Shipbuilding in Bath didn’t begin with the iron works. More than a century ago, the bustling center of Percy & Small Shipyards launched the five-masted schooners that carried Mainers into all corners of the world. The 20 acres of the former shipyard now form the campus of the Maine Maritime Museum (243 Washington St., Bath, 207/443-1316, www.mainemaritimemuseum.org, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, $12 adults, $11 seniors, $9 children 5–17, free children under 5), which features masterfully curated exhibits tackling all aspects of seafaring.

The various buildings of the shipyard itself each have informative exhibits on the different stages in the building process, while tours of the fishing schooner Sherman Zwicker allow visitors to explore the finished product. Don’t miss the lobstering exhibit tucked into a corner of the grounds; full of historical photographs and fishing gear, it’s bound to give you a deeper appreciation of that night’s meal.