Don’t Miss Out! Visit The National Museum Of The Great Lakes
Published: Friday, July 13, 2018
Toledo’s best kept “hidden gem” isn’t quite so hidden anymore. The National Museum of the Great Lakes opened in 2014 and has been making waves in the Toledo community ever since. With nearly 100,000 visitors having toured the museum and the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, educating the public about the history of the Great Lakes is of utmost importance, and clearly, NMGL has been doing just that and doing it well.
In 2017, NMGL was voted as the Second Best Attraction in the state of Ohio by readers of USA Today.
“We were incredibly honored to be a part of such a prestigious list of organizations, especially considering the young age of the museum,” said Christopher Gillcrist, NMGL Executive Director.
Although it would be easy to rest on their laurels, the National Museum of the Great Lakes has been busy working on new projects, anticipated to add tremendous value to an expanding Marina District.
The new Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship Tour App debuted to visitors when the boat opened in May. It takes the typical self-guided tour to a whole new, high-tech, interactive level. Another upcoming project is a building expansion to include gallery space for traveling exhibits and the addition of the pilothouse from the St. Marys Challenger, the longest operating lake freighter in the Great Lakes.
This summer, even the youngest visitors can get in on the action through the Capt. Scupper’s Kids Club, which will host three Saturday afternoon events: June 26 – The Lego® Challenge; July 14 – The Recycled Regatta; and August 4 – Mega Machines. July 14 will also feature a special ‘Meet the Author’ event, presenting Patricia Sutton, author of Capsized!: The Forgotten Story of the SS Eastland Disaster, geared toward school aged children. Reservations are not required, but are recommended, and can be made by visiting www.nmgl.eventbrite.com. Events are free with museum admission.
Also on the forefront at NMGL are the educational programs. Grade appropriate curriculum covering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics has been developed and delivered to field trip groups and at outreach programs throughout the community. With NMGL’s mission to preserve and make known the important history of the Great Lakes, sharing this incredible history is paramount to everything that they do. Students may be learning about the fundamentals of measuring distance on a nautical chart, or calculating the volume of cargo, but, all the while, the messages include the history of why the Great Lakes are so important to the country.
The museum has more than 12,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space filled with hundreds of artifacts, photographs, and stories - punctuated with hands-on exhibits - that make a visit to the National Museum of the Great Lakes a great destination for families of all ages.
We are proud to be a part of the Toledo community and look forward to a long future along the banks of the Maumee River.
The National Museum of the Great Lakes, located at 1701 Front St. in Toledo, is open seven days a week through Labor Day: Monday-Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday, noon-5pm. Regular hours resume after Labor Day: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday from noon-5pm and closed on Mondays.
More information about the museum, as well as virtual tours of the museum and the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, is available at inlandseas.org or by calling 419.214.5000.
Admission:
Adults (18-64) - $15.00 (Museum only - $11.00)
Seniors (65+) - $14.00 (Museum only - $10.00)
Youth (6-17) - $12.00 (Museum only - $8.00)
Children 5 and under and NMLG members – FREE
This article first appeared in the Summer Issue (Jul/Aug) 2018 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
