Door County Maritime Museum facts for kids
Cana Island Light which is owned by the County of Door, and operated by DCMM
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| Established | 1969 |
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| Location | 120 North Madison Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin |
| Type | Maritime museum |
| Visitors | 65,000 |
The Door County Maritime Museum is an awesome place in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where you can explore the history of boats and sailing! It also has other cool spots in Gills Rock, Wisconsin, and at the famous Cana Island Light.
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Museum History
The museum first started in Gills Rock, Wisconsin, in 1969. Just two years later, in 1971, they opened a part of the museum at the Cana Island Light. The Gills Rock location officially opened its doors in 1975.
In 1993, the museum began a big fundraising effort to build a main museum in Sturgeon Bay. This new, year-round building was finished and opened in 1997.
Later, in 2015, the museum started another large project. They planned to add a tall, 10-story lighthouse tower to their Sturgeon Bay museum. This tower would have special exhibits and an observation deck where visitors could see amazing views. The tower was finished in November 2020 and opened to the public in May 2021.
Museum Locations
The Door County Maritime Museum has three exciting locations, each with its own unique things to see and do.
Sturgeon Bay Museum
The main Door County Maritime Museum is located in Sturgeon Bay. It opened in 1997 and is where the museum's offices and main exhibits are found.
At this site, you can explore the historic tugboat John Purves. This tugboat was built in 1919 and even served the U.S. Army during World War II before sailing on the Great Lakes. You can also see the CG-41410, which was the very last 41-foot utility boat used by the U.S. Coast Guard.
In 2019, the museum started building a new addition, including the tall lighthouse tower. This new tower, called the Jim Kress Lighthouse Tower, became the tallest building in Sturgeon Bay!
Gills Rock Museum
The Gills Rock museum opened in 1975. This location focuses on the history of commercial fishing and even stories about pirates on the Great Lakes!
Here, you can see a 45-foot wooden fishing boat that was built in 1930. The Gills Rock site is open during certain times of the year, usually from May to October.
Cana Island Lighthouse
The Cana Island Lighthouse was built in 1869 and became a museum site in 1971. It is located near Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin. You can reach the island by walking across a causeway.
Sometimes, if the water levels in Lake Michigan are high, the causeway might be covered with water. When this happens, the museum uses a special tractor and wagon to take visitors to the lighthouse! Volunteers often drive the tractor, making it a fun ride.
The lighthouse keeper's house has been restored. It now shows what life was like for a lighthouse family long ago.
The lighthouse has gone through several restoration phases:
- Phase 1 included new restrooms, a maintenance building, a parking lot, and repairs to the copper roof and tower.
- Phase 2, finished in 2017, restored other buildings like the oil house and barn.
- Phase 3, planned for late 2018/early 2019, will build a new visitor's center.
- Phase 4 will restore the inside of the keeper's house. You can also climb the 89-foot light tower for amazing views!
See also
- Wisconsin Maritime Museum, another maritime museum located south in Manitowoc, Wisconsin
- List of maritime museums in the United States
