Steele Model Pavilion

Ships, boats and yachts are complex vessels to design and build. They require painstaking craftsmanship, countless hours of fabrication and a superior eye for design and detail. We’re talking about model ships here. The kind we house right here at ExplorOcean/Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, also known as one of the most esteemed private collection of model ships in the world.

Additionally, be sure to visit our Newport and Extraordinary Explorers galleries.

Steele Model Pavilion

Our Esteemed Ship Model Collection

View our diverse collection that spans throughout centuries and around the globe.

H.M.S Britannia

This builders model was used as a blueprint to construct vessels and was used for functionality versus art.

White Wings

This highly detailed model showcases bedrooms, a bathroom and a captains quarters.

The Steele Model Pavilion is home to our esteemed collection of model ships, as well as video programs about extreme ocean sailing and local history. Highlights from the collection include the HMS Kent, a Prisoner of War Model built from animal bones and rigged with human hair; the Sua Kamron Sindu, a gift from a jeweler to the King of Siam made of 22k gold and silver; and White Wings, a highly detailed model complete with real leather seats, opening doors and even a tiny roll of toilet paper for the latrine.