The Stockton Maritime Museum is established to preserve the rich history of the maritime industry of Stockton, California which began in the 19th century. This industry started with freight shipping and passenger transportation from the San Francisco Bay to a departure point into the Gold Rush county of the Mother Lode. Stockton prospered providing a maritime way point for points south, east and north.

As the maritime industry grew, so did the need to build ships and vessels to meet the needs of this shipping industry and provide some of the finest sailing ships, motor yachts, and military craft. This rich industry bred numerous supporting companies and provided upwards of 30,000 jobs at peak ship building activity during World War II. Many Stocktonians and their descendants can trace their livelihood and successes back to these companies that relied upon the strong maritime industry.

Our mission is to create a permanent museum providing public access to Stockton’s historical and cultural heritage involving the use of ships to prosper its creation, growth and prosperity, and to preserve the rich history of the maritime industry of the downtown waterfront.

The museum intends to highlight all facets of Stockton’s local maritime history, which were instrumental to our city’s founding, growth, international trade, and our nation’s defense. We will restore, maintain, and operate the former USS Lucid (MSO-458) as a charitable and educational project to promote an appreciation of the history of American Naval Minesweepers, and to demonstrate to the public the type of ship that was built in our city.

The Stockton Maritime Museum acquired the former USS Lucid (MSO-458), and established a collaboration agreement with the San Joaquin County Office of Education to restore this historic vessel as a floating museum ship with direct historical relevance to the diverse shipbuilding history in Stockton. On March 15th, 2012, the USS Lucid was dedicated at a ribbon cutting ceremony presented by the Stockton Maritime Museum and the San Joaquin Building Futures Academy. Lucid is currently berthed at the Building Futures Academy, where students have been directly involved in all phases of restoration, with opportunities to learn and practice woodworking preservation and finishing, drafting, electrical, plumbing and metal fabrication.

Upon return to it’s original appearance, the Lucid will be moved to become a representative part of the historic downtown waterfront area near Weber point, where over a thousand boats and ships were built from the early 1850s to the late 1980s. There, the museum and Lucid will become a permanent icon, open to the public for tours and special events. Lucid will serve to honor Stockton’s maritime and shipbuilding history, the men and women who labored there, Former/Active Duty Navy, and those who served aboard vessels that were such a critical part of American history.