Mystic Seaport wants to become a year-round destination and a new $15 million project is making that possible.
Part of it is the grand opening of SeaChange Saturday. It is the inaugural exhibit in the Collins Gallery in the new Thompson Exhibition Building.
SeaChange is a compilation of some rare items, projection and interactive elements.
Among the artifacts on display is a turtle cradle that belonged to a New Haven captain. He spent most of his life at sea and this was his way to connect with his daughter.
There are also charts of the North Atlantic coast owned by Napoleon's stepson.
"They're going to look, they're going to hear, they may even smell and watch, and really get a sense of where these pieces came from -- but also how they connect to us today," Elysa Engelman, director of exhibits at Mystic Seaport, said.
SeaChange opens Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. It will be open through next fall.
