Great Lakes Museums

This alphabetical listing courtesy of Marine Publishing Co.

From the 1995 Edition of Know Your Ships

A-Admission fee; T-Tours;G-Gift Shop


  • Antique Boat Museum

    •  750 Mary St. , Claton, NY.
    Extensive collection of historic fresh water boats and engines. Annual boat show first weekend of August. 315-686-4104- A,G-May 15-OCt.15

  • Bernier Maritime Museum

    •  55 rue des pionniers Est., L'islet-Sur-Mer, PQ
    Located in an 1877-built convent, the museum explores the history of navigation on the St. Lawrence River. Several Vessels are displayed, including the icebreaker Ernest Lapointe. 418-247-5001 A- open year'round

  • Canal Park Marine Museum

    •  Duluth, MN
    Operating steam engine, full-sized replicas of cabin found on Great Lakes ships, an numerous hands-on exhibits. Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 218-727-2497- Free Open year 'round

  • City of Erie, PA

    • Retired Great Lakes sandsucker Niagara awaits conversion to a museum.

  • City of Frankfort, MI

    •  Former Lake Michigan rail and passenger ferry City of Milwaukee, built 1931, awaits conversion to a museum.

  • City of Hammond, IN

    • 1905-built passenger steamer Clipper, uncertian future.

  • City of Manitowaning,ON

    • Heritage Park, Manitowaning, On.
    Former Georgian Bay-area passenger/freight carrier Norisle. 705-859-3977- A,T - June 1-Labor Day

  • City of Port Huron, MI

    • Pine Grove Park, Port Huron Michigan The 97-foot-long Lightship Huron, once stationed in lower Lake Huron now open to the public. 810-985-7101 - A,T,G Mid-May-Sept.

  • City Of Toledo, OH


    • International Park, Toledo OH.
    1911-built Willis B. Boyer, 617' retired Freighter. 419-936-3070 - A,T,G- Year 'round (call for winter hours)- Volunteers needed.

  • Door County Maritime Museum


    • Sunset Park, Sturgeon Bay, WI
    Located in the former offices of Roen Steamship Co., exhibits portray the role shipbuilding has played in the Door Peninsula. Displays include artifacts from sunken ships, photos, and charts. Refurbished pilothouse on display. 414-743-8139 - A (donations)- Memorial Day weekend-mid-Oct.

  • Dossin Great Lakes Museum

    •  100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle, Detroit, MI.
    Ship Models, photographs, interpretive displays, the smoking room from the 1912 passenger steamer City of Detroit III, and anchor from the Edmond Fitzgerald and the working pilot house from the steamer William Clay Ford are just a few of this museum's wide range of attractions. 313-267-6440 - A (donations), G- Year 'round.

  • Duluth & Area Convention Center


    • 350 Harbor Dr. Duluth, MN.
    The 1938 built William A. Irvin, at 610 feet the former flagship of the vast U.S. Steel Fleet, now serves as a marine museum. The Irvan last sailed in 1978. 218-722-7876 - A,T,G - Late spring-fall.

  • Fathom Five National Marine Park

    • Tobermory, ON
    Canada's first national underwater maritime park encompasses 19 of the area's 26 ship wrecks, two of which can be see from a glass bottom boat. 519-596-2233 - A - April-mid-November.

  • Follett House Museum

    404 Wayne St.  Sandusky Oh.419-627-9608
Displaying and preserving item of interest in the Sandusky, Erie County,
and Johnson's Island area.  Featuring a large collection of Johnson's
Island Confederate Officers' Prison memorabilia. A,G
closed JAN-MAR. April & May-Tu,Th,Su 1-4
Memorial Day to Labor Day Tu-Sun 1-4, Sep-Dec Tu,Th, Su 1-4

  • Friends of the Canadian

    • I.M.&T. Plaza, Buffalo, NY
    1916 built passenger ship Canadian awaits extensive refurbishing(docked in Port Colborne)

  • Grand Marais Maritime Museum

    • Coast Guard Point, Grand Marais , MI 906-387-3700 - T - July 1 - Labor Day.

  • Great Lakes Historical Society

    • 480 Main St. Vermillion, OH
    Museum, housed in the former Wakefield Mansion, tells the story of the Great Lakes through ship models, paintings, exhibits and artifacts, including engines and other machinery. Pilot house of retired laker Canopus and a replica of the Vermillion lighthouse are also on display. 216-967-3467 - A,G - museum open year 'round ... An affiliated operation is the U.S.S. Cod, a World War II submarine open to the public in Cleveland Harbor. May 1-Labor Day (tour restrictions may apply - call 216-566-8770 for details). - A,T,G

  • Great Lakes Marine & U.S.Coast Guard Museum

    • Walnut Blvd., Ashtabula, OH
    Housed in 1898-built former lighthouse keepers' residence, museum includes models, paintings, artifacts, photos, the world's only working scale model of a Hulett ore unloading machine and the pilot house from the lake steamer Thomas Walters. 216-964-6847 - A (donations), - T,G - Memorial Day-Oct. 31

  • Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Museum

    • Whitefish Point, MI
    Located adjacent to the historic Whitefish Point Lighthouse, the museum houses extensive light house and shipwreck artifacts, a shipwreck video theater and an Edmund Fitzgerald display, 906-635-1742 - A,G - May 14 Oct. 15

  • H. Lee White Marine Museum

    • 1176 Niagara St., Oswego, NY
    Former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' tug Nash, built 1943, is the only known surviving U.S. Army vessel associated with the D-Day landings.

  • Harbor Heritage Society

    • 480 Main St., Vermillion, OH
    http://little.nhlink.net/wgm/wgmhome.html
    The society operates the Museum ship William G. Mather, at the E. Ninth St. Pier in Cleveland. Displays and artifacts tell the story of the Great Lakes Shipping industry. 216-574-6262 - A,T,G - May- Oct.

  • Head of the Lakes Maritime Society

    •  Barker's Island, Superior, WI
    On Display is the steamer Meteor, built at superior in 1897 and the last example of the" whaleback" design common on the lakes in the early 1900s. Also: the dredge Col. D.D. Gaillard, built in 1916 and the only example of a dipper dredge preserved for public display. 715-392-5742 or 715-392-1083 - A,T,G - May - mid Oct.

  • Jesse Besser Museum

    •  Alpena, MI.
    Museum, which features a planetarium, offers a wealth of information about the history and development of the Alpena area. Among items on display: the anchor from the Great Lakes steamer Pewabic, which sank off Alpena in 1865. 517-356-2202 - Free - Open year 'round.

  • Keewatin

    •  Douglas, MI.
    Coal burning passenger steamer sailed the lakes from 1907 until her retirement in 1965. The Scottish built vessel, know for her refined accomodations and speed, sailed her entire life under the Canadian Pacific Railway flag. Also on display: the tug Reiss. 616-857-2464 or 616-857-2107 - A,T,G - Memorial Day - Labor Day

  • Lake County Historical Society

    •  Two Harbors,MI.
    Steam powered tug Edna G, built in 1896, served Duluth/Two Harbors area for more than eight decades. Refurbished in 1994

  • Le Sault de Sainte Marie Historical Sites, Inc.

    foot of Johnston St., Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
    Main exhibit is the former ore carrier Valley Camp, built in 1917 and now serving as a floating marine museum. Cargo holds house artifacts, ships models, photos and other memorabilia, as well as a tribute to the Edmund Fitzgerald that includes the ship's two lifeboats. Historic sites also operates the nearby tower of History, a 21-story observation tower that offers an exellent view of the Soo Locks and Soo Harbor. 906-632-3658 - A,T,G - May 15-Oct.15.

  • Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston

    55 Ontario St., Kingston, ON.
    Museum ashore, once part of a shipyard, explores the art of shipbuilding, while the museum ship Alexander Henry, a former Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, is open for tours and as a bed and breakfast. 613-542-2261 - A,T,G - May Sept.

  • Marine Museum of Upper Canada

    •  Exhibition Place, Toronto ON
    Exhibits witin the museum detail the development of the shipping industry on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The restored, 80 foot steam tug Ned Hanlan, built in 1932, is open to visitors next to the museum. 416-392-1765 - A,G - museum open year-round (Tug seasonal only)

  • Mariner's Musem

    •  Light House Park, South Bay, ON
    One of the oldest lighthouses in Ontario. Fishing nets, shipwreck maps, log books, and photos are on display. 613-476-4695 - A

  • Maritime Museum at Sleeping Bear

    •  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore near Glen Haven, MI
    616-326-5134 - May-October.

  • Marquette Maritime Museum

    •  East Ridge & Lake Shore Dr., Marquette, MI Contained in an 1890's waterworks building, the museum has recreated the offices of the first commercial fishing and passenger freight companies. Displays also includes charts, photos, models, and maritime artifacts. 906-226-2006 - A - May 31-Sept. 30.

  • Michigan Maritime Museum

    New Line off I-96 at Dyckman Ave.(exit 20), South Haven MI
    Exhibits include those dedicated to the U.S. Lifesaving Service and U.S. Coast Guard,
    and displays that tell the stories of boats and their uses on the Great Lakes. 616-637-8078 - A,G - May-Oct.

  • Mississagia Lighthouse Museum

    •  Manitoulin Island, ON
    1873 Vintage Lighthouse. 705-283-3444 - A - Victoria Day-Labor Day.

  • Museum of Science and Industry

    •  57th St. & Lakeshore Drv., Chicago, IL
    Among the museum displays is a captrued Worl War II submarine U-505, built in Hamburg in 1941. 312-684-1414. - A,T - Open year round
    .

  • Naval and Serviceman's Park Museum

    •  1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY
    On display: The guided missle cruiser U.S.S. Little Rock, the destroyer U.S.S. The Sullivans, and the World War II submarine U.S.S. Croaker. Museum's displays include models, armed service artifacts, and aircraft. 716-847-1733 - A,T - April-Nov.

  • Old Mariners Church

    170 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI
    Church was built in 1849 on Woodward Ave. orginally, but was moved in 1955 to make way for a civic center. The blessing of the Great Lakes Fleet and a memorial service for those who have died at sea takes place on the second Sunday of March. A memorial service is held for the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald on the Sunday closest to November 10th. Normal services are held every Sunday at 11 A.M. 313-259-2206 - T(reservations required), A(donations)

  • Old Presque Isle Lighthouse and Museum

    •  Presque Isle, MI
    Built in 1840, the lighthouse is fully restored. 517-595-2787 (after 7:30 P.M.) - A - Mid May-Mid October

  • Ontario Place

    •  955 Lakeshore Blvd., Toronto, ON
    Sprawling park offers a variety of entertainment, activities, and attractions, including the World War II Canadian destroy H.M.C.S. Haida, credited with the destruction of 14 enemy ships. 416-314-9900 - A - May 21-Oct. 14

  • Owen Sound Marine-Rail Museum

    •  1165 First Ave., Owen Sound, ON
    Museum depicts the history of each industry through display and photographs. 519-371-3333 - A

  • Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commision

    •  164 Front St., Erie, PA
    Commador Perry's Flag Ship, the U.S.S. Niagara. 814-452-2744 (Phone ahead to make sure ship is in port) - A, T

  • Pilothouse of the Str. Goderich

    •  Goderich, ON
    Pilothouse of retire Bulk Carrier on display in it's namesake city.

  • Pointe Iroquois Light Station

    Pointe Iroquois, MI (20 mi. west of Sault Ste. Marie)
    Museum and historic lighthouse reveals the stories of Light keepers and their families. 906-365-5311 - Memorial Day-Labor Day

  • Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum

    •  280 King St., Port Colborne, ON
    Wheelhouse from steam tug Yvonne Dupre Jr., anchor from the propellor ship Raleigh, and a lifeboat from the steamer Hochelaga are among the museum's display. 416-834-7604. - Free May-Dec.

  • River of History Museum

    Old Federal Building, Portage Ave. at Bingham Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, MI
    Interpertavie display explores 8,000 years of history of the St. Mary's River Valley. 906-632-1999. - A, G

  • Sandpoint Lighthouse

    Escanaba, MI
    Restored 1867 vintage lighthouse. 906-786-3763 - A - June 1-Labor Day

  • Sandusky Area Maritime Center

    279 E. Market St. Sandusky, Oh.419-624-0274
Museum and achives of the Sandusky Area Maritime Association, 
a group dedicated to preserving the maritime heritage of the Sandusky
area. Displays include the commercial fishing industry, the
ice cutting industry, the Lyman Boat Works, and the G.A.
Boeckling(former Cedar Point Ferry) -  A,G

  • St. Mary's River Centre

    •  Sault Ste. Marie, ON
    Former Georgian Bay area freight/passenger ferry Norgoma.

  • U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers Museum

    Soo Locks Visitor Center, Sault Ste. Marie, MI
    Center includes working model of Soo Locks, photos depicting their history, and a 25 minute film. Also, three outdoor observation decks adjacent to the MacArthur Lock provide an up close view of ships locking through. - Free - May-Nov.

    U.S.S. Silversides

     Muskegon, MI
    restored World War II submarine was one of the war's most highly decorated. 616-755-1230. - A, T - April-Oct.

  • Welland Canal Visitor Center

    •  Thorold, ON
    Center traces history and development of the Welland Canal. Pilot house of the package freighter Fort Henry on display. 416-685-1571 - Open during the navigation season.

  • Wisconsin Maritime Museum

    •  75 Maritime Dr., Maitowoc, WI
    Extensive displays on the history of shipbuilding. The exhibit honors submarine building in Maitowoc during World War II. Also on display: Submarine U.S.S. Cobie, built in 1943. 414-684-0218 - A, G, T - Open year round.

    I try to keep this list updated, if you know of a change or have new information, please help by sending it along:   ncschult@oakland.edu

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