San Diego families are invited to join the crew as Boarded! A New Pirate Adventure returns to San Diego Bay at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, with two joyful sailings left in 2026: Saturday, November 28 and Saturday, December 26.
This hilarious 90-minute interactive show, presented by San Diego Pirate Adventures aboard one of the museum’s historic tall ships — the San Salvador, a replica 16th-century Spanish galleon, or the schooner Californian, depending on availability — puts visitors right in the middle of the action. Guests are sworn in as part of the ship’s crew and trained in essential pirate skills: how to navigate, sword fight, bail water from a sinking ship, escape from the King’s Jail, swab the deck and much more, all led by live pirate actors with immersive storytelling and swashbuckling fun.
Each date offers two showtimes, 10:30 a.m. or 12:45 p.m., and families are asked to check in 15 to 30 minutes before boarding at the museum, at 1492 N. Harbor Drive. Tickets are $93 for adults and $38 for youth under 18, with all online ticketing fees included, and advance booking is recommended because dates are limited. One helpful note for parents: the show includes simulated gunfire, so ear plugs are a good idea for little buccaneers who are sensitive to loud sounds. Sails are not set during Boarded cruises, which keeps the adventure close to the sparkling waterfront.
It is a happy, hands-on way for kids and grown-ups alike to discover the museum’s world-class collection of historic ships — and to leave the bay officially certified as pirates.
Photo: Maritime Museum of San Diego
