The William J. Morgan Building houses the Quest for Speed exhibit. To learn more about the exhibit, read below. For a sneak peek at the Morgan Building and exhibit as they were in 2020, check out The Wooden Boat Experience’s episode from the Tour of the Galleries Scott Ouderkirk took us on during our virtual opening.
Quest for Speed
Since the invention of the boat, people have been focused on making them go faster. Originally for utility and necessity, humans quickly realized that honing a fast craft and competing against others could be a fun, rewarding activity. There are many ways to make a boat go faster, including changes in hull design, increasing engine power, modifying the means of propulsion, and so on. It all comes down to covering a given distance as quickly as possible.
Quest for Speed showcases the history of boat racing, from the outstanding Gold Cup and Harmsworth Trophy winner, Dixie II, to record setting hydroplanes, modified Packard and Liberty airplane engines, and racing memorabilia. As you browse through the exhibit, you will meet many personalities who were important in racing history for a variety of reasons. Some of them you may already have heard of, others may surprise you.
