It includes permanent exhibits on the 1935 USS Macon disaster off Point Sur, the Ohlone and Rumsien tribes that once lived in the area, the Spanish exploration of the California coast and the Monterey sardine industry.

It was located in the basement of the Monterey Museum of Art, and principally housed the collection of Allen Knight, who briefly worked as a sailor in 1916, and collected artifacts and memorabilia related to maritime activities throughout his life.

[3] The proposal for a new maritime museum was approved in 1982, but funding was not fully acquired until 1991.

On July 15, 1991, construction began on the current Maritime and History Museum in Custom House Plaza.

[1] In 2016, the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association acquired the Allen Knight collection.