Maritime Museum News, Madison, WI (2026)

05/13/2026

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) recently announced a transition in leadership for the U.S. Brig Niagara as the vessel prepares to return from a shipyard in Maine to its homeport at the Erie Maritime Museum in Erie, Pa.

After guiding the ship through the critical phase of its restoration and repair, Capt. Greg Bailey announced his resignation as its master, effective June 1, 2026. PHMC has appointed Capt. Richard Bailey (no relation) to serve as interim master.

The interim Capt. Bailey has over 45 years of experience commanding tall ships, including 16 years as master of H.M.S. Rose. Upon the Niagara’s return to Erie, the vessel will undergo up rigging and completion of U.S. Coast Guard inspection.

The U.S. Brig Niagara is a reconstruction of the vessel commanded by Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. It operates as a sailing school, Pennsylvania's goodwill ambassador, and symbol of the state's rich maritime heritage.

Information Source:
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/phmc/newsroom/phmc-announces-u-s--brig-niagara-interim-captain-as-ship-prepare

Image: The U.S. Brig Niagara under full sail off Lake Erie’s South Bass Island (Source: Lance Woodworth/Wikipedia).

05/12/2026

On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, the Michigan Maritime Museum will host a hybrid presentation entitled “Unraveling the Mysteries of a Michigan Dugout Canoe” by Kenneth Pott, an archaeologist and former curator of museum.

The one-hour program begins at 6:30 p.m. ET in the Maritime Museum's Heritage Center. Pott will reflect on the discovery and documentation of one of the Maritime Museum’s oldest artifacts, a 16-foot dugout canoe.

After his presentation, a new display featuring the dugout will be premiered inside the museum’s Heritage Center. Pott served as curator of the museum from 1981 to 2000 and was long-time member of the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History.

After his time with the Maritime Museum, he served as director of The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in St. Joseph, Mich., executive director of the Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven, Mich., and president of the Historical Society of Michigan.

In-person admission to the event is free for Maritime Museum members or $10 for non-members. Tickets may be purchased in-person, by phone at (269) 637-8078, or on-line by clicking on the link below.

https://117980a.blackbaudhosting.com/117980a/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=5b82da4c-3e73-48a2-bada-88fd39516d6a

On-line admission to the entire Maritime Museum’s 2026 Lecture Series, which is streamed on the Zoom platform, is free to museum members or $10 for non-members. To attend the series virtually, click on the link below.

https://117980a.blackbaudhosting.com/117980a/Virtual-Lecture-Pass

The Maritime Museum’s Lecture Series is made possible by the support of the Nielsen-Wells Grant Fund and Mike and Sue Smith. On-line viewing of the series is made possible by Steve and Emily Holt.

Information Source: https://michiganmaritimemuseum.org/events/

Image Source: Michigan Maritime Museum

05/09/2026

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wis. recently received a $975,593 grant from the State of Wisconsin for the redevelopment of a former downtown car dealership into the Wisconsin Maritime Heritage Center.

The 25,000 square foot facility will have three distinct areas: the West Bay, the East Bay and the North Bay. The West Bay will house a compact storage system to efficiently store more than 40 small boats and over 300 historic outboard motors.

The West Bay will also have approximately 3,000 square feet of secure, climate-controlled storage for artifact preservation. In addition, it will have upgraded insulation, a watertight building envelope, a new HVAC system, and updated electrical and plumbing systems.

According to museum officials, plans the East Bay also includes compact storage for the Maritime Museum’s permanent collection. The North Bay will be used to create a freshwater conservation lab, visible storage areas and public educational spaces.

The Maritime Museum's collection has expanded in recent years as a result of partnerships with the Wisconsin Historical Society and others. According to museum officials, the influx of new artifacts has created an urgent need for improved storage, cataloging and conservation facilities.

Information Sources:
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/gov-evers-celebrates-50-million-in-grants-for-71-community-development-projects-across-the-state-urges-state-building-commission-to-approve-funds/
https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2025/05/09/west-foundation-grant-helps-wisconsin-maritime-museum-project-in-manitowoc/83518333007/

Images Source: Wisconsin Maritime Museum

05/08/2026

On Monday, June 1, 2026, the Leighton Township Library in Wayland, Mich. will host a presentation entitled “Illustrated History of the Soo Locks” by Michelle Briggs, chief park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

The 60-minute program will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. Briggs will explore the history of the eight different locks that have been built around the rapids on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie since 1797, and include photographs dating back to the 1860s,

The presentation will also place the development of those locks within the broader context of U.S. and world events. In addition, there will be an update on the ninth navigation lock currently under construction.

For more information, click on the link below.

https://www.leightonlibrary.org/news-events/library-events/illustrated-history-of-the-soo-locks

Image: Whaleback vessels at the locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., circa 1890 (Image Source: University of Wisconsin Madison Libraries Digital Collection – The Great Lakes Maritime History Project).

05/08/2026

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit” will open at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The temporary exhibition will be on display through Jan. 18, 2027.

In conjunction with the Titanic exhibit opening, the Science Center will offer a variety of maritime-related events and activities during the month of May. They will involve a blend of hands-on science and Great Lakes history.

The events and activities will include the opening of the museum ship William G. Mather for the season, along with a "Great Lakes Adventure" celebration of the 101-year anniversary of its launch during the weekend of May 23-25, 2026.

A highlight of the celebration will be guided tours of the Mather. The 60-minute tours will explore the bulk freighter’s massive cargo hold, pilothouse and four-story engine room, along with the industrial history of Cleveland.

Also, as part of the Memorial Day weekend celebration, there will be a water-related scavenger hunt highlighting exhibits throughout the Science Center, along with performances of the “Wacky Water Big Science Show.”

During the show, visitors can explore the physical and chemical properties of water. On Saturdays in May, the Science Center will offer “Sailboat Speedway” workshops during which families will use everyday materials to build miniature boats and then test their speed.

For more details, click on the link below.

https://greatscience.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Information Source:
https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2026/05/great-lakes-science-center-maritime-events-planned-for-may.html

Image Source: Great Lakes Science Center

05/08/2026

On Friday, June 26, 2026, the Door County Historical Society will host a grand re-opening celebration of the Eagle Bluff Light Station near Fish Creek, Wis. The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CT.

The celebration marks the completion of an extensive restoration and reconstruction project that began in 2024. The work involved restoration of the station’s historic lighthouse, oil house, and privy, and reconstruction of its barn and summer kitchen

The site has been returned the to its appearance during the period of 1883–1918, when William Duclon served as Eagle Bluff’s lightkeeper. Duclon lived at the station year-round with his wife Julia and their seven sons.

“By focusing on the Duclon family era, we are able to bring history to life in a meaningful and immersive way," said Amy Frank, executive director of the Historical Society. “Visitors will not only see the lighthouse, but they also will understand what it meant to live and work here.”

For more details or to register for the event, click on the link below:

https://doorcountyhistoricalsociety.org/grand-opening-celebration-at-eagle-bluff/

Image Source: Door County Historical Society

05/07/2026

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Port of New York Branch of the World Ship Society will host an on-line presentation by Bruce Allen Kopytek, author The D&C Lakes Lines and the Fabulous Luxury Liners of the Great Lakes.

The 90-minute program will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be presented on the Zoom platform. For more information and to register, click on the link below.

https://worldshipny.com/event/the-history-of-the-dc-lake-lines-and-the-fabulous-liners-of-the-great-lakes-presented-by-bruce-kopytek/

The history of the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co., also known as the D&C Lake Lines, dates back to 1868. During the first half of the 20th century, the company built and operated some of the largest and most luxurious passenger ships ever to sail the Great Lakes.

Two of its vessels, the Greater Detroit and Greater Buffalo, were the largest sidewheelers ever built in the world. Both were large enough to later be used by the U.S. Navy as auxiliary aircraft carriers for pilot training during World War II.

Image: On the left is the pilothouse and bridge of the D&C Lake Lines passenger steamer City of Detroit III, circa 1912 (Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection).

05/07/2026

For the first time since 2022, the research vessel Thomas Jefferson of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is underway on the Great Lakes. The vessel and its crew will be mapping the waters of portions of Lakes Erie and Ontario

The purpose of the mapping is to improve navigation safety. Survey work will also occur within the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary to identify critical habitats located within the area. A side benefit of the work is data on shipwrecks and other underwater cultural resources.

As a whole, the Great Lakes are the least mapped region of the U.S., making NOAA’s work especially important to mariners in the region. In addition to the Thomas Jefferson, the agency is also mapping other critical areas of the lakes using navigation response teams.

In 2026, those teams will be surveying areas of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary; western Lake Erie; Braddock Bay in Lake Ontario; and Green Bay in Lake Michigan. The public can follow the progress of NOAA's mapping work by clicking on the link below.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/855b7102bd0d42d6974c41fa4f8829b9?item=5

Information and Image Source:
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/may26/noaaship-greatlakes-survey-2026.html

05/07/2026

The Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association (WUAA) recently announced its projects for the 2026 fieldwork season. They include surveys of shipwrecks and other underwater cultural resources in both Lake Michigan and inland waterways.

The search for the wreck of the 213-foot schooner Plymouth will continue in the waters of Lake Michigan off Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula. The vessel was lost during the Great Storm of 1913. It last seen at anchor in the lee of Little Gull Island.

The wreck sites of two tugs in Lake Michigan near the harbor at Milwaukee, Wis. will also be surveyed. As of April, the project was still in the planning stage with WUAA and the State Maritime Archeology Program working to prioritize the sites.

The second phase of a project on the Fox River involves surveying the remains of the steamer L.W. Crane. It will also involve remote sensing with sidescan sonar outside of last year’s search area, in hopes of locating the wreck of the steamer Berlin City.

A project on the rivers in the Milwaukee area will be a remote sensing effort involving sidescan sonar and possibly ROVs to examine targets discovered by previous surveys in the Menomonee, Kinnickinnic and Milwaukee Rivers.

A project in Lake Michigan off Port Washington, Wis. will survey targets of interest using both sidescan sonar and ROVs. It will involve multiple vessels and splitting the targets between two teams. The specific dates for the work are still to be decided.

WUAA will also be offering training programs in the coming months. They include a shipwreck documentation class at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wis. on May 30, 2026, and ROV training at Sheboygan, Wis. on June 6, 2026.

There will also be sidescan sonar training in Sheboygan on July 25, 2026. In other news, WUAA recently acquired a ground penetrating radar unit, which allows the user to determine the depth and density of objects hidden beneath ground or water.

For more information on projects or training, click on the link below.

https://www.wuaa.org/

Image: The schooner Plymouth was built in 1854. Originally rigged as a steambarge, it was converted into a schooner in 1884. On Nov. 13, 1913, it foundered in Lake Michigan during a gale (Source: Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library - Thunder Bay Research Collection).

05/06/2026

On Thursday, May 7, 2026, the Tecumseh District Library in Tecumseh, Mich. will host a free presentation entitled “The Edmund Fitzgerald Investigation” by researcher, documentarian and author Ric Mixter on the November 1975 loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald and its crew.

The program will be based, in part, on Mixter’s research for Tattletale Sounds - The Edmund Fitzgerald Investigations, one of his most recent books. The 90-minute event will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. For more details, click on the link below.

https://tecumsehlibrary.org/calendar-of-events #/events/cTxeaBT4k4/instances/5BdJxHQCaq/

Image Source: A photograph, from the personal collection of Capt. William A. Hoey III, of the bulk freighter Edmund Fitzgerald taken during the 1960s.

05/05/2026

On Monday, May 18, 2026, the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society will host a free presentation entitled “What Rests on the Bottom of Lake Michigan” by Jim Heinz, which will look at some of the more interesting shipwrecks that lie in the waters off Milwaukee, Wis.

The one-hour program is open to the public and begins at 11:30 a.m. CT in the first floor meeting room of the Milwaukee Central Library in downtown Milwaukee, Wis. It is part of the Historical Society’s “Treasures of the Great Lakes” series.

The monthly series provides the public with an opportunity to learn about the Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society. For more details, e-mail [email protected].

Image: The railroad car ferry Pere Marquette 18 abruptly sank in Lake Michigan, just as help arrived, on Sept. 9, 1910. Twenty-seven lives were lost (Source: University of Wisconsin Madison Libraries Digital Collection).

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