Kalmar Nyckel Foundation

Preserving and promoting the cultural and maritime heritage of Delaware and the Delaware Valley for the education and enrichment of all.

About Kalmar Nyckel Foundation

Mission: Preserving and promoting the cultural and maritime heritage of Delaware and the Delaware Valley for the education and enrichment of all.

Launched in 1997, the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is a non-profit volunteer-based educational organization that reaches 35,000 people in a typical year. It built, owns, and operates Kalmar Nyckel, The Tall Ship of Delaware, and the Tatiana and Gerret Copeland Maritime Center located on Wilmington's East 7th Street Peninsula. Today’s Kalmar Nyckel, serves as a floating classroom that offers people of all ages a variety of sea- and land-based educational and recreational experiences.

BACKGROUND

Kalmar Nyckel was the Swedish naval ship that landed in present-Delaware in 1638 to launch the colony of New Sweden, establishing the  first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. Our maritime center is located just 200 yards from the original 1638 landing site at “The Rocks” in Wilmington, DE.

Adventure awaits! Today's Kalmar Nyckel offers day and evening sails, plus private parties, and educational programs onboard or dockside from April through October each sailing season.
 
The Copeland Maritime Center offers a year-round riverfront venue for experiential learning and educational field trips as well as private rentals for business and social events. Self-guided and private group tours of our exhibits are available.

The organization also serves as a catalyst for social and economic development and outreach in and beyond the state of Delaware.

County Served: New Castle; Kent; Sussex

Office Location(s): Wilmington

Sector: Arts & Culture; Community Improvement; Education; Environment; Kids; Museums & Historical; Science & Technology; Volunteerism; Workforce