The Waterways Museum Society, formerly known as the Boat Museum Society, was established with the primary objective of preserving the historic boats, skills, knowledge, and way of life of the waterways. In 1971, the society founded the NorthWestern Museum of Inland Navigation in Ellesmere Port to prevent the disappearance of working craft and traditions of the waterways. Today, this has evolved into the National Waterways Museum, which houses an essential collection of historic boats, artefacts, and archives. The Canal & River Trust operates it, aiming to promote public appreciation and conservation of the canals, traditional skills, and way of life.