Mission and Purpose  En Español    The mission of the Maritime
Museum of San Diego is to serve as the community memory of our
seafaring experience by collecting, preserving, and presenting
our rich maritime heritage and historic connections with the
Pacific world.     The history of human achievement is defined
in large measure by our historical relationship with the sea.
Not only has the sea determined the progress and shape of
civilization, our understanding of that relationship and our
responsibilities for stewardship of the oceans will determine
our future. This relationship cannot be understood or defined in
purely scientific terms; culture exerts a dominating influence.
The role of any maritime museum is translation between human
experience of the oceans and our understanding of their nature.
• To preserve the traditional knowledge, skills, and folk
culture of the enterprise of the sea   • To provide a safe
repository for material culture   • To illustrate how the
maritime enterprise has touched an