A Special Thank You
Maintenance funding is covered in part from a grant through the Gordon Chandler Memorial Fund of The Columbus Foundation.

THE WORLD WAS FOREVER CHANGED when, in 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail searching for a direct trade route to the Indies. Carrying him was the Santa Maria, a 98-foot wooden "nao", or typical cargo ship.

More than 500 years later, you can tour the world's most authentic, museum-quality replica of Christopher Columbus' flagship. Guided tours dramatize the daring and determination it took for these explorers to set out on their mission. Fascinating displays show the far-ranging impact of the encounter of two worlds that existed in 1492.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - More Info & Application
Teen Tour Guides: Must be at least 13 years of age. Must work two weekends a month and at least one day a week during the summer. Give tours to the public. A good opportunity to develop communication skills.
Adult Tour Guides: 18 years of age or older, must have a background check. Give tours to the public. Weekend and weekday opportunities are available.
Maintenance Volunteers: Must have a background check. Should have some wood working skills but not required. Available to work on weekends. Some projects can be done at home or in the maintenance building i.e. prop repairs, refinishing blocks and tackles etc. Painting and cleaning are also part of the maintenance work.
Grant Writers: Must have experience in Searching and writing grants. Help find funds to operate and/or restore/repair the ship or enhance our current programming etc.
Fundraising: Have experience in fundraising. Seek out opportunities for the ship.

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES - More Info & Application
Clean-up around the park and waterways: Pick up trash from the park area, sweep the pavement down by the ship, and clean the waterway using the canoe to reach floating debris. No age requirement. Half a day’s work. Needs to be done in late March, early June and in September.
Ship clean-up: Washing down the ship decks. Cleaning the scuppers (drains along the ship’s decks) and along the ribs of the ship with a toothbrush to remove any deposits. Spider web removal from the decks and deck supports. Minor ship repairs or painting. All ages. Half day of work. Needs to be done monthly.
Maintenance and Repairs: The things that need to be done vary greatly from time to time. Some require wood working skills; some are labor intensive i.e. such as caulking the decks Length of time can fluctuate according to the job. This is an ongoing job.
Event Workers: We hold events through out the season, some requiring help to set up or take down tables, chairs, tents etc. or work concession stands. Contact the office or email us about current opportunities. During the Columbus Arts Festival and Navigation Sunday we need scouts to help with making wooden boats for young kids. No age requirements.

HELP KEEP THE SANTA MARIA SHIP/MUSEUM AFLOAT!
Help the Santa Maria stay afloat in this difficult economic climate. School tours and Overnight programming have suffered due to the recession and cuts in school budgets. In order to continue offering guided tours, educational in-depth programming and diversity events on a full-size preservation such as ours, continuous maintenance is necessary. The rising cost of restoration and preservation combined with a loss of grant money, declining numbers of school tours and Overnight participants has taken a toll on our budget.

Our ask is twofold:
1) Send us a minimum of $10.00:
Checks made out to Columbus Santa Maria Inc., 1111 East Broad Street LL, Columbus, OH 43205 or call the ship during normal business hours, Wednesday thru Friday from 10-3 PM, Saturday and Sunday from noon-5pm. We can do a Visa or MasterCard transaction over the phone or you can fill out the donation form here on the Web site.

2) Forward this request in an email to everyone you know who might have an interest in the Santa Maria, ships, in history or education.

Thank you.
The Santa Maria Staff and Board

ALL HANDS ON DECK!
Adult and teen volunteers are needed. For a fun, educational experience, the Santa Maria is looking for tours guides, special event volunteers, carpenters, and maintenance people. Volunteer application available in Adobe PDF Format.

INVISIBILITY? - YES!
The Santa Maria Seeds of Change Visitor Education Center is now the home of the world's first multimedia exhibit on successful invisibility research, featuring the Santa Maria herself!

The Santa Maria Experiment exhibit is the first display to feature actual successful research in optical invisibility. The exhibit combines history from two different epochs to prove a scientific theory of how objects can be made invisible through the bending of light.

There's no doubt that the subject of invisibility has captured the public's imagination. That makes seeing the Santa Maria Experiment exhibit a must! Find out more at the official web site.

CHILDREN'S PIRATE BIRTHDAY PARTY!
The Santa Maria pirate party is an absolute one-of-a-kind birthday experience that no child will ever forget. Complete with games, a tour of the ship, pirate hats, goody bags, cake and punch, this one and a half hour children's party is an incredible bargain at just $295.00 for up to 20 guests.

Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Each additional child is $15. Call 614.645.8760 for more information and to reserve your birthday date...TODAY!

IN MEMORIUM TO TOM "THE COLONEL" CARTER!
On Tuesday April 8, 2008, one of our most active volunteers, Tom ("The colonel") Carter, passed away. Continuing his generosity, he requested that donations be made to the Columbus Santa Maria in his name. Donations can be made to Columbus Santa Maria Inc. 1111 E. Broad Street Lower Level, Columbus, OH 43205 or by clicking here.