Battleship Cove is happy to accept donations of artifacts (books, equipment, manuscripts, photos, etc.) that may be utilized in one of three ways:

1) An item may be used to authenticate a restored compartment on board one of our museum vessels. For example, a 1940s-era typewriter or telephone might be used in an office space or an official Navy blanket in an officer's stateroom.
2) An item may be used in an exhibit specifically dedicated to a particular topic. For example, our D-Day Invasion exhibit displays a German flare pistol discovered on a Normandy beachhead; our former crewmember display showcases several personal items belonging to Massachusetts sailors.
3) After appropriate preservation measures are implemented, an item may be placed in our archival storage areas, available to researches for examination or other study.

All donations are accessioned (a process which acknowledges, documents, and catalogues an artifact) using computer software that enables the fast retrieval of an artifact's accession record. Please note that under normal conditions there is no guarantee that an item will be placed on temporary or permanent display.

Please contact Curator Christopher Nardi if you are interested in donating an artifact to Battleship Cove.

A (REALLY) BIG MAMIE: Nobody seems to know exactly how USS Massachusetts got the nickname "Big Mamie," but when you consider she's 680 feet long, the "big" part is easy to figure out.

Battleship Cove is proud to unveil another warship worthy of the title "Big Mamie": a 17-foot replica of BB59. Donated by Richard Kumor (with the help of Frank Andruss) and painstakingly restored by volunteer Joe McDonald , this massive model was recently towed as a float for Fall River's Bicentennial Parade. (Click here for the video.)

Presently plans are underway to build a display case for the leviathan. If you are interested in donating funds or materials for this project, please email Curator Chris Nardi.