Join us on Saturday, June 28, 2025, for the public grand opening of the Second Wave expansion at the National Museum of the Great Lakes! Be among the first to experience our new Larry & Karen Bettcher Wing, featuring the Great Lakes Community Education Center, supported by Anderson Foundation, Drs. Hollis & Mary Merrick, III, and in Honor of Donald R. “Russ” and Madeline B. Dahlburg. You’ll also get an inside look at our new Alex & Marilyn Cook Leadership Center.
Explore the World Group Foundation Gallery, showcasing our brand new permanent exhibit, Every Boat Tells Our Story, which features the Bob Sellers Model Collection, celebrating the craftsmanship and legacy of Great Lakes vessels. Plus, explore the St. Marys Challenger pilothouse experience, made possible by the Schoonmaker Foundation. This accessible maritime vessel feature explores the story of the oldest active freighter on the Great Lakes and provides amazing views of the Maumee River and the Veterans’ Glass City Skyway bridge.
Also, experience our first ever temporary exhibit gallery, supported by Kiemle-Hankins and Don McCord and Merrie Williams, Dark Waters: True Crime and Mystery on the Great Lakes Exhibit. Dive into the murky depths of Great Lakes history with this captivating exhibit that unearths the region’s most notorious and puzzling tales, from unsolved shipwrecks to infamous maritime crimes. The exhibit is presented by Buckeye Broadband and The Blade.
Admission is included with regular museum entry.
Check out schedule of events for the day!
Inside the Museum
- 10 AM – 5 PM Museum Exhibits Open
- 10 AM – 11:30 AM – Docent in Every Boat Tells Our Story Exhibit
- 10 AM – 2:30 PM – Docent in Dark Waters Exhibit
- 10 AM – 5 PM Dark Waters Scavenger Hunt (for ages 13 and up)
- 11 AM – 2 PM – Don Lee Caricatures
Aboard the Schoonmaker Museum Ship
- 10 AM – 5 PM Schoonmaker Scavenger Hunt (all ages)
- 10 AM – 4 PM Freighter Golf
- 11 AM – 2 PM Capt. Scupper’s Freighter Golf
Cliffs Great Lakes Maritime Park
- 10 AM – 5 PM Tacos El Rancho Food Truck
- 11 AM – 2 PM Swanky Scoops Artisan Ice Cream
- 12 PM – 2 PM Russ Franzen – “Great Lakes History in Song” Performance
Great Lakes Community Education Center
- 10 AM – 12 PM Risa Beth Cohen – Kids Performance
- 10 AM – 1 PM Signal Flag Activity
- 1 PM – 3 PM Kitty Smoke Movie Showing
- 2:30 PM – 4 PM Russ Franzen – “Great Lakes History in Song” Performance
