Boat Launch Day 2026
May 22 , 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Join us to celebrate the launch of our newest boat built by students in Lake Champlain!
Over the course of this school year, a group of students from Middlebury Union High School and the Long Trail Program have been participating in our alternative education boat building program. These boat building students have been coming to the Museum’s boat shop weekly to learn, work with their hands, and come together to build a 25’ wooden rowing gig that will join the Museum’s fleet for education, school rowing teams, expeditions, and the public. It’s been an incredible journey for all of them, including a trip to the forest to learn how to select a tree that will be used to build a boat and literally building the boat from tree to finished vessel with guidance from expert boat builders.
On May 22, all parents, teachers, staff, friends, and members of the public are invited to join us at the Museum for a special launch day celebration. Students will present their finished boat, share a little bit about their experience building, and then we’ll parade them down to the harbor where they will launch the boat for the very first time in the lake.
This event is free to join, no registration required. Light refreshments will be provided.
