Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center: About

About

Vision Statement
Mission Statement

The Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center, is an exciting new community resource and visitor attraction in Seattle.

Odyssey celebrates the Northwest’s unique maritime character, providing a place for people of all ages to discover the maritime community’s contemporary influence on our lives. Located on Seattle’s waterfront at the Bell Street Pier, Odyssey offers a spectacular view of Elliott Bay and our marine surroundings.

Odyssey is a regional showcase where people can discover our modern links to the Puget Sound and the North Pacific -- including commercial fishing, shipping, trade, transportation, recreation, and marine protection.

Odyssey complements the stories of marine wildlife told at the Seattle Aquarium, of science and technology at the Pacific Science Center, and of air transportation at the Museum of Flight. Odyssey also complements the region’s historic maritime museums by offering a contemporary perspective.

The Northwest's quality of life is rooted in our maritime heritage.

From salmon to the Seattle Mariners, our way of life is intricately connected to the water. For example, Puget Sound is home port to the North Pacific fishing fleet. Washington State has one of the highest percentages of boat owners in the United States. Washington State has the largest ferry system in the country. And we are the gateway to the Pacific -- the most trade-dependent state in the country, with one in four jobs related to trade.

Trade, fishing, and boating are as big a part of our economy and culture as aerospace, apples, software, or wheat -- but their influence on our daily lives is much less understood. Odyssey is an interactive window on the water that tells the stories of the men and women who pilot the ships, load our exports, fish the North Pacific seas, chart our waters, and protect our Sound every day.

Odyssey's three main galleries feature more than 40 innovative, interactive exhibits.

Through lively, hands-on, experiences, people can discover the nuts and bolts of a working waterfront, the basics of nautical operations, and the latest in commercial fishing technology. They can find out about the many boats and vessels we see everyday on our waters and learn about our commitment to environmental conservation and restoration.

You will see and do things generally unavailable to the public:

	Pilot a container ship.
	Step into a replica modern naval bridge.
	Take a virtual kayak tour.
	Load containers.

Students and kids will have a chance to experience fun maritime adventures first-hand:

	Pedal a full-size propeller and learn the physics behind propulsion!
	Haul in fish aboard the kid skiff!
	Navigate around the museum using multiple compass roses!
	Watch a rescue at sea!

Great for all ages! Odyssey provides visitors a chance to explore the maritime world and learn about issues of special importance to the Northwest, including fisheries management, global trade, inter-modal transportation, marine safety, and environmental preservation.

No other place in the Northwest offers a comprehensive view of our regional economy and cultural and environmental treasures.