The New Jersey Maritime Museum is a museum organized solely for educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. Its educational mission include, among many other things, providing a venue for the public display of an important number of marine artifacts. The display of said artifacts will encourage maritime research, historical teaching by guest lecturers and promote the education of the public about the maritime history of the state of New Jersey.

During World War II, the waters off New Jersey would serve as the area for nearly three years of wrecking, tragedy and heroism. In the first six months alone, the U-Boat battle against the U.S. resulted in the loss of almost 400 ships and nearly 5,000 lives. It is called the ?Graveyard of the Atlantic.? Having maintained a visitor?s logbook since its opening on July 3, 2007, it has more than tripled the number of visitors of recent years.

Monthly programs conducted at the New Jersey Maritime Museum have been greeted with considerable turnout: Capt.'s Tom Packer and Steve Gatto gave a show on the sinking of the Bow Mariner and also their dive to the engine room of the Andrea Doria; Bart Malone?s presentations about the Empress of Ireland and East Coast Wreck Diving; Mike Dudas?s presentation on Bikini Atoll, among many others. The museum?s yearly fund-raising initiatives are attended by over 340 people.

In less than four years, the museum has earned huge recognition and credibility. It received frequent e-mails asking for assistance in shipwreck and U.S. Life Saving Service research; geneology; World Wars I and II maritime casualties, the coastal history of New Jersey, and many other subjects. Available for public study and research are records of over 7,200 ships that sank off the coast of New Jersey. For two years in a row, the New Jersey Maritime Museum has been chosen as the ?Best Museum in New Jersey? by the readers of New Jersey Monthly magazine.