The Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center (GMHC) is a grassroots nonprofit organization which got its start in 1999 when nearly three hundred local people joined together to purchase the Harbor Loop side of the Gloucester Marine Railway, a 36,050 square foot parcel on the industrial harbor which includes the oldest continually operating marine railway in the United States.

Our property also includes a 19th century mill building, a cavernous ice house which has been renovated into a boatbuilding shop, a cinder block industrial building which has been transformed into a Marine Resource Center, an office building which also contains exhibits and a small museum shop, and three piers. All of our programs operate out of this property. 

In 2001 we restored our marine railway. Our first executive director was hired in January, 2002; in that same year we signed an agreement the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to relocate the MIT Sea Grant Fin Fish Hatchery to our site. Sea Pocket Lab, our outdoor aquarium, opened on June 20, 2003, along with our new Visitor Center.

 In 2003 we launched our teen boatbuilding and rowing programs, which continue as core offerings. We also launched a summer marine science internship program for teenagers willing to commit at least ten hours per week. The program continues to accommodate up to 20 youth each summer. 

In 2004 we launched our first after-school programs: an introductory marine science course and an ocean engineering course in which children build their own remote operated underwater vehicles. That same year we formed an ongoing partnership with  Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which now maintains a permanent exhibit at our site.

In 2005 we renovated an industrial building on our site to serve as a Marine Resource Center containing a small auditorium and a laboratory equipped with video microscopes, enabling us to transition from a seasonal to a year-round facility. We also opened the Vincie N. Exhibit which focuses on a 1936 Gloucester dragger and the family who fished her for over 50 years.

Highlights of 2006 include receipt of a $50,000 Preserve America grant for the development and fabrication of an exhibit about the history of the fishing industry. We  were also awarded a $200,000 grant through the Massachusetts Economic Stimulus Bill. This funding allows us to completely rebuild the head of our Main Pier. 

This year (2007) we are focusing on raising the funds necessary to construct a second story addition on our Marine Resource Center. The highlight of this new space will be a gallery where we can present exhibits that tell the story of the fishing industry while at the same time encouraging visitors to think about the challenges involved in preserving the ocean for future generations.