The Past, Present & Future of the Stockton Maritime Museum
A Message From the President, David Rajkovich
2025 was a year of incredible progress for the SMM. We received our first state grant for design & permitting of our future museum site on Stockton’s south shore waterfront. We surveyed our community to refine our development plans and furthered community relationships. We continued our restoration of USS Lucid, leading a strip trip to Taiwan to source last-of-its-kind gear from the USS Implicit, the last ocean-going minesweeper in the world to be decommissioned. Your continued support of our efforts is greatly appreciated! Thank you!
The Stockton Historical Maritime Museum is founded as 501(c)3 non profit organization (now known as the Stockton Maritime Museum, or SMM) and acquires the USS Lucid (MSO-458).
USS Lucid is moved from Bradford Island in Contra Costa County in California to the San Joaquin County Office of Education’s (SJCOE) Building Futures Academy (BFA).
USS Lucid is dedicated at a ribbon cutting ceremony presented by the SMM and SJCOE’s BFA.
Restoration of USS Lucid begins with BFA students.
SMM volunteers head to Bremerton Naval Shipyard in Washington State to obtain gear for USS Lucid restoration.
SMM begins hosting bimonthly Volunteer Restoration Workdays the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month.
SMM is gifted a 1.5-acre site on the south shore of the historic, downtown Stockton waterfront, first developed in the 1840s as moorage and freight sheds that served the stern drive wheel paddle wheels steamers, then later was the site of the former Castaway Restaurant. The site is slated to be the future museum space.
SMM Board Members begin meeting with City officials to review museum development plans for the downtown Stockton waterfront site, with the USS Lucid as a new, iconic attraction.
The Naval History & Heritage Command presents SMM with the “History Excellence Award”, presented at the Historic Naval Ships Associations Annual Conference.
Due to public demand, the SMM begins holding biannual Open Houses every Spring & Fall for anyone interested to tour the USS Lucid.
SMM is awarded a $950,000 grant from Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy to finance design, architecture, engineering, and permitting for development of the future museum site.
SMM is awarded a $100,000 grant to repair fencing and curb, gutter, & sidewalk repairs.
SMM holds various forums for community stakeholders including City staff, local museums, businesses, schools, and non profit organizations to acquire feedback on museum plans.