We must raise $30,000 to purchase, conserve and present the figurehead. This is not a replica – this is a real figurehead that once sailed the high seas.

The Board of Directors has set a goal to raise these funds by April 17th. The Tenney will be installed in the Moseley Gallery and celebrated at our grand season opening in May.

Donate $100+ and you will receive 1 complimentary ticket to the Boats in Bloom festivities on April 17th.

Donate $250+ and your name will be listed on a commemorative plaque, plus you will receive 2 complimentary tickets to the Boats in Bloom festivities on April 17th.

Your gift will be doubled: a generous donor will provide a 1:1 match for all gifts up to $25,000! 

This figurehead has survived 151 years – now its future depends on us.

Help SAVE THE TENNEY and THANK YOU.

All events are at the CHMM unless otherwise noted. Please check below for details.

PLEASE NOTE: The Custom House is a historic structure and is not handicap accessible. Most events take place on the second floor and there is no elevator in the building.

Michael P. Dyer is an independent scholar and curator having served as Curator of Maritime History at Mystic Seaport Museum, The New Bedford Whaling Museum, and the Kendall Whaling Museum. His special interests include the material culture of whaling the world round, cartography, voyages of exploration and discovery, manuscript illustration and point of intersection where cultural evidence demands attention. At the moment he is working on the early history of half-hull models, shipbuilding and their combined relationship to coastal cartography in the eighteenth-century.

Join us for the Newburyport Preservation Trust's 2026 Preservation Awards at at the Custom House Maritime Museum.

This event is open to NPT members, award winners and their guests only. Join NPT from our website.

Newburyport Preservation Trust Members can join the NPT as we celebrate individuals and organizations for their contributions toward historic preservation in Newburyport. Our goal is to support, promote, celebrate, and showcase preservation and raise awareness of the value and unique historic character of our community.

Celebrate the individuals who saved historic Newburyport, including the Custom House. Once slated for demolition, the museum celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025.

Newburyport's Road to Revolution gets revamped, with new and exciting items on display.

Free, outdoor and indoor programming for kids returns this summer for the 3rd year in a row! Games, crafts, fun, and more!

Stay tuned for more information on Community Partners.

Sponsored in part by Newburyport Bank and the Arakelian Foundation.

July 17th marks the anniversary of the Declaration's arrival in Newburyport where it was read to the public in Market Square. Join the Custom House, the Museum of Old Newbury, and other community partners for a recreation of the reading as well as other readings throughout the downtown.

For Members: after the readings there will be a private party at the Custom House starting at 6 pm. There will be a special viewing of a 19th century copy of the Declaration of Independence and private tours of two tall ships on the river behind the Custom House.

Interested in volunteering at the Custom House? Give us a call, stop by the museum, or email us at info@thechmm.org

The Rear Admiral Richard I. Rybacki Award was established by the Rybacki family to honor his public and community service dedication. It is presented annually to a Station Merrimack River crew member who best exemplifies the spirit of respect, honor, and devotion to duty in service to the U.S. Coast Guard and the community they serve.