ABOUT THE MUSEUM

Preserving Stockton's Maritime Story

The Stockton Maritime Museum preserves and shares Stockton's maritime heritage through the restoration of USS Lucid, hands-on education, community involvement, and the development of a permanent museum on the city's historic downtown waterfront.

EXPLORE OUR HISTORY Discover the Future Museum

Artist's rendering of the future Stockton Maritime Museum on the downtown waterfront, featuring the restored USS Lucid as the centerpiece of the museum campus.

Connecting Stockton's Past to Its Future

Founded in 2011 by Rex Ramsey and David Rajkovich, the Stockton Maritime Museum is a nonprofit organization and home of USS Lucid (MSO-458). The museum was created to preserve the city’s maritime heritage and make that history accessible to future generations.

OUR MISSION

“To create a permanent museum commemorating Stockton’s historical shipbuilding culture and connection to the Delta to foster the city’s growth and prosperity.”

3D model of the USS Lucid created to support restoration and preservation efforts.

History That Is Still Being Built

WHAT WE DO

Preserve USS Lucid

Restore and interpret the last surviving Aggressive Class minesweeper in the United States.

Share Maritime History

Connect visitors with the people, industries, ships, and waterways that shaped Stockton.

Create Hands-On Learning

Use USS Lucid as a real-world environment where students and volunteers can learn restoration and construction skills.

Build Community

Bring together veterans, students, volunteers, families, and maritime enthusiasts through tours, work parties, and special events.

Volunteers performing restoration work inside the USS Lucid.

Volunteers working together to move heavy materials during a restoration workday aboard the USS Lucid.

USS Lucid Today

A Museum Ship in the Making

USS Lucid is both a historic artifact and an active restoration project.

The museum acquired Lucid in 2010 and moved her to Stockton in 2011, where restoration began. Volunteers, students, veterans, and supporters have since worked to return spaces throughout the ship to their historic appearance and function.

USS Lucid is not currently a daily walk-in museum. Visitors can experience the ship during the museum’s Spring and Fall Open Houses, and additional tours may be arranged in advance.

PLAN A VISIT Explore USS Lucid

Volunteer sanding and restoring the ship's wooden hull.

Volunteer restoring historic navigation and control instruments aboard the USS Lucid.

Visitors listen to a volunteer guide during an open house tour aboard the USS Lucid minesweeper.

Historic photograph of the USS Lucid (MSO-458) underway at sea during her active U.S. Navy service, showing the Aggressive-class oceangoing minesweeper with her crew on deck.

Recommended: an archival or pre-restoration image — the ship as she was found.

How We Got Here

Preserved by People Who Refused to Let Her Disappear

Before Stockton Maritime Museum acquired Lucid, volunteers with the Save the MSO Foundation spent years stabilizing and preserving the ship after she had been stripped and used for storage. Their work helped save an important surviving example of this class of naval vessel and laid the foundation for the restoration underway today.

Looking Ahead

A Permanent Home on Stockton's Waterfront

In 2022, the museum received a 1.5-acre property on the south shore of Stockton's historic downtown waterfront. The site is planned as the permanent home of USS Lucid and the future Stockton Maritime Museum.

1.5

Acres on the downtown waterfront

2022

Year the property was received

Explore the Future Museum

Built by Volunteers. Sustained by Community.

Every stage of USS Lucid's preservation has depended on people willing to contribute their time, skills, knowledge, and financial support.

Volunteers gathered around a table during a Stockton Maritime Museum volunteer lunch.

Meet Our Team

The board members and crew leads behind the restoration.

Volunteers repairing and maintaining the upper deck of the USS Lucid.

Volunteer With Us

Work parties meet aboard the ship twice a month. No experience needed.

Restored bridge of the USS Lucid featuring original navigation controls, instruments, and restored interior spaces.

Support the Museum

Gifts go directly into materials for the ship. We have no paid staff.