Marine Museum of the Great Lakes facts for kids
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| Established | 1892 (as drydock) 1975 (as museum) |
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| Location | 55 Ontario St, Kingston, Ontario K7L 2Y2 +1 613 542 2261 |
| Type | marine museum |
| Public transit access | 3, E6 |
| Designated: | 1978 |
The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes is a cool place in Kingston, Ontario, where you can learn all about ships and marine history on the Great Lakes. It's located in a really old building that used to be a dry dock for repairing ships. This spot is even a special National Historic Site of Canada!
Contents
History of the Museum and Dry Dock
The Marine Museum started in 1975. Its main goals were to gather, protect, and show items about ships and shipbuilding on the Great Lakes. They also wanted to create a place for special exhibits and help people research marine history. Plus, they aimed to offer fun educational programs.
The museum was first set up in the historic Kingston Dry Dock. This dry dock was built in 1890 by the Canadian government. It was a very important place for building and fixing ships on the Great Lakes. A dry dock is like a special basin that can be drained of water. This allows workers to easily reach the bottom of a ship for repairs.
The dry dock officially opened in 1892. It was built in the area represented by Sir John A. Macdonald, who was Canada's first prime minister. Sadly, he passed away in 1891 and never saw the facility open.
The original dry dock was made of limestone and was about 85 meters long. In 1910, it was made even longer, reaching 115 meters, using concrete. Private companies then ran the Kingston Shipyards at this site until 1968. During the Second World War, important naval ships, like corvettes, were actually built right here!
The museum site has several old buildings. The main building from 1891 is made of solid limestone. It used to hold the huge pumps and engines that drained the dry dock. There's also an annex building added in 1915 and a smaller building from 1938. A tall, square stone chimney, 90 feet high, stands out on the waterfront.
Museum Galleries and Collections
The Marine Museum has seven different galleries for you to explore. One gallery often features changing exhibits, like past displays about warships from the War of 1812.
The six permanent galleries offer lots to see:
- The Donald Page gallery tells stories about sailing on the Great Lakes long ago. It also shows how ship technology has changed. This room used to be where air compressors and tools were kept for the shipyards.
- The newest gallery is the Eco gallery. It explores important issues like pollution and how to protect the Great Lakes. You can learn about invasive species and keeping the lakes healthy.
- The Shipwreck Gallery takes you on a journey from old wooden ships to modern "Lakers" (large cargo ships). This room was once the shipyard's Dynamo room.
- The Calvin Gallery shares the history of Garden Island. The Calvin family ran a big shipbuilding and logging business there. This gallery also tells other stories from Kingston's maritime past. It used to be the shipyard's boiler room.
- The Pump Room shows how complicated it was to operate the dry dock. The massive pumps and engines in this room were used to drain the dry dock and move its special gate.
The old Kingston Drydock buildings were turned into a museum in the 1970s. A retired Canadian Coast Guard ship, the CCGS Alexander Henry, was added to the site in 1986 as a museum ship.
The museum's displays cover Great Lakes shipping history since 1678. You can see cool artifacts like ship models, engines, and items from old lake vessels. There are also things like glass and china found from shipwrecks, ship's bells, anchors, and navigational instruments. You can also see paintings about the sea and learn about the Calvin and Son shipyard, which once employed 700 workers!
The museum has even photographed historic shipwrecks that were at risk of being covered by zebra mussels. These mussels are an invasive species that spread in the Great Lakes in the 1990s.
The museum also publishes "FreshWater," a journal about Great Lakes marine history. They have a huge collection of old documents, books, and items. These help students and historians research the history of Canadian Great Lakes ships and shipping.
Relocation and Future Plans
In 2016, the museum faced a challenge. The federal government decided to sell the property. The new owner asked the museum to move out so the land could be used for new homes. Because of this, the museum galleries closed, and all the collections were put into storage. The museum's office moved to a different street.
The museum ship, Alexander Henry, also had to move. It was eventually transferred to the Lakehead Transportation Museum in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
But there's good news! In 2019, the museum received a generous donation. This allowed them to buy back the property! The original plan for new homes didn't work out with the city. Now, the museum plans to reopen after they finish some repairs and renovations.
See also
- Wheelhouse Maritime Museum
- Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Toronto Maritime Museum - former maritime museum in Toronto
