Santa Maria replica ship brings floating museum to Wilmington

A piece of world history will dock in Wilmington starting next week.

The Nao Santa Maria, a replica of the ship sailed by Christopher Columbus in 1492, is coming to Wilmington from June 10-13 and will be open for self-guided tours.

The 200 ton, four-deck replica will be available for tours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Riverwalk between Grace and Chestnut streets. Crew members at each level can answer questions and talk about their experiences traveling from port to port on the "floating museum."

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According to Stephanie Fornes, president of Wilmington Harbor Enhancement Trust, which brought the replica ship to Wilmington, the experience is an educational opportunity for all ages covering " one of the most important historic landmarks in the discovery of America."

The ship's fiberglass and wood construction took 14 months to build and was completed in 2017, according to its website. Since then its sailed around the globe to more than 30 ports, commemorating the history of the Santa Maria.

According to Fornes, while the crew will not be in costume or portray historical characters like some other historical tours, there will be a few additional surprises.

"We were informed there will be pirates invading the ship on Saturday June 12th at 3 p.m.," she said.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the dock.

Reporter John Orona can be reached at (910) 343-2327 or jorona@gannett.com.