MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM

Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.”

Recognize the changing environment around them, the Museum engaged Lord Cultural Resources to provide an IDEA plan that would move the Museum forward as a critical “trusted space” for public engagement, connection, learning, and employment.

Our process included thorough internal and external engagement with a broad selection of external stakeholders, as well as all staff and board. From the overall process, a set of themes and critical issues were presented to the DEAI committee. The final plan outlines the priorities, strategies, and implementation measures to address those issues. Outcomes of the planning process included strategies for increasing diversity among staff and board, expanded storytelling for diverse audiences as well as deepening connections with community members and organizations.