BOSTON TEA PARTY SHIP TO REOPEN

ONE OF THE PIVOTAL EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WAS THE BOSTON TEA PARTY, WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY COMMEMORATED WITH A ONCE POPULAR TOURIST SITE IN BOSTON HARBOR. A RECREATION OF THE 18th CENTURY BRITISH TALL SHIP, THE BRIG BEAVER, THAT WAS RAIDED BY COLONIAL PROTESTERS ON 16.DECEMBER.1773, DREW OVER 400,000 VISITORS YEARLY. THE HISTORIC SITE EVENTUALLY FELL INTO DISREPAIR AND WAS FOR THE MOST PART ABANDONED BY VISITING TOURISTS. A FIRE CAUSED BY LIGHTNING FORCED THE MUSEUM TO CLOSE IN 2001. HISTORIC TOURS OF AMERICA HAS TAKEN OWNERSHIP OF THE HISTORIC SITE AND RECENTLY SECURED FINANCING FOR AN ESTIMATED $22 MILLION TO $24 MILLION NEW BOSTON TEA PARTY SHIPS & MUSEUM. TWO REPLICA TALL SHIPS, EXHIBITS, LIVING HISTORIC PROGRAMS, MEMORABILIA, A TEA ROOM, AND MORE ARE SLATED TO OPEN IN THE FALL OF 2011 OR EARLY 2012. A THIRD BRIG, THE ELEANOR, WILL BE ADDED IN A FEW YEARS. AMONG THE RELICS TO BE DISPLAYED IS THE REDISCOVERED ROBINSON HALF CHEST, ONE OF ONLY TWO KNOWN SURVIVING TEA CHESTS DUMPED OVERBOARD DURING THE 1773 TEA PARTY UPRISING.