Sailing into the Past: My Maritime History Bucket List

I’ve always loved ships, museums, and historic places—and I absolutely love to travel. That’s partly why I started this blog in the first place. Recently, I came across a few history blogs where people shared the historic sites and places they dream of visiting. I thought it was such a fun idea that I decided to create my own bucket list.

I’ve wanted to visit many of these places for years, but this is the first time I’ve compiled this list. From historic ships and maritime museums to memorials and even a few pubs, this list is a collection of places that really highlight my passion for the sea and its history (not to mention general nerdiness). It’s a way for me to connect with the past in a real and tangible way.

I’ve already had the chance to visit some incredible places—like the RMS Queen Mary and the wrecks of La Jenelle and the Peter Iredale—but this list focuses solely on ships and sites I haven’t visited yet. I should add that it’s not in any particular order too.

So without further ado, here’s my maritime history bucket list!

Top Bucket List Destinations

Historic Ships

SS *Nomadic*, the last White Star Line ship. *Courtesy SS Nomadic.*

SS Nomadic (Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK)

NS Savannah (Baltimore, Maryland, USA)

MS Hikawa Maru (Yokohama, Kanagawa, JPN)

RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (Dubai, UAE)

SS Rotterdam (Rotterdam, NL)

SS Great Britain (Bristol, England, UK)

SS Keewatin (Kingston, Ontario, CA)

HMS Victory (Portsmouth, England, UK)

SS Badger (Ludington, Michigan, USA)

PS Waverley (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)

USS Missouri (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA)

Pieces of Historic Ships

A propeller from RMS *Lusitania. Courtesy Hilton Anatole Dallas.*

RMS Lusitania Propeller (Dallas, Texas, USA)

RMS Lusitania Propeller (Liverpool, England, UK)

SS France/Norway Nose (Le Havre, FRA)

SS Normandie Sign (San Juan, PR)

RMS Queen Elizabeth Bow Letters (New York City, New York, USA)

Maritime Museums

The *Balclutha* at San Francisco Maritime NHP. *Courtesy National Park Service.*

Channel Islands Maritime Museum (Oxnard, California, USA)

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (San Francisco, California, USA)

Salem Maritime National Historic Site (Salem, Massachusetts, USA)

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (Paradise, Michigan, USA)

Titanic Belfast (Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK)

Titanic Experience Cobh (Cobh, County Cork, IRL)

Titanic Museum (Branson, Missouri, USA)

Titanic Museum (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA)

SeaCity Museum (Southampton, England, UK)

Merseyside Maritime Museum (Liverpool, England, UK)

Bahamas Maritime Museum (Freeport, BAH)

WA Shipwrecks Museum (Fremantle, Western Australia, AUS)

Historic Places

Pier 54 in New York City. *Courtesy New York Public Library.*

Pier 54 (New York City, New York, USA)

Berth 44 (Southampton, England, UK)

White Star Line Offices (New York City, New York, USA)

Old Head of Kinsale (Kinsale, County Cork, IRL)

The Titanic Pub (Southampton, England, UK)

The Grapes Pub (Southampton, England, UK)

The Sir John Franklin Pub (Greenhithe, England, UK)

Historic Shipwrecks

Part of a shipwreck in Kalaupapa NHP. *Courtesy National Park Service.*

SS Monte Carlo (Coronado, California, USA)

Cartanza Senora (Buck Island, USVI)

RMS Rhone (Salt Island, BVI)

SS Cristobal Colon (North Rock, BM)

Monuments, Memorials, and Cemeteries

The *Titanic* Memorial in Washington, DC. *Courtesy National Park Service.*

Titanic Memorial (Washington, District of Columbia, USA)

Mariners’ Church of Detroit (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

RMS Titanic Grave Sites at Fairview Lawn, Mount Olivet, and Baron de Hirsch Cemeteries (Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA)

RMS Lusitania Grave Sites at Old Church Cemetery (Cobh, County Cork, IRL)

SS Yarmouth Castle Memorial (Pompano Beach, Florida, USA)

USS Arizona Memorial (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA)

Titanic Engineers’ Memorial (Southampton, England, UK)

RMS Titanic Memorial (Cobh, County Cork, IRL)

RMS Lusitania Memorial (Cobh, County Cork, IRL)

RMS Empress of Ireland Memorial (Rimouski, Quebec, CA)

Full Steam Ahead

Creating this bucket list has been a fun way to dive into all the places worldwide I’ve been dreaming about visiting for years. My wife and I are going on a cruise next week, and I look forward to checking a few things off this list then. More on that later, however!

Each ship, museum, and historic site on this list resonates with me on some level. They’re places where the past and present meet, and there’s something really special about that. It’ll take years (decades probably), but I’ll definitely be sharing my journey as I go down the list one by one.

Are there other ships, museums, memorials, etc. that I should consider adding to this list? Please let me know in the comments below!