Association for Great Lakes Maritime History

Sponsoring Institutional Members

Bay County Historical Society

321 Washington Avenue – Bay City, MI 48708
Tel. (989) 893-5133 - Web Site: www.bchsmuseum.org

The Bay County Historical Society manages the Historical Museum of Bay County, on the shores of the Saginaw River in Bay City, Mich. not far from Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay. The Historical Museum’s Kantzler Maritime Gallery houses the “Bay City ... Seaport to the World” exhibit which showcases the region’s maritime heritage including shipbuilders who built the some of the largest wooden ships ever to sail the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Historical Society

National Museum of the Great Lakes

S.S. Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship
P.O. Box 435 - Vermilion, OH 44089
Tel. (440) 967-3467 or 1-800-893-1485
Web Site: www.inlandseas.org

Founded in 1944, the Great Lakes Historical Society has one of the world's largest collections of maritime artifacts, documents, models, and artwork related to the maritime history of the Great Lakes. In addition to the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, the Society’s operations also include the Clarence S. Metcalf Great Lakes Maritime Research Library, the Peachman Lake Erie Shipwreck Research Center, and the quarterly history journal Inland Seas®.

Door County Maritime Museum
120 N. Madison - Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Tel. (920) 743-5958 - Web Site: www.dcmm.org

The Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society operates three museums in Wisconsin’s scenic Door County including a year-round site in Sturgeon Bay which features displays on lighthouses, shipwrecks, and shipbuilding. Outside is the restored tug, John Purves. The Society also operates seasonal museums at the 1869 Cana Island Lighthouse and the historic commercial fishing port of Gills Rock, Wis.

Historical Collections of the Great Lakes
Center for Archival Collections
Bowling Green State University
Jerome Library, 6th Floor- Bowling Green, OH 43403
Tel. (419) 372-9612
Web Site: www.bgsu.edu/library/cac/collections/hcgl.html

Part of Bowling Green State University, the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes collects and preserves materials related to the history of the Great Lakes region and its connecting waterways; and then make them available to scholars, students, and the public. Its collections include materials related to shipping, shipbuilding, navigation, maritime law, commercial fishing, shipwrecks, yachting, labor history, popular literature, recreation, and maritime history.

Dossin Great Lakes Museum
Detroit Historical Society
5401 Woodward Ave. - Detroit, MI 48202
Tel. (313) 297-8366 - Web Site: www.detroithistorical.org

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum offers visitors an historical perspective on life on the Great Lakes and along the Detroit River. Located on historic Belle Isle, the Dossin Museum includes the former pilothouse of a Great Lakes freighter, and the Gothic Room, which as once part of the luxury passenger steamer City of Detroit III which operated during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Lake Superior Marine Museum Association
P.O. Box 177- Duluth, MN 55801-0177
Tel. (218) 727-2497
Web Site: www.lsmma.com

The Lake Superior Marine Museum Association seeks to preserve the maritime heritage of Lake Superior and the Port of Duluth-Superior by supporting the activities and programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center in Duluth, and the Lake Superior Maritime Collections at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The LSMMA cooperates with both institutions to acquire, preserve and exhibit maritime artifacts, documents, publications, and photographs.

Mackinac State Historic Parks

P.O. Box 873 – Mackinaw City, MI 49701
Tel. (231) 436-4212 - Web Site: www.mackinacparks.com

Mackinac State Historic Parks is a family of living history museums and parks in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac region including Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park, The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Historic Downtown Mackinac, Michilimackinac State Park, Colonial Michilimackinac, Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park, and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City.

Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston
55 Ontario St. - Kingston, Ont. K7L 2Y2
Tel. (613) 542-2261 - Web Site: www.marmuseum.ca

Located adjacent to an historic dry dock, the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes houses the original pumping station and steam engines for the dock which was built in 1891. In addition to an extensive collection of artifacts and works of arts, the museum is also home to the Gordon C. Shaw Study Centre, Audrey Rushbrook Memorial Library, and the museum ship Alexander Henry, a former Canadian Coast Guard buoy tender/icebreaker.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
500 West Fletcher St.- Alpena, MI 49707
Tel. (989) 356-8805 - Web Site: www.thunderbay.noaa.gov

Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay is one of the most treacherous stretches of water in the Great Lakes. The 200 recorded shipwrecks in its waters have earned the area its nickname of “Shipwreck Alley.” Today, the 448-square-mile National Marine Sanctuary protects one of the Great Lakes region’s best-preserved collections of shipwrecks ranging from an 1844 side wheel steamer to a modern 500-foot-long German freighter.

University of Wisconsin - Superior
Lake Superior Maritime Collections
P.O. Box 2000 - Superior, WI 54880
Tel. (715) 394-8359
Web Site: www.uwsuper.edu/specialcollections/maritime

The Lake Superior Maritime Collections Archives (LSMCA) seeks to build a high-quality research collection for both professional and avocational historians by identifying, collecting, preserving, and providing access to materials related to the maritime heritage of the communities surrounding Lake Superior and the upper Great Lakes. While the focus is Lake Superior, the collections also contain unique resources for the study of maritime history on the lower Great Lakes and beyond.

Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Marine Room, Milwaukee Public Library
814 W. Wisconsin Ave.- Milwaukee, WI 53233
Tel. (414) 286-3074 - Web Site: www.wmhs.org

The Wisconsin Marine Historical Society is one of the region’s most significant depositories of research materials related to the marine history of the Great Lakes. Affiliated with and housed in the Milwaukee Public Library, the Society is devoted to discovering, collecting, recording and preserving materials related to Great Lakes maritime history. In addition to publications and programs, the Historical Society also maintains a database of Great Lakes vessel information as part of a cooperative effort with the Milwaukee Public Library.

Wisconsin Maritime Museum
75 Maritime Dr.- Manitowoc, WI 54220
Tel. (920) 684-0218
Web Site: www.wisconsinmaritime.org

Founded in 1970, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum is one of the largest maritime museums in the Midwest. In addition to commemorating the marine heritage of the Manitowoc-Two Rivers area and the submarines built there during World War II, the museum is a leader in preserving the maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. With over 60,000 square feet of space, it houses includes a unique collection of model ships and marine engines, along with the World War II submarine U.S.S. Cobia.

Institutional Members

Algonac-Clay Historical Society and Museum

1240 St. Clair Drive - P.O. Box 228

Algonac, MI 48001

Tel.: (810) 794-9015

Web Site: www.algonac-clay-history.com

Allen County Public Library

Genealogy Department - P.O. Box 2270
Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270

Tel.: (260) 421-1200

Web Site: www.acpl.lib.in.us

Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library

211 N. First Avenue - Alpena, MI 49707

Tel.: (989) 356-6188 Ext. 17

E-mail: tbrc@alpenalibrary.org

Web Site: www.alpenalibrary.org

Click here for Great Lakes Maritime Database

Antique Boat Museum

750 Mary St. - Clayton, NY 13624

Tel.: (315) 686-4104

E-mail: info@abm.org

Web Site: www.abm.org

Ashtabula Maritime
and Surface Transportation Museum

P.O. Box 1546 - Ashtabula, OH 44005-1546

Tel.: (440) 964-6847

Web Site: www.ashtabulamarinemuseum.org

Bayfield Maritime Museum

C/O 317 S. Ninth Street

Bayfield, WI 54814

Web Site: bayfieldmaritimemuseum.org

Bland Memorial Library

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

300 Steamboat Rd. - Kings Point, NY 11024

Tel.: (516) 773-5505

Web Site: www.usmma.edu/library

Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre

33 Victoria St. N. - P.O. Box 180

Southampton, ON N0H 2L0

Tel.: (519) 797-2080

Web Site: www.brucemuseum.ca

Canadian Canoe Museum

910 Monaghan Road - Peterborough, ON K9J 5K4

Tel.: (705) 748-9153 or 1-866-342-2663

Web Site: www.canoemuseum.ca

Chicago Maritime Museum

1200 West 35th Street, Ste 0E-5010 - Chicago, IL 60609

Tel.: (773) 376-1982

Web Site: www.chicagomaritimemuseum.org

Cleveland Underwater Explorers Inc.

1226 Lakeland Ave. - Lakewood, OH 44107
Tel.: (216) 956-2338

E-mail: clue@clueshipwrecks.org

Web Site: www.clueshipwrecks.org

Dunkirk Historic Lighthouse
& Veterans Park Museum

1 Lighthouse Point Dr. - P.O. Box 69

Dunkirk, NY 14048-0069

Tel.: (716) 366-5050

Web Site: www.dunkirklighthouse.com

Erie Quest Marine Heritage Area

38 Erie St. N. - Leamington, ON N8H 2Z3
Tel.: (519) 326-5761, ext. 236

Web Site: www.eriequest.ca

Fairport Harbor Historical Society
129 Second St. – Fairport Harbor, OH 44077

Tel. (440) 354-4825

Web Site: www.fairportlighthouse.com

Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum

P.O. Box 43 - Northport, MI 49670-0043

Tel.: (231) 386-7195

E-mail: gtlthse@triton.net

Web Site: www.grandtraverselighthouse.com

Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association

P.O. Box 219 - Mackinaw City, MI 49701-0219

Tel.: (231) 436-5580

Fax: (231) 436-5466

E-mail: info@gllka.com

Web Site: www.gllka.com

Great Lakes Naval Museum

610 Farragut Avenue - Great Lakes, IL 60088-2915
Tel.: (847) 688-3154

E-mail: glnm@navy.mil

Web Site: www.history.navy.mil/glnm

Great Lakes Science Center

Steamship William G. Mather Museum

601 Erieside Ave.- Cleveland, OH 44114

Tel.: (216) 694-2000

Web Site: www.greatscience.com

Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society

7348 Symphony St. NE

Fridley, MN 55432

Web Site: www.glsps.org

H. Lee White Marine Museum

P.O. Box 101 - Oswego, NY 13126-0101

Tel.: (315) 342-0480

E-mail: info@hleewhitemarinemuseum.com

Web Site: www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com

Harbor Springs Area Historical Society

P.O. Box 812 - 349 E. Main Street

Harbor Springs, MI 49740

Tel.: (231) 526-9771

Web Site: www.harborspringshistory.org

Huronia Museum

P.O. Box 638 - Midland, ON L4R 4P4

Tel.: (705) 526-2844

E-mail: info@huroniamuseum.com

Web Site: www.huroniamuseum.com

Inland Seas Education Association

P.O. Box 218 - Suttons Bay, MI 49682-0218

Tel.: (231) 271-3077

Web Site: www.schoolship.org

Le Sault De Ste. Marie Historical Sites, Inc.

501 E. Water St. - Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783

Tel.: (906) 632-3658 or 1-888-744-7867

E-mail: admin@thevalleycamp.com

Web Site: www.saulthistoricsites.com

Leelanau Historical Society

203 E. Cedar Street - P.O. Box 246

Leland, MI 49645; tel. (231) 256-7475

E-mail: info@leelanauhistory.org

Web Site: www.leelanauhistory.org

Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society

66 Erie Street – Buffalo, NY 14202

Tel.: (716) 849-0914

Web Site: www.llmhs.org

Manistee County Historical Society

425 River St. - Manistee, MI 49660

Tel.: (231) 723-5531

Web Site: manisteemuseum.org

Marine Historical Society Of Detroit, Inc.

606 Laurel Ave. - Port Clinton, OH 43452

Web Site: www.mhsd.org

Maritime Heritage Alliance

13268 S. West Bayshore Dr.

Traverse City, MI 49684

Tel.: (231) 946-2647

Web Site: www.maritimeheritagealliance.org

Maritime Museum Of Sandusky

125 Meigs St. - Sandusky, OH 44870-2834

Tel.: (419) 624-0274

E-mail: sanduskymaritime@bex.net

Web Site: www.sanduskymaritime.org

Marquette Maritime Museum

P.O. Box 1096 - 300 Lakeshore Blvd.

Marquette, MI 49855-1096

Tel.: (906) 226-2006

E-mail: mqtmaritimemuseum@yahoo.com

Web Site: www.mqtmaritimemuseum.com

Marsh Collection Society

235A Dalhousie St. - Amherstburg, ON N9V 1W6

Tel.: (519) 736-9191

E-mail: research@marshcollection.org

Web Site: www.marshcollection.org

Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute

Mercyhurst College

501 East 38th St. - Erie, PA 16546

Tel.: (814) 824-2581

Web Site: mai.mercyhurst.edu

Michigan City Historical Society

Old Lighthouse Museum

P.O. Box 512

Michigan City, IN 46361-0512

Tel.: (219) 872-6133

E-mail: mchistorical@att.net

Web Site: oldlighthousemuseum.org

Michigan Lighthouse Alliance

P.O. Box 346 - Acme, MI 49610

Web Site: www.michiganlighthousealliance.org

Michigan Shipwreck Research Association

1134 Goodwood Ct. - Holland, MI 49424

Tel.: (616) 738-9233

Web Site: www.michiganshipwrecks.org

Military Heritage Museum

3120 S. Business Drive, Suite 140

Sheboygan, WI 53081

E-mail: info@winavalshipassociation.com

Web Site: www.winavalshipassociation.com

Milwaukee Public Library

814 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53233-2309

Tel. (920) 286-3000

Web Site: www.mpl.org

Click for Great Lakes Marine Collection Database

North Point Lighthouse Friends, Inc.

2650 North Wahl Ave.

Milwaukee, WI 53211

E-mail: milwaukeelight@yahoo.com

Web Site: www.northpointlighthouse.org

Ohio History Connection

800 E. 17th Avenue – Columbus, OH 43211-2474

Tel. (614) 297-2350

Web Site: www.ohiohistory.org

Port Colborne Historical & Marine Museum

P.O. Box 572 - Port Colborne, ON L3K 5X8

Tel.: (905) 834-7604

E-mail: museum@portcolborne.ca

Web Site: www.portcolborne.com/page/museum

Rail-Marine Information Group

12107 Mt. Albert Rd. - Ellicott City, MD 21042-1334

Tel.: (410) 531-3207

Web Site: www.trainweb.org/rmig

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

Library - Spiegel Grove

Fremont, OH 43420-2796

Tel.: (419) 332-2081

E-mail: hayeslib@rbhayes.org

Web Site: www.rbhayes.org

Saginaw River Marine Historical Society

P.O. Box 2051

Bay City, MI 48707-2051

Web Site: www.saginawriver.com

Save Ontario Shipwrecks

P.O. Box 2389 - Blenheim, ON N0P 1A0

E-mail: pro@saveontarioshipwrecks.com

Web Site: www.saveontarioshipwrecks.on.ca

Smithsonian Institution

P.O. Box 37012 NMAH-5007/MRC 629

Washington, DC 20013-7012

Tel.: (202) 633-3909

Web Site: www.si.edu

Split Rock Lighthouse Historic Site

Minnesota Historical Society

3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Rd.

Two Harbors, MN 55616

Tel.: (218) 226-6372

E-mail: splitrock@mnhs.org

Web Site: www.mnhs.org/splitrock

St. Catharines Museum
and Welland Canal Centre at Lock 3

1932 Welland Canals Parkway

P.O. Box 3012 - St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2

Tel.: (905) 984-8880 or 1-800-305-5134

E-mail: museuminfo@stcatharines.ca

Web Site: stcatharines.ca

St. Clair Shores Public Library

22500 Eleven Mile Rd. - St. Clair Shores, MI 48081

Tel.: (586) 771-9020

Web Site: www.scslibrary.org

Superior Public Museums
SS Meteor Museum Ship

906 East Second St. - Superior, WI 54880

Tel.: (715) 394-5712

E-mail: ska1919@msn.com

Web Site: www.superiorpublicmuseums.org

Tri-Cities Historical Museum

200 Washington Ave. - Grand Haven, MI 49417

Tel.: (616) 842-0700

Web Site: www.tri-citiesmuseum.org

Underwater Archaeological Society Of Chicago

P.O. Box 11752 - Chicago, IL 60611

Web Site: www.uaschicago.org

Western Lake Erie Marine Historical Society

C/O Flag Sales & Repair

4849 N. Summit St. - Toledo, OH 43611

Tel.: (419) 726-9571

Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association

P.O. Box 510173 - Milwaukee, WI 203

Web Site: www.wuaa.org