Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum

In honor of #nationalcatday, here are some photos of aboard Cruiser Olympia at Independence Seaport Museum. Do you have a cat? If so, post a photo in the comment section below . (Photos courtesy of the J. Welles Henderson Research Center).

Our volunteers and crew, over the last couple months, tackled our signal bridge which was in dire need of some tender loving care. Our volunteers Ryan and Jon, our historian Luke, and shipkeepers Brendan, Sarah, Manny, and Alex each did their part to bring the bridge back anew and the results really show! Just check out the before and after photos!

30% of our new safety stanchions are now installed, and yesterday we received over 1000ft of wire rope which will be used to safely encircle the quarterdeck and allow visitors to wander the deck at their own leisure! This project has been funded entirely by our fans, and we are now just over 75% of our goal! Donate today to help us complete the project! https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/cruiser-olympia

Our first two new quarterdeck stanchions are now bolted in place, all thanks to our fine donors! Only 29 to go! This project, once completed, will allow our visitors to once again visit the quarterdeck of the OLYMPIA. We are now nearing 75% of our fundraiser! Read more and donate at: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/cruiser-olympia

Happy 245th Birthday to the United States Navy! From all of us crew aboard the Cruiser OLYMPIA, we sincerely thank the Navy and the personnel that make up its ranks for all that they have done throughout history!

As funding comes in for our Quarterdeck fundraiser project, we have been accelerating the work forward! Donate today! https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/cruiser-olympia... Today the crew began temporarily removing the original stanchions and chain on the quarterdeck in preparation for the new bolt-on safety railing, which will allow us to open the the deck to the public! It took quite a bit of effort to remove the rusted fasteners of the original system, and so only the starboard side has been worked on so far. The original steel stanchions were cleaned up and prepped for paint, as well as the original bronze bases. The intention is to reinstall the original system once it is repainted and ready for the new bolt-on stanchions.

Independence Seaport Museum is in the midst of a GoFundMe campaign to re-open Cruiser OLYMPIA's Quarterdeck to the public and we need your help! Our goal is to... raise $10,000 to install the proper safety updates before opening the space to visitors in Spring 2021. Watch the video below to see what improvements we will be making and to learn more about the Quarterdeck and the function it served while Cruiser OLYMPIA was at sea. Thank you to all those who have donated so far to our campaign. Because of you, we are almost halfway to our goal! Please consider making a gift today so we can preserve the Quarterdeck for future visitors: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/cruiser-olympia

We've gotten a little more than 1/3 of our quarterdeck funds raised, but donations have slowed to a trickle! Keep up the push! https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/cruiser-olympia This project aims to repair and improve the safety rails around the quarterdeck. By doing so, we can open up the historic 2,600sq.ft. space to our visitors for the first time in many years! Photo: Commander Lamberton, Captain Gridley, and Commodore Dewey stand on the OLYMPIA's quarterdeck during the Battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898. Independence Seaport Museum Library and Archives.

Today our crew and volunteers have been scraping and painting the port bow. Needless to say its coming along great!

#OTD - On This Day, October 3, 1921 - 99 years ago. OLYMPIA departs the United States on a mission to retrieve the remains of the Unknown Soldier. Picked by the Secretary of the Navy and other officials due to her fame and reliability, this was one of the most significant moments in OLYMPIA's career, and her last international mission. She would first stop at England to participate in England's Unknown Warrior ceremony, before moving on and arriving at Le Havre, France, on O...ctober 24. Photo from the Independence Seaport Museum Library and Archives

Fundraiser update! https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/cruiser-olympia We got the stanchions, we got the nuts, bolts, and washers, and all thanks to our wonderful donors so far! ... The quarterdeck project is already underway, but we could use your help to raise the remaining funds! The historic documentation of the space is already complete, and we've been scaling and painting the areas where the new stanchions will bolt in. With the bolts now in-hand, we can start bolting in the new system as we progress through the preparation phase. Our next purchases will be wire ropes, steel mesh, chain, and other hardware relating to the new safety system. We will also be doing various welded repairs. Upon completion, the deck will be open to our self-guided visitors for the first time in years! Please share to those who may be able to help, and thank you to everyone who has supported this project so far!

Wow, it's only been 1 day since our fundraiser was announced and we've already received 25% of our request! Thank you so much to those who have donated so far! Help us re-open the iconic quarterdeck as part of your tour experience: donate, and share to your friends and groups! More info at the link. https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/cruiser-olympia