Read What Everyone Is Saying
William Mueller
00:30 18 May 20
Was there September 2019. So full of history and information about the great lakes and people who live on them. I could have spent 4 or more hours pouring over the collection and exhibits. Went aboard the ship, that was a once in a lifetime experience. Saw the lifeboat of the Edmund Fitzgerald, that was solem. If you go there make sure you have plenty of time to visit. Well worth the admission. Nice gift shop as well. A definite memorable experience.
Rodger Bird
21:02 05 Mar 20
There were no boat tours available (only available from May through October) and they wanted $11 to visit the small museum. We thought this was extremely high since you can tour both boats and the museum for $17 from May to October. Also a word of warning, there were a couple of shady characters parked in a vehicle near ours. We did not feel safe there so we left.
William Stolting
19:16 05 Mar 20
Very interesting to see how our perspective on the Great Lakes has changed in the last 100 years.
Christina Younglove
21:22 22 Jan 20
Took a couple hours to read through all this has. Could not view the freighter as it is only open May-Sept. But it is chock full of artifacts and info. I really enjoyed my time here.
Lindsey C
19:40 01 Dec 19
Hidden gem here in Toledo. Incredibly informative and interesting. Bring children because there is plenty of hands-on activities for them to experience. During summer, you can visit the boats.
Roger Chamberlain
12:06 30 Sep 19
A great museum detailing the history of The Great Lakes. Museum ships are open May-October. Admission is a bit steep but the museum ships makes up for that in beauty and history. Ample parking available. Great gift shop available on site. Word of caution is that the gangway leading to the cargo ship is steep so be careful.
Andrew Bohnenkamp
00:00 31 Aug 19
A great museum for any fan of the Great Lakes or maritime history. The boats are awesome. The price was worth the ticket for admission, and I think kids of all ages will have fun here and adults as well. They have some unisex bathrooms and a nice little gift shop. When in Toledo, it is a must visit.
Michael Lowe
14:22 23 Aug 19
This is a very unique and elegant museum dedicated to the lakes and the vessels and people who operate on them. The inside exhibits are modern, interactive, and informative. The outside tours of the tugboat were immersive and well guided. The tour of the large freighter was memorable and engaging. This was an excellent facility that led to a very memorable family outing.
Andrew White
02:43 22 Aug 19
I love ships and the Great Lakes. So I had to come here. I set aside four hours to tour and still did not have enough time to see everything. I will be back! Both the tug boat and the ship are well maintained. The guides and staff are knowledgeable. The museum exhibits are interactive. They even have dive simulator exploring the sunken Fitzgerald. In another exhibit you get to research and possibly find a missing ship! Check the event list too. When I was there I got to take a ride on the Appledore V schooner for a celestial cruise.
Mar Wobser
11:01 15 Aug 19
There is such a variety of items to look at, read about, and try out. Well thought out, keeps attention of all ages. Several rooms to tour, terrific for a field trip or air conditioned haven. Can easily spend a couple hours here. One of our favorites.
Michelle Conder
04:13 13 Aug 19
This place is wonderful! We enjoyed touring the tugboat and the ship, and inside the museum we spent lots of time looking at the many exhibits. There were tons of interactive things in this museum that made it especially interesting for my husband and myself, and also for our 10 year old son. I wish we had had more time to spend there!
Laura Maxwell
13:39 05 Aug 19
The tour was great. The information was great. They really should open a few windows on hot days to allow for more air flow. The bridge wings should be closed until they fix the rust on the posts on deck. The information and artifacts in the museum was great. So many things to learn about the lakes and the history of the lakes.
Ken Bebak
20:57 26 Jul 19
Another excellent museum. The exhibits are well done, interesting and informative and there are hands on things for smaller kids to experience. The tour of the freighter is very well done and although self guided, the placards are well written or you can use the app for more detail. The tugboat tour can be crowded due to the size of the boat but its also well worth it.
Mark Johansen
22:45 22 Jul 19
Highlight of the place is the old freighter that you can tour. See what a real great lakes freighter was like. You can see the storage hold, engine room, cred quarters, galley, and vip guest areas. It's fascinating.
Andrea Boehme
21:13 21 Jul 19
Great museum. We only went on the boat, but was very interesting. Word to the wise the boat is not accessible. Lots of steep stairs. It is a self-guided tour though so you can pace yourself. We bought the year pass and plan to be back.
Shawn
00:37 15 Jul 19
Really great place. Amazing to get on a big old ship like that. Museum has loads of interactive stuff and visuals.Couldn't give it five stars because there is some wrong information pertaining to the War of 1812, which in my book should be taken more seriously and not in a false patriotic view. Otherwise, a very special place.
Kelly O'Quin
17:48 09 Jul 19
Opt to do the self guided tour of the ship. That was great. The museum was nice
david stephenson
10:40 08 Jul 19
Self guided tour of the ship with lots of information signs explaining what you as are seeing. The museum itself has quite a bit of displays. It may take longer than anticipated.
Sara Schmidt
18:55 06 Jul 19
This was a fun place, explored the boats and the kids got to play with the coal section. Fun for kids 4 and up my 2 year was more into pushing the buttons and walking away then actually exploring.
Lisa Gorsuch
05:44 05 Jul 19
Amazing ship, absolutely beautiful!? You can look all through it. They have memberships that include member only percs! Like watching the fireworks in downtown Toledo for the 4th of July! Thank you SO much! We loved it all!
David Miller
13:29 28 Jun 19
I was in Toledo for a morning meeting and spent the afternoon at the National Museum of the Great Lakes. I wish I was able to spend all day! What a great place!I started out watching a short movie about the Great Lakes inside the museum and then went to their new exhibit, the Tugboat Ohio. The Executive Director of the museum gave our group a personal tour of the entire boat. It was very informative and we were able to go into nearly all parts of the vessel.After touring the tug, I spent about an hour and a half walking around the museum ship Col. James M. Schoonmaker (named after a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient). What an amazing ship! The engine room, the cargo hold, the captain's quarters, the galley, the wheelhouse, everything was open to tour and much of it still in original condition. I was only able to spend about one hour touring the museum after the ship and that was barely enough time to do so. There is so much to see and do in the museum. I will definitely be going back when I can spend all day.
Michael Smallwood
18:02 24 May 19
Here in Toledo bon business..took time to visit the museum. Very good tour for 15 dollars. Great way to learn about history and technology for a couple hours. Well recommended.
Sharelle Brown
22:20 13 May 19
This museum is a great place to spend an hour or two learning the history of the Great Lakes, with exhibits ranging from bootleggers to ice breakers. Be sure to climb aboard the ship as well, really cool.
sumone udono
10:24 11 May 19
Gigantic boat, too big to fit in one picture.Prices for museum entry seem reasonable. Gigantic boat is only open seasonally, while the museum is open year round. Lots of parking, easy entrance and exit, visible from the road in normal traffic.
Sarah Short
14:21 04 May 19
One visit will leave you wanting to come back for more! There are interactive exhibits for all ages - even the youngest. The information available is incredible. Each time we come back, we learn something new. This is a must see in Toledo!!
Rosalie Robinson
11:59 11 Apr 19
It was a great experience. I was their for about two hours. There is so much to look at. I loved that there is a lot of hands on things that can be done! This is a great place to take children! There is a lot of past objects to look at that can be related to present objects for students/children. Also in the spring you can tour the ship! We enjoyed viewing a ship that traveled the Great Lakes. You can download the app and listen to all the points of interest of the ship at your own pace. There is also a building with a movie and museum with your ticket.
Carl Lowe
13:34 03 Apr 19
It was a great experience. I was their for about two hours. There is so much to look at. I loved that there is a lot of hands on things that can be done. This is a great place to take children. There is a lot of past objects to look at that can be related to present objects for students/children. Also in the spring you can tour the ship.
Paul Anthony Jimenez
21:18 24 Mar 19
Nice museum about the great lakes. Small but full of interesting information. Great destination for children as it has plenty of interactive displays.
Michael Findlan
04:53 26 Feb 19
Very nice museum. Be sure to tour the ore boat "Schoonmaker" . Nice displays and some good interactive items for young and old. I'm a senior and I had fun firing the boiler and maintaining a steady pressure.
Ryan Laube
18:20 27 Jan 19
Very informative and lots of different things to see and read...and then read some more. Great way to burn 3 hours during a snow storm. Hope to come back when warm to check out the big boat.
Anita Flynn
13:37 11 Jul 17
Quite interesting. There is a lot of information packed into a small space. Plan on being there for at least a few hours. Lots of reading and interactive displays.
Pamela Montgomery
09:59 30 Jun 17
Incredible displays, artifacts & cinema provide the maritime history of the Great Lakes from canoes to freighters. Touring the Col.JM Schoonmaker provided unique perspectives of their experiences.
Sarah Kiefer
12:49 25 Jun 17
Very nice museum, nice and very interesting displays. Has some interactive things for kids to do. We lived going on the freight ship and being able to go to just about everywhere on it. We would definitely like to come see it again. Only small complaint was that there was a lot of Edmund Fitzgerald stuff in the gift shop, nothing really wrong with that, but we actually woukd have liked a magnet or something with the actual ship we got to go climb on...
Cosmin Nahaiciuc
01:28 05 Nov 16
The museum was an unexpectedly wonderful experience; lots of genuine and fascinating artifacts collected from various ships that once sailed the Great Lakes. It is very well organized and some collections are presented interactively which makes the whole learning experience fun and memorable. The freighter carrying the marks of over 69 years of service and more than 35 years since it was retired offers an extraordinary perspective to those who never had a chance to experience first hand a jewel of marine history. From Captain's quarters to bridge, riveted decks, cargo holds, galley, mess room and engine room it's all yours to see and explore in awe and admiration.
Flora Tagle Mattoni
2020-04-18T12:42:35+0000
Very educational. I work at holiday inn an recommend this many many times to families.
Brian Keith Heikkuri
2020-03-08T21:37:11+0000
Very interesting. but Nothing on the JW WESTCOTT company which has been servicing freighters on the Detroit River... since 1874.read more
Ileana Diaz-Regueiro
2020-01-29T18:36:49+0000
Very interesting and educational for all age groups. Lots of interactive exhibits. Really enjoyed it!
J Lillian Gray
2020-01-17T01:42:23+0000
Sooo much information about the Great Lakes. Lots of interactive exhibits too.
Rose Schaeffer McIntyre
2019-11-10T04:11:53+0000
Excellent tour of a ship similar to the Edmund Fitzgerald. Beautiful, informative museum and poignant film tribute to... the Fitz & her crewread more
Tiffany Densic
2019-11-09T20:01:09+0000
Such a wonderful place to explore and learn Great Lakes Maritime history.
Deborah Steenhoven Pocino
2019-11-02T02:31:56+0000
Lots to do and so much to learn about all the Lake's history.
Patty Baker
2019-10-25T17:59:41+0000
interesting info about ship wrecks, the lakes themselves, how industry used the lakes.
Sharon Schlegel
2019-10-12T01:14:10+0000
The displays that the kids can control, like the sub they can drive I don't have any little ones but saw a few there... that were enjoying it.read more
HOURS
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Closed on Tuesdays: November 1 - April 30
Museum is Closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve
SS Col James M. Schoonmaker and Tug Ohio
open May – October
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Closed on Tuesdays: November 1 - April 30
Museum is Closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve
SS Col James M. Schoonmaker and Tug Ohio
open May – October