Museum’s Boats Reopen for Season and a Call for Museum Volunteers!

April 19, 2022 (Toledo, Ohio) – The National Museum of the Great Lakes will reopen the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and Museum Tug Ohio to the public beginning May 1 and are seeking individuals interested in volunteering. In addition, the museum’s open hours will increase from 6 to 7 days a week, Monday thru Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

“As the summer season nears, volunteers become the lifeblood of our museum—serving as greeters, helping with our museum vessel and ground maintenance, and so much more,” reports Rebecca Gray, who oversees the museum’s volunteer initiative. “Volunteers could be students in need of interesting work to complete required high school volunteer hours, adults with an interest in restoration efforts, or simply individuals who just want to spend time onboard our vessels or at the museum!”

The museum ships close annually over the winter months and re-open for public tours between May 1 and October 31. Visitors can climb onboard the 617-foot cargo ship and historic tug to experience what life was like on the lakes in the early 1900s while also visiting the museum galleries. The inside of the museum features awe-inspiring stories of our Great Lakes through breathtaking photography, over 300 incredible artifacts, a number of powerful audiovisual displays and 40 hands-on interactive exhibits.

To learn more about volunteering or to sign-up to volunteer visit: nmgl.org/volunteer. To pre-purchase tickets for a museum visit, go to nmglstore.org.