Collections
Collections are at the heart of what makes us a Museum. Over the more than 40 years since our first Antique Boat Show, we have built up an extraordinary collection of more than 250 watercraft, 65 inboard engines, 138 outboard motors and approximately 3000 smaller artifacts, together with significant archival holdings of pleasure-boating-related material. Approximately 40% of the Museum's boats are on display at any one time. Boats not on display, and other artifacts in storage, may be viewed by making an appointment with John Summers, Chief Curator jsummers@abm.org, 315.686.4104 x 225.
The Lou Smith Library and Marion Clayton Link Archives are open to researchers Mondays 9am to 5pm; Thursdays 9am to 12 noon; Fridays 1pm to 4pm and other times by appointment. To make an appointment for library and archive research, or to enquire further about the Museum's holdings, please contact John Summers, Chief Curator jsummers@abm.org, 315.686.4104 x 225. You may also submit a written research question by downloading and mailing in a Research Request Form. To download a Research Request Form, click on this PDF link.
The Lou Smith Library and Marion Clayton Link Archives are open to researchers Mondays 9am to 5pm; Thursdays 9am to 12 noon; Fridays 1pm to 4pm and other times by appointment. To make an appointment for library and archive research, or to enquire further about the Museum's holdings, please contact John Summers, Chief Curator jsummers@abm.org, 315.686.4104 x 225. You may also submit a written research question by downloading and mailing in a Research Request Form. To download a Research Request Form, click on this PDF link.
As well as the boats displayed in the galleries and kept in storage, the Museum maintains a fleet of in-water boats to support our programs and advance our mission of preserving and interpreting pleasure-boating history.
- Zipper: a 41' 6" commuter, designed in the 1930s by the Purdy Boat Works and built in 1974 by Staudacher Yachts of Kawkalin, MI;
- Miss 1000 Islands II: a 30' triple-cockpit runabout, built in 1999 by HackerCraft;
- Teal: a 28' triple-cockpit runabout built in 1989 to a Gar Wood design by Gar Wood Custom Boats;
- Gadfly: a 33' 6" sedan, built in 1931 by Hutchinson Boat Works;
- Rebecca: a 16' catboat built in 2000 by the Antique Boat Museum to a J.Henry Rushton design;
- Roseblossom II: a 12' Beetle Cat built in 1931;
- Margaret G: a 17' Skaneateles skiff built in 1999 by the Antique Boat Museum;
- A number of sailing and rowing St. Lawrence skiffs, most built at the Museum;
- A number of small craft used for sail training, including International Optimist dinghies; Sunfish dinghies and a Bluenose sloop.
The boat collection contains watercraft by the following makers: Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
The inboard collection contains engines by the following makers: Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
The outboard collection contains motors by the following makers: Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
Download a detailed list of all the inboard engines in the collection Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
Download a detailed list of all the boats in the collection Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
Download a detailed list of all the outboard motors in the collection Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
