Dossin Great Lakes Museum facts for kids
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is a special museum in Detroit, Michigan. It's all about the history of ships and boats on the Great Lakes. You can find it on Belle Isle Park, right next to the Detroit River. This museum helps visitors learn about Detroit's important role in the history of shipping and sailing. The museum is about 16,000 square feet. It has amazing exhibits, including one of the world's largest collections of model ships. You can also see the huge bow anchor from the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a ship that sank in a big storm in 1975.
History of the Dossin Museum
The museum first started in 1949. It was called the City Maritime Museum back then. It was actually on a wooden ship named the J. T. Wing. This ship was the very last commercial sailing ship on the Great Lakes.
Sadly, the museum on the J. T. Wing closed by 1956. This happened because the old schooner ship was falling apart.
But then, the Dossin family from Detroit donated $125,000. The city's historical commission also added the same amount of money. With these funds, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum began construction on Belle Isle. This was on May 21, 1959, close to where the J. T. Wing used to be. The new museum officially opened its doors on July 24, 1961. William Edward Kapp was the main architect who designed the building.
The Dossin Museum had a big update that finished on March 24, 2007. Over $100,000 was spent to make it better. This renovation added four brand new exhibits for everyone to enjoy.
Explore Permanent Exhibits
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum has many exciting things to see all the time. Here are some of the main exhibits you can explore:
- The Miss Pepsi Boat: This is one of the fastest hydroplane racing boats ever! It was the first boat to race at over 100 miles per hour. The Dossin family, who owned a large Pepsi-Cola bottling company, owned and sponsored this amazing boat.
- The SS Edmund Fitzgerald Anchor: You can see the giant bow anchor from the famous ship, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This ship lost its anchor in the Detroit River before it sank in Lake Superior.
- The SS William Clay Ford Pilot House: Imagine being the captain! You can step inside the pilot house of the SS William Clay Ford. This is where the captain steers the ship. It's a fun way to pretend you're guiding one of Detroit's well-known freighters.
- The SS City of Detroit III Lounge: Take a trip back in time in the restored smoking lounge from the SS City of Detroit III. This exhibit shows what it was like during the "golden age" of big lake steamers.
- Model Ship Collection: The museum has one of the biggest collections of scale model ships in the world. These tiny, detailed models show many different types of boats and ships.
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