Port of Ludington Maritime Museum

My son loves ship museums so when we are near one we go. This one did not disappoint. There are interactive activities throughout for kids, even a large room that is like a boat wheel room where you can captain a ship. If you are in the area I would suggest you stop by.

Three story museum with the second floor mostly dedicated to the deadly Armistice Day storm in November 1940. Other floors dedicated to history of the Coast Guard station, commercial shipping, fishing, transportation etc. I lost count but I believe there are over a dozen video monitors that show short clips on every navigational topic you can image. Including one station with audio interviews of two sailors who miraculously survived the loss of their ship during the fierce storm. Excellent museum particularly if you wish to learn more about the Coast Guard and shipping on the Great Lakes.

Stopped here to eat lunch and see the water. Appears to be a great place to launch a boat. There was also a tiny beach for my tiny one!

A small museum where you can learn more about the history of the ships that sailed the great lakes, the wrecks in the area. They also have an exhibition of miniatures of American lighthouses and some models of ships. One of the fun attractions, especially for children, is the simulation of sailing a ship. Have fun.

Excellent museum inside an old coastguard station! Friendly and helpful staff.

An amazing little museum (was originally a coast guard facility) with tons of hands on exhibits for the kids! We and the kids enjoyed it.

My boys (14 & 11) Loved this place! It was their favorite museum in Ludington and I really wish I had brought them here first. There is so much for kids to do, it's a little hidden gem of a place and I highly recommend it for bringing children too. They have a child sized lighthouse inside that children can climb on, and a virtual ship you can steer with a real wheel for children (and adults) to simulate pulling in and out of the port here in Ludington. It's really an amazing place for families (anyone really) but especially if your traveling with children, check out this museum first ❤️❤️❤️

Although the prices were a little more expensive then we would have liked, we did like it. My six-year-old found a few things he enjoyed. Including being able to drive a virtual boat. They also showed an interesting video about the badger and its history. Last there is a small lighthouse with three levels the kids are able to climb up ladders to get to that he enjoyed. The exhibits there are more so for kids of an older age. I'd recommend 10 years plus. They have three levels and offer an elevator. The staff that was there while we were there are all seniors and probably retirees, and at times made the visit a little uncomfortable when following us around everywhere. They offer a $1 off discount for military or veterans.

A good-sized 3 story building that used first housed the coast guard, is now housing a Maritime Museum. There are exhibits and movies about local maritime history, boat building, the history of the ferry from Manitowoc, WI to Ludington. There's a fair number of videos throughout as well as artifacts from ships. There's even a mini lighthouse for kids to climb up. There's one part where it seems there's a holographic sea captain telling his tales. There's a fun activity of trying to steer a cargo ship! My wife and I got combo tickets for here and White Pine Historic Village. Nice view of Lake Michigan from the top floor.

Ludington is a town with lots of history, and you can learn about some of that history here at the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum. The museum is located just steps from the beaches of Lake Michigan, which is apropos because this museum is all about the maritime history of the area. This is a museum that has lots of things to read, so if you're into that sort of thing, you will love it. If you visit with young children, though, then this place might not hold their attention for very long. There are a few interactive exhibits, but for the most part, the exhibits here are just for looking at and reading. This museum is really cool, though. It is three stories, and there is an elevator inside which is handy for people with strollers or wheelchairs or those who just don't want to climb the stairs. The stairs can be a little steep, FYI. As you make your way through the museum, you'll see exhibits about explorers, lighthouses, scuba divers, shipwrecks, and lots more. By the time you leave, you'll have a greater appreciation of Ludington and the Great Lakes.

A nice large 3 story building that used to house the coast guard, now is home to a Maritime Museum. When you enter there's a display that almost looks holographic. It's just a well hidden tv screen, that displays a sea captain welcoming you.  There's a large model of the pilot house of a great ship behind the welcoming. There's lots of displays that talk about all fathoms of the local Maritime history. Old lighthouse lights, models of cargo ships. There is a model room that has models of all the lighthouses in the United States. Moving up stairs there is models of old sailing ships from a bunch of different countries. There is also artifacts from shipwrecks and how the ships sank. Also on that floor is a simulator where you can try driving a cargo ship, it is actually very hard! On the top floor you have the history of the local Coast Guard. I got a combo ticket for here and White Pines Historic Village for $22. The lady at the desk was very helpful and nice to talk to. Overall an easy 5 star review. Would I return? Absolutely, very informative and lots of fun.

Good use of a day in Ludington where you don't want to be in the sun/rain. We read about it in the paper so we had to check it out. I thought it was overall well done - my kids liked the exhibit where you could drive the boat. Many of the exhibits had a stuff you could touch and play with. There is a lot of stuff packed into a small area, like they had more exhibits than they had room for. Also, you need to enter the second story from the left and go right - we went the other way so the exhibit I was excited about (Armistice Day storm) was backwards and made no sense. I wish there was a little less in the space, it made me a little crazy so I ended up not reading everything. But def worth a look.

The sign says open until 5:00. That is a lie. We drove 400 miles and arrived at 4:45 and the door was locked. The unfriendly lady who finally opened the door would not let us see 10 minutes of the tour but she was willing to sell us stuff from the gift shop. No thanks. Hard pass. Definitely don't recommend.