Museum’s Boats Reopen for Season; Museum Launches Initial Volunteers 1st Day

Tuesday, April 25, 2023 (Toledo, Ohio) – On Monday, May 1st, the National Museum of the Great Lakes will reopen the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and Museum Tug Ohio for the 2023 season. That same day they will also welcome volunteers during a new “Volunteers 1st Day.” In addition, beginning in May the museum’s open hours will also increase from 6 to 7 days a week, Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“May 1 has always marked the beginning of our museum vessel season—but this year the date has increased significance as a way to celebrate and engage the community with our mission during “Volunteers 1st Day,” says Rebecca Gray, who oversees the museum’s volunteer initiative. “Volunteers are vital to the museum’s mission, and we are really focused on providing more opportunities to individuals interested in donating their time.

To help increase volunteer opportunities, on the first of every month the museum will host “drop in days” for volunteers to support our mission in various ways. In addition, a ‘Crew Connection’ newsletter has been developed and is being send out monthly to update volunteers on all the ways they can get involved.

The museum ships close annually over the winter months, re-opening for public tours only between May 1 and October 31. When open, 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 interior of the museum features awe-inspiring stories from our Great Lakes exhibited through breathtaking photography, over 300 incredible artifacts, a number of powerful audiovisual displays and 40 hands-on interactive exhibits.

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