Columbus Ohio the Santa Maria has been parked on the Scioto River since 1992. 

I visited the Santa Maria in September 2009.  I don't have any kids... 

I visited the Santa Maria on Talk Like a Pirate Day 2009 in September.

The Santa Maria in Columbus Ohio is the most authentic replica of Christopher Columbus's ship in the world.

How do I know that?  A sign at the Columbus "floating" museum in downtown Columbus told me so.  I believe the Santa Maria website (link above ) does too.  Yep

"Make your plans now to visit the world's most authentic, museum-quality replica of Christopher Columbus' flagship."

The real Santa Maria

The Santa Maria was not a very big ship.  It is hard to imagine it crossing the ocean.  It is hard to imagine what life on the ship was like... with all those other people.  Our tour guides  and the "pirates"  on board the Santa Maria on Talk Like a Pirate Day did a good job of giving an idea of what life on Columbus ship would have been like... and also life on a pirate ship, since it was Talk Like a Pirate Day.  The man dressed up as the ships surgeon showed us surgical tools of Columbus day and later when pirates sailed the high seas.  Our tour guide on the Santa Maria shared the story of everyday life on a ship in days gone by, eating, sleeping, bodily functions... there is a replica of 1492 "toilet paper"  but I'll save that story for another day.

Columbus Ohio the Santa Maria

According to the Santa Maria website this authentic representation is less than 1000 100* feet long. The Santa Maria website says:

"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."

We visited the cargo hold on the Santa Maria...  heard stories of what cargo would have been down there in Columbus day and what else would have been down there... scary...  It is amazing how little cargo the Santa Maria held. 

The Santa Maria was board by pirates on 'Talk Like a Pirate Day' in September 2009 despite a lot of canon fire.

Loud canon fire...

There was sword play, gun play and loss of life aboard the Santa Maria that day... all re-enacted of course.  Do you see the dead man on the deck in my photo?

Columbus Ohio from the Santa Maria

Columbus Ohio is just one city in the US named for Christopher Columbus.   Columbus Ohio is the biggest Columbus in the world.

Until October each year, I seldom remember that the Columbus in Columbus Ohio is in honor of a man who sailed the Atlantic Ocean back in the 15th century and found the Carribean Islands and thought he was in India. 

We were lucky the day we went to downtown Columbus to visit the Santa Maria in September because we had a 6 year old visiting who LOVES pirates.  There was lots more to do downtown between Via Colori and Independent's Day.  There was more going on across the river at Genoa Park that September weekend.  There was Water Fire Friday and Saturday that weeekend.

Columbus Ohio's downtown is alive.

Week in and week out... downtown Columbus there are things to do.

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2009

Columbus is "cool"  for kids

Experience Columbus Days - Columbus Ohio Why do we celebrate Columbus Days October 2009

Still coming up in October 2009 on the Santa Maria? 

The Haunted Ship.  According to the Santa Maria website: "The Haunted ship is held October 29. 30 and Oct. 31 from 7-10 PM."

* Thanks to Jon Zolsky for emailing me I have a typo... one too many 0 in the size.  Tiny, tiny, tiny ship.