The tall ship replica of the Santa Maria is heading to Wilmington and will be open for tours this May.

WILMINGTON — Big ships are a common sight in Wilmington, from pleasure cruises to cargo ships dropping off their goods at the port — but this May visitors can see a different type of ship making a stop in Wilmington as the replica of the Santa Maria docks for 10 days.

“The replica of the Santa Maria, the ship that made one of the most important maritime voyages in history, will be on display in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina at Port City Marina May 9-19,” according to a press release.

It will be docked at the pier at the Port City Marina next to the Wilmington Convention Center

“The Santa María is a replica of the Spanish ships that traveled across the Atlantic Ocean in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Nao Santa Maria set sail in 2017 to mark the 525th anniversary of the original voyage which started in Spain in August of 1492. The ship was named after the Nao Santa María sailed by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and was built in Spain by the Nao Victoria Foundation in 2017. The 200-ton, three mast ship made several travels to France and Spain in 2018, as well as a voyage across the Atlantic,” according to the release.

This is not the first time Wilmington has been visited by tall ships, in 2017 the Niña and Pinta docked in the Port City.

Tours will be available of the ship and are from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily. Tickets are $10 Adults (11 yr. +), $5 Kids (5-10 yrs.), $25 Family – 2 Adults + up to 3 kids (5-10 yrs.)

Tickets are available online or you may purchase them at the dock.