Replicas of two of the ships Christopher Columbus used to explore the New World will be coming to Newport.

The replicas of the Pinta and the Nina will arrive in the city Thursday and be open to the public starting Friday. They will be docked at Fort Adams State Park until June 26.

The ships, owned by the Columbus Foundation, based in the British Virgin Islands, serve as a sailing museum to educate the public about the kind of Portuguese ship called the caravel. The caravel was used by many explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The 65-foot Nina was built by hand. The 85-foot Pinta is a larger version of the typical caravel.