Road Trip: Close to Home - The Waterfront Museum in Brooklyn

News 12 is taking an adventure to Red Hook and hopping aboard the Waterfront Museum.

News 12 Staff

Sep 8, 2022, 4:37 PM

Updated 765 days ago

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News 12 is taking an adventure to Red Hook and hopping aboard the Waterfront Museum.
The museum is on a docked 108-year-old wooden railroad-covered barge that transported cargo in the New York Harbor.
Capt. David Sharps says he paid $500 for the Lehigh Valley No. 79 back in 1985. He salvaged it after it sunk in the mud then transformed and restored it.
"It's like stepping back in time. You can transport people... These pieces of lumber that you have here on the barge, you won't find those at Lowes or Home Depot," says Sharps.
The Waterfront Museum offers programs in the arts, education and historic preservation for kids and families.
The showboat also hosts onboard performances and houses many whistles and bells and other gadgets from the era.
Visitors can also catch views of the Statue of Liberty and wildlife.
The barge is open Thursdays and Saturdays year-round for free. School groups can visit as well by appointment.