailing Museum stands the International Tennis Hall of Fame and its museum, which is under construction and will, at the end of the project, increase its footprint by 50%, according to Erbes.
Part of the museum was renovated in 2015, she said, but much of the display rooms were still in need of renovation.
During a recent visit, renovations were underway but Erbes said it will be completed and open to the public by mid-May.
The new museum will feature “more of a flow” to its layout, she said, including a new Hall of Fame gallery. There will be more interactive exhibits and live simulations as well, including an interactive hologram of tennis great Roger Federer. Erbes said this undertaking is part of a five-year, multimillion-dollar capital campaign
Erbes said the second floor will start the tour with the history of the sport, with strong American roots in Newport, including the first national championship, which started in 1881 and is now called the U.S. Open.
A tour of the second floor will start by celebrating the history of the sport, and artifacts, and end with a new Hall of Fame room, including rackets that contain plaque names of Hall of Famers.
Erbes said that with many prospective Hall of Fame inductees expected to be named, there has been a stronger need to expand the museum. Among the names up for potential induction in the near future are some of the greatest players of all time, including Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Federer.
One staple that will remain will be the indoor tennis space. That area is one of 13 court tennis areas in the country — a different form of tennis that is rooted in Europe and dates back to King Henry VIII’s reign.
People may still visit the grounds of the Hall of Fame but will have to wait until May for the unveiling of the renovated museum, which also will include a second-floor retail area.
“A lot of people have been here and have had an event here but yet the new spaces will be new to everyone,” Erbes said.
One unique facet of the museum, she said, is that when people buy tickets to the U.S. Open, they are granted free entry into the museum.
For more information on The Sailing Museum and tours, log onto https://thesailingmuseum.org.
For International Tennis Hall of Fame museum updates, log onto https://www.tennisfame.com.
