Kalmar Nyckel Foundation

Adventure awaits! Kalmar Nyckel, the Tall Ship of Delaware, is a full-scale replica of the original Swedish flagship that brought the first permanent European settlers to the Delaware Valley in 1638. River cruises, day, evening, pirate sails, deck tours, and private sails are available from May through October each season. The ship can be found at its home berth on the Christina River in Wilmington, Historic New Castle’s public pier, and Mid-Atlantic ports in the summer. Explore the rich maritime and industrial history of Delaware at the Copeland Maritime Center. Located on the Kalmar Nyckel shipyard campus, it offers a year-round riverfront educational and cultural space with permanent exhibits that include a ¾-scale working model of the ship’s main deck. The Watercraft of the World gallery showcases an extraordinary collection of 73 model ships. Wilmington's industrial ship- and train car-building history are chronicled in The Riverfront Room. Two exhibits, Kalmar: Key to the Kingdom and Destination Delaware illuminate the Delaware Valley’s connection to Sweden and Finland. Tall Ship Time Machine features a 3D-animated story comparing the ship in 1638 and today’s ship. The Science of Sailing displays celestial navigation, dead reckoning, and more. The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is a volunteer-based non-profit educational organization that built, owns, and operates Kalmar Nyckel. The Copeland Maritime Center is fully accessible. Steps are required to board the Kalmar Nyckel; the historic ship is not wheelchair accessible