National Museum of the Great Lakes

Very interesting to see the vast and tragic history of the great lakes so much to see here and learn. The ship was very cool to see and tour and the guides were very knowledgeable and helpful they other cool story's of the area plus it was Halloween and they were dressed as pirates and giving out candy well worth the visit. The tuggs were also interesting. The museum wad full of all the good and bad history of the lakes. Lots of artifacts from the ship wrecks. Im glad i stopped and hzve lots of pictures. Thanks for the cool tour, and keep up the great work and hope to see yall agan. Thanks a whole lot!!!!!

Visiting the museum can be an enriching experience, providing valuable insights into different cultures. The carefully curated exhibits showcase various artifacts, offering a glimpse into the past. You can explore the diverse collections at your own pace, allowing for personalized learning. Detailed information panels accompany each display, enhancing your understanding of the objects. Overall, the museum provides an opportunity for education and enjoyment.

Shout out to Ellen: Our Edmund Fitzgerald tour guide. Very professional for the theme of the material and very knowledgeable and was able to answer all our questions. All the data that was given, she never forgot the compassionate side of the storie as she stated "let's not forget that we lost 29 people that day." The museum part had some great displays and yes there were noisy kids but kids are noisy. The museum itself was great. Thank you for the 50th anniversary experience of the Fitzgerald

A really fun experience! The people who checked us in were so kind also ❤️ thank you! It’s so full of history for kids and adults. Great mini movie. Definitely worth watching. The ship was awesome. I saw a lot of reviews saying it’s hot on it. But I mean of course it would be it’s a ship in the sun! It was so cool though!! My kids loved it and so did I.

Visited the National Museum of the Great Lakes as part of the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald. We had the tour of the James S. Schoonmaker to start our visit, and our tour guide Tom was tremendous. Fielded many questions and was educated and informed to answer all. Made the tour very digestible and entertaining. Tom was an excellent guide! The museum itself was terrific. Very interactive and wide ranging in its exhibits. We enjoyed our visit greatly and would definitely revisit. Great value, and great for all ages.

I didn't know too much about the Great Lakes so I thought I would visit this museum. The museum consists of two parts: an indoor museum that is semi-interactive. There is a series of non-stop videos on the Great Lakes, maps, history, gift shop, etc. Everything is labeled and explained. The second part is the ship - Colonel James M. Schoonmaker. Both are self-guided tours. The indoor museum will take you about an hour if you read everything and see some of the videos. The ship, however, will take you at least an hour plus depending on how depth you want to know about the ship. The ship has two levels; bottom level is where the engines and storage are located. The top level is the deck that leads you to their living quarters. The living quarters is two stories with no elevators. The bottom level is accessible only by a steep, narrow iron ladder.

Drove across the bridge a hundred times seeing this freighter and never knew this was a museum. It was a very cool way to spend a couple of hours. You can tour the inside of the freighter as well as the adjoining tug boat and museum. Be prepared to climb a good number of stairs on the ships and to learn a lot about Great Lakes shipping

Awesome site. Huge ship is the museum. Excellent way to see 1st hand what it's like on the Great Lakes. We'll never forget it. Two thumbs up 👍🏼💕👍🏼

I didn't know too much about the Great Lakes so I thought I would visit this museum. The museum consists of two parts: an indoor museum that is semi-interactive. There is a series of non-stop videos on the Great Lakes, maps, history, gift shop, etc. Everything is labeled and explained. The second part is the ship - Colonel James M. Schoonmaker. Both are self-guided tours. The indoor museum will take you about an hour if you read everything and see some of the videos. The ship, however, will take you at least an hour plus depending on how depth you want to know about the ship. The ship has two levels; bottom level is where the engines and storage are located. The top level is the deck that leads you to their living quarters. The living quarters is two stories with no elevators. The bottom level is accessible only by a steep, narrow iron ladder.

I wanted to come here last summer but really didn't have time. I was in town again for some other stuff and thought, hey, why not go to the Museum of the Great Lakes! While I'm not much of an actual boat fan myself, I grew up in Michigan, surrounded by the great lakes. The reviews here were pretty good and it's not to far off the expressway if you want to make a quick jaunt in. There's two parts to the Museum; the actual museum itself and the ship and tugboats are outside and a seperate part. You can do the museum only, museum and ship, but not just the ship. Anyway, if you just do the museum it's $14 but the museum and if you do both the ship and the museum it's $20. Not to bad! The place is pretty cool and while its not humungus on the inside, it's extremely well organized and full of information. I found the life jacket display exciting. They also had some relics from the Edmund Fitzgerald there as well. Lots of detailed writings and notes for you to read as you walk through. They also had a spot about some kind of murder at sea but I wasn't really paying attention when I walked through that part. They have a gift shop up front but I didn't buy anything. Prices were reasonable and the bathrooms were in good working order. Staff was friendly and professional and the museums primarily self guided. I did find this place useful and exciting as it's a really nice place and very well kept. Quite impressive actually. I didn't do the boat since I was tired and such but maybe in the future I will. I found it worth the time and money spent (which really wasn't too terribly much) and I feel a bit smarter after all that excitement. Parkings decent here as well and not to far of a walk to the front.

AMAZING... DO NOT MISS THIS GEM. Learn all about the Great Lakes and how important they were/are to the development of the midwest. The freighter that is tied up next to the museum is a must see (Only open from April 30th to October 31) along with the tug. Learning all about the history of the ships on the Great Lakes is really amazing...this is a museum for the whole family. There are lots of green spaces and open areas around the museum for walking and enjoying as well. It is a beautifully curated museum...one of the best I've been to.

On the last day of our family reunion in Toledo to honor my late father, we discovered the National Museum of the Great Lakes just after lunch nearby. We decided to tour both the Schoonmaker lake barge and then visit the museum next door. After purchasing our tickets, the receptionist advised us to board the Schoonmaker first. I am glad she did since we had only thirty minutes to spare and would have missed out on the barge otherwise. It was our first time on a lake barge and we were impressed by its size, especially knowing it was built in the same era as the Titanic. The scale remains striking even today. Unfortunately, we did not have time to explore the museum itself. We managed a quick stop in the gift shop and also took a few photos by the giant propeller at the entrance. Not seeing the full museum gives us another reason to return on our next visit. We also want to thank the museum for honoring the military with discounted tickets. We greatly appreciated that!

My family and I all went to the National Museum of the Great Lakes. It is a great museum that talks about the geographical and historical significance of this region. It's very educational, and would be a great museum to take your kids too. There are certainly some interesting things for adults as well, but the museum is certainly more geared towards kids. Also on the museum grounds is the Col. James M Schoomaker Museum Ship. Sadly, it is not open year-round as it is closed in winter months. Thus, I could not see it.

This is a history buffs dream. Tour the ship and it will only touch the tip of history. I was lucky enough to get a private tour of lots of places. The public can't see. Such a gem. Take your kids to the museum also.

The museum is a moderately sized set of interlocking rooms with educational materials, as well as one large shipping vessel and one smaller boat which are docked nearby. The option was given to visit the museum building without the ships for slightly less money, which seemed odd; I don't know why you'd go and not see the ships. They said they were phasing out their AAA discount, but still honored mine. The more traditional museum piece isn't huge, but it had more educational value than I would have guessed. The history of settlement of the area and the apparently large role of the lakes in the early industrial area was unknown to me. I was also surprised that there was an extensive section on shipwrecks. I would have guessed that the lakes were barely deep enough for a ship to sink, but apparently they get to hundreds of feet deep and have terrible 70 MPH wind gusts and waves that have claimed numerous vessels. My points of reference for large inland bodies of water were Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana and the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, but apparently the Great Lakes are entirely different. Some of the exhibits had some fun interactive bits, and you get an interesting perspective on history. The cargo ship was huge but of course largely empty as it has no cargo. There were some reasonably interesting sights. I could have done with more of an organized tour or something. The museum as a whole was not something I was particularly looking for, but having found it, I thought it a worthy endeavor.

Such a wonderful find here in Toledo! There are two boats to tour(self guided!) and a beautiful Maritime Museum also! The displays are stunning and the information is well-presented! I would definitely come here again,and HIGHLY recommended it for visitors! Note-wear shoes that are secure-inside the ship are small and steep stairs-as I wore Flip-flops!(I Know! Right!?!) I did not feel safe to go on some parts of the boats!

This was a really great museum to get an overview of the Great Lakes. They have interactive exhibits for kids and also lots of history for adults. In particular, it was super interesting to learn about the shipwrecks - both the ones that have been discovered and those that are still missing. Worth a visit if you're in Toledo!

This place is was such a great museum! Extremely informative. Planned a weekend away and made sure this was info the list and so glad we checked it out. Extremely disappointed that the ship museum is now closed through May, we missed it by two weeks. Still worth the tour of the main museum. I feel like this should stand out on the website or a top banner to inform folks before visiting. I checked out the website twice prior to arrival and downloaded the app and didn't see any info on this. Some takeaways - I Learned at one point there were 100-200 million beavers around the lakes before the European fur trade. It was sad and a bit depressing to read about the fate of native American tribes in the region here, and was impressed that one tribes canoes could have carried the weight of two cars. I had no idea in the late 1800's how crucial the Great Lakes were in the nations development and materials. Also, at one point Carnegie's fleet had more vessels than the US Navy, and roughly 30,000 have lost their lives to the all the great lakes and around 6,000 shipwrecks. We thoroughly enjoyed this visit and there is so much history and info here. Easily spent two hours here. Would recommend. Would have been 5 star rating if the ship was open or the website highlighted the closure.

What a first class experience! There is so much to see! Be sure to check if their ship is open. That is worth the price of admission alone! Make sure so walk the museum count clockwise. Things make more sense that way. Clean, informative and interactive! Don't miss it if you are in Toledo!

Our family took a trip to enjoy the museum today and we were thoroughly impressed. How did we not know this gem was here? The exhibits were top-notch and, even with a few of the hands-on exhibits closed due to COVID-19, the museum offered a great deal of information and their artifacts were amazing. I never thought there'd be an opportunity to see items from the Edmund Fitzgerald and the 2nd class Fresnel lens was very impressive. We can't wait to bring our Sea SCOUT Ship here in a few weeks and share the nautical history with them.

Great museum! Friendly and knowledgeable staff with one exceptional artifact, the ship Col James Schoonmaker; we spent over an hour just exploring this wonderfully preserved 100+ year old piece of history.

Looked for " things to do " and saw this Museum. We came in and stayed about 3 hrs!! Very informative. From past to future of the colonizing of the area. We pushed all the interactive buttons and had a lot of fun. It's just too bad the boat wasn't open. Not until May and we were here in apr. next time.

Stumbled on this while waiting to meet friends at Packo's and glad I did. It's hard to miss the ship from the road, or across the river, but I didn't know anything about it. $12 to get in ($11 if you have AAA, and there are other discounts.) I believe $8 was for the museum and $4 for the shop, or something like that. The museum is mid-size, arranged around a central map of the Great Lakes. Different areas cover shipbuilding, local industry, the war effort, shipwrecks, etc. Very informative, and full of interesting artifacts and models. The ship is really cool, and you can go in almost all areas. Very well-restored, and impressive inside and out. The engine room, and the quarters, are amazing. Well worth a visit if you are nearby, and worth a detour if you are into ships. I spent an hour, and it's worth two or three if you have the time and are into this kind of thing. I had to rush out to get to lunch.

I am so glad that we were able to visit. The staff and volunteers we extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the museum. The history contained in this museum is amazing. Being able to tour a freighter built in the early 1900's and first set sail in 1911 is remarkable. You are not rushed and can spend as much or little time as you want in any area. The ship still has much of the original equipment from 1911 and it's amazing to think people were making trips all over the Great Lakes on this vessel. I will definitely be visiting again.

This is a great place! I didn't think my son would really enjoy it but he absolutely did! We stayed around 3 hours. The girls at the desk are very nice and helpful. We toured the ship first then the inside museum. Lots of hands on learning for kids.

This was an absolutely wonderful stop on my trip with my son! Obviously the only time to come is in the warmer months when the ship is open and available for tours. The museum itself is certainly worth visiting also however. There are a number of interesting pieces that can be viewed, including relics from the Edmund Fitzgerald. There are a handful of kid friendly activities, and a few other interactive items. They've made a lot of use of touch screen technology to enable you to learn a few more things about what you're seeing. But the real fun starts when you walk out the door and up the gangplank to the ship. For starters, the entire ship is available to tour, and I do mean the entire ship! Most of the time when you tour a historic item like this, it's all roped off and you can barely see any of it. Not so for the ship. You're able to check out a cargo hold, crews quarters, mess hall, even the captains quarters, and the captains sitting room. Everywhere you look there are things to touch and interact with on the ship. It really gives you a sense of what it was like to live and work on a vessel such as this. The staff are terrific, and very accommodating about answering all your questions. On top of everything else the price can't be beat, from my son and I the price was less than $30 to do all of this. I highly recommend stopping on the next time you're in Toledo!

This place is brilliant! Everything you've ever wanted to know about the Great Lakes and surrounding areas is contained in the National Museum of the Great Lakes. There are loads of artifacts, and interactive presentations. There's also heaps of hands on exhibits for kids young and old. For instance, when I was there I had to have a go with the interactive railroad car. The car is loaded with coal off of a conveyor that is driven by a hand crank. Little chunks of foam "coal" fall out of a trap door to fill the railroad car. After hauling it up an incline, through a sliding door, the coal is dumped back onto the conveyor. Pretty cool if I may say so myself! In the front there's an area where a short film is played which depicts the formation of the Great Lakes. Lightning flashes on the big screen and there's a resounding thunderous boom in surround sound. The whole video might go for twenty minutes at best; but it's very entertaining to watch - especially with all of the lighting and sound effects. If you've never been on a Great Lakes freighter, the Museum of the Great Lakes has got you covered! The SS Col. James M. Schoonmaker, which was built in 1911, was once the largest bulk freighter in the world. It costs an extra $4 to take a tour of the ship, and it's worth every penny. The museum crew have done a beautiful job restoring her back to her original glory. All of the original oak accents are in the officers' chambers. Everything on the ship looks original. Be prepared to spend at least 40 minutes touring this beauty. I cannot recommend visiting the Great Lakes museum highly enough! It's a treat for anyone - but for those who live in the Great Lakes region, it's a must see!

I visited with my husband, a maritime enthusiast. I bought him an annual pass for $40 (for him and one guest) that lasts for one calendar year (just a daily pass for two would be $30). This also gets him awesome member benefits, which we have yet to read and figure out. The staff inside were very nice in getting the membership set up and suggested to tour the freighter first, as the day was going to get hot. Best advice of the day! The ramp to get on the freighter is steep, as are the staircases onboard. The tour starts with getting you in the cargo hold area (it has three), then you move toward the back to look at lodging, kitchen, dining room, and the anchor, before moving to the engine room and then back up and to the front. The front area had more lodging, lounging rooms, a cool fireplace, cabin and owner's quarters, and ending in the pilot house. I found a brass lever and pulled - it was the boat horn. The woodwork onboard is beautiful! Inside the museum there are exhibits about the Edmund Fitzgerald who sank in Lake Superior and other ships that have sank, talks about each Great Lake, shipping channels, how the ships have evolved over time, the lock systems, etc. We almost finished the inside museum, but needed to head to the gift shop for shopping (when you become a member you save 25% that day, but 10% on other visits). Over the years, I have learned much about freighters from my husband and found the museum very interesting. I look forward to learning more about the member benefits. I'm sure we are good for a trip here 3-4 times a year (we live 1 hour away).

This is a nice little museum if you are into history and boats, or just want to learn about the Great Lakes. We went on the ship before it was fixed up, and they did a great job. The gift shop was nice too, and we had fun overall. If the weather is nice you can walk around outside too.

In town for business, we had three hours to spare before dinner. This place was an absolute treasure for anyone that loves and appreciates our history. My only regret is I wish I had about an extra hour to explore a little more. I highly recommend.

Two BIG thumbs up for the Museum of the Great Lakes. My wife and I spent the day there and it was excellent, even this time of year (January) when the outside exhibits are closed. Someone really knew what they were doing when they put this place together...it provides the perfect combination of historical, technological, and social points of view for practically every aspect of the Great Lakes, dating from prehistoric times to today. There were lots of interactive exhibits that were well-thought out, providing a multimedia experience that could be enjoyed by people of most ages. Frankly, however, I doubt small kids would find it all that interesting; while there are lots of hands-on exhibits, they're still a small fraction of the total museum. For everything else, lots of reading is required on all the small plaques. A couple families brought small kids and all they did was run from one hands-on exhibit to the next, yelling and disturbing everyone around them. Thankfully, they got bored quickly and forced their parents to take them somewhere else. The admission price was certainly right. The building is practically brand new, and looks it.

We really went to this museum to humor our dad, but what a find. Cost of tickets were well worth the material and there is plenty for older children and adults to explore. Definitely get the combination ticket to explore the museum, tanker and tug. Dad was like a child climbing all over the tanker and the engine room is amazing. We spent 4 hours at this museum on a hot, hot day and beyond the heat on the metal ship's deck, everything was most enjoyable.

Museum is basically 3 very large rooms plus the freighter outside. They tried hard to make it kid-friendly; there is a boat puzzle they can work on, a coal loading rail car (which was not working), a boiler which can be loaded with foam coal, a picture booth and a few other exhibits. However, it is not the focus. The day we were there, there were only 3 other visitors in the museum so the kids had fun because they could run around. Was a little nervous, but museum staff did not seem concerned. Best of all 5 and under are free. However, the majority of the museum is catered to an older visitor i.e. lots to read. Very modern - there is a real-time online ship tracker and more. $8 ($7 with AAA) per adult.

Toledo should be very proud of this awesome museum! we should be marketing the heck out of this to bring visitors to the area.

The museum has interesting displays on the history of the Great Lakes, especially maritime artifacts and educational displays. There are a good deal of them are interactive which would be great for kids. We did the guided tour of the actual freight ship that is moored at the museum. It was an outstanding tour!! The guide was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It was well worth the extra cost. Overall it was a terrific experience!

This is a fabulous interactive museum. So much to investigate. Also add the tour of the cargo ship. This is one of the best museum experiences I have ever had. Great Lakes, no salt and no sharks!

A must see for anyone interested in learning about all aspects of the Great Lakes. The museum is laid out to make it easy to gather information about each of the lakes along with their history. An added 'must see' treat is the refurbished SS Col. James M. Schoolmaster. One if the largest ships to ride the lakes, the ships self guided tour ranks among the best. The yellow floor arrows guide you from place to place where the information cards tells all about each location and then directs you to your next stop.

Great place with a few cool exhibits from the Edmund Fitzgerald! The ship is awesome! You can go through the rooms and many other areas that other ships have blocked off.

What a hidden gem!!! My friend is the COO and his wife invited me while visiting. Who knew what a wealth of information this place holds. I love the Great Lakes and found the exhibits interesting, informative and displayed in a great format. A wonderful refuge in the hot summer (although go on the ship first, as it is quite warm) but could see this as a wonderful winter destination too. The cost is minimal, so spend a few hours or all day. JUST GO!!!!

Awesome Museum! My mom and I just happened to stop in since we were in the area. Started the tour on the ship then went into the museum. Both are very well kept, and informative. Even at the age of 26, I enjoyed how interactive the museum section is. I work onboard a cruise ship, so it was a treat going inside of the Schoonmaker and seeing the style of the areas as they were 100 years ago. Will recommend to all of my friends who are looking for something to do in Toledo.

This is a great little museum; ok maybe not so little since it's largest exhibit is a 617' steam lake freighter. That boat is huge. The exhibits inside the museum are well curated, fun, entertaining and informative. If you have a choice, go during the season the boat is open and go through it before viewing the other exhibits because it gives many of them a context. Unlike the one other laker I've toured, on this one you can actually go into a hold and through the engine room which is fascinating. Allow yourself 2 1/2 or 3 hours to do the boat and museum. Just another reason why Toledo, my hometown, is an unheralded gem!

I'm always surprised when my friends haven't heard of this gorgeous, fascinating museum. It really increased my appreciation of America's north coast, and helped me feel grounded in my city's history. Of course the ship is not to be missed, but even just strolling around the museum building itself, I always see something new that I overlooked before.

This museum deserves much more hype than it gets. I wasn't especially interested in shipping or the lakes, but this museum captivated me with its awesome artifacts, interactive displays, and beautiful aesthetic. Lots of stories to get lost in. The museum manages to appeal to people who know a lot about the lakes, total newcomers, and families with children. Getting to tour the Schoonmaker freight ship was a highlight of my experience - seeing the lives of the crew and officers, and imagining what their world on the Lakes was like. I didn't know what to expect going in, but the National Museum of the Great Lakes deeply impressed me with its high quality displays and attention to detail. It helped me to feel connected to my history as a Toledoan. Will definitely be bringing family and friends from out of town back here.