Marquette Maritime Museum

MARQUETTE MARITIME MUSEUM: THE MUSEUM IS OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK FROM MID-MAY TO MID-OCTOBER. DURING THE PERIOD THAT THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED, THE BOARD, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS UPDATE AND CREATE NEW EXHIBITS FOR THE COMING SEASON. IN SPITE OF COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO OPERATE AT REDUCED CAPACITY AND PROGRAMING. CURRENT EXHIBITS INCLUDE: 3 FRESNEL LIGHTHOUSE LENSES, THE BEST COLLECTION IN THE GREAT LAKES. OTHER EXHIBITS CONSIST OF THE RECENTLY DISCOVERED HENRY B. SMITH AND LEGENDARY EDMUND FITZGERALD, U.S. LIFE-SAVING SERVICE AND EARLY COAST GUARD, EARLY GREAT LAKES PASSENGER SHIPS, HISTORY OF IRON ORE SHIPPING FROM MARQUETTE INCLUDING OPERATIONS TODAY, AREA LIGHT HISTORY, AND MARINE ENGINE DEVELOPMENT. WHILE THE MUSEUM IS SELF-GUIDED; GUIDED TOURS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL PROXIMITY ACTIVATED VIDEO MONITORS HAVE BEEN ADDED THIS YEAR TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE. THE MUSEUM OPERATED IN 2021 WITH SIX PAID EMPLOYEES SUPPLEMENTED BY VOLUNTEERS WORKING THE GIFT SHOP, ADMISSIONS AND GIVING VARIOUS TOURS. DUE TO COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS THE MUSEUM DID NOT SPONSOR SCHOOL VISITS BUT TYPICALLY ABOUT 1000 STUDENTS VISIT THE MUSEUM AND MARQUETTE HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE YEARLY, MANY WITH ORGANIZED SCHOOL CLASSES AND OTHERS INDEPENDENTLY. SCHOOL STUDENTS (GROUPS) ARE ADMITTED FREE TO THE MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM IS ALSO WORKING TO PRESERVE AND TELL THE STORY OF THE 155-YEAR OLD MARQUETTE HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE ICONIC STRUCTURE IS ONE OF THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED LIGHTHOUSES IN THE GREAT LAKES AND FOR MANY, SYMBOLIC OF MARQUETTE. THE MUSEUM CONDUCTS REGULAR DAILY TOURS TO THE LIGHTHOUSE AND SURROUNDING PENINSULA. OUR GUIDES ARE VERY WELL TRAINED IN THE HISTORY OF THE LIGHT AND KEY ANCILLARY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE LIFE-SAVING SERVICE STATION, COAST GUARD, LAKE SUPERIOR, SHIPPING IN THE AREA, ETC. THERE ARE EIGHT ESTABLISHED EXHIBIT AREAS IN THE LIGHTHOUSE WITH DISPLAYS FOCUSING ON AREA MARITIME ACTIVITIES. THE HISTORIC STANNARD ROCK LIGHTHOUSE BOATHOUSE IS ALSO BEING DEVELOPED AS AN EXHIBIT/PERFORMANCE AREA. ENGRAVED BRICKS(SPONSOR'S NAME ETC.) ARE SOLD TO HELP FUND LIGHTHOUSE PROJECTS. THE BRICKSWILL BE INSTALLED AS A PATIO AREA AT THE LIGHTHOUSE. LIGHTHOUSE PARK, WHICH INCLUDES THE MARQUETTE HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE, IS A SEVEN-ACRE TRACT TRANSFERRED FROM THE COAST GUARD IN 2016 TO THE CITY OF MARQUETTE, AND THE MUSEUM CONDUCTS TOURS AND OPERATES THE LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM UNDER AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY. MCCLINTOCK PROJECT (DARTER-DACE MEMORIAL): THE PROJECT IS NAMED AFTER CAPTAIN DAVID MCCLINTOCK, A MARQUETTE NATIVE AND GRADUATE OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY. DURING THE BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF, THE LARGEST NAVAL BATTLE IN HISTORY AND A PIVOTAL POINT IN THE PACIFIC WAR, THE SUBMARINE U.S.S. DARTER PLAYED A KEY ROLE. CAPTAIN MCCLINTOCK COMMANDED DARTER. THIS UNIQUE PROJECT INVOLVES TWO SEPARATE FOCUS AREAS. THE FIRST IS THE RECREATION OF A FULL SIZE REPLICA OF THE DARTER CONNING TOWER AS A MEMORIAL TO THE CREW AND THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENT. THE SECOND IS A SPECIALLY BUILT ANNEX TO THE MUSEUM INTERPRETING THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY DARTER AND DACE TO THE FINAL VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC. FOR A PERIOD DARTER AND DACE OPERATED AS A TWO SUBMARINE WOLFPACK. THE ANNEX CONTAINS MANY ITEMS RELATING TO THE BATTLE, INCLUDING A WORKING SUBMARINE PERISCOPE, COMPUTER CONTROLLED BATTLE DIORAMA AND VARIOUS ARTIFACTS FROM THE SUBMARINES AND THEIR CREWS. CHILDREN'S CORNER: THE MARINE-A-SAURUS PROJECT, STARTED 8 YEARS AGO, WAS DEVELOPED IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UPPER PENINSULA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM TO DETERMINE HOW TO BETTER INVOLVE CHILDREN IN OUR MUSEUM EXPERIENCE WITH HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES. THIS PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED THROUGH THE YEARS TO INCLUDE CHESTS THROUGHOUT THE MUSEUM WITH VARIOUS CHILD FOCUSED LEARNING ACTIVITIES. IN 2020,WITH A CONTINUING GRANT FROM THE MARQUETTE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO UPDATE THE CHILDREN'S EXPERIENCE WITH NEW TRUNK ACTIVITIES,SCAVENGER HUNTS FOR SPECIFIC AGE GROUPS, CURRICULUM PACKETS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS, AND A NEW CHILDREN'S AREA WITH SAILBOAT-SHAPED CRAFT TABLE. DUE TOCOVID 19 THESE ACTIVITES WERE SUSPENDIND UNTIL THE 2022 SEASON. SPECIAL EVENTS: MARITIME HISTORY ON TAP, OUR WINTER LECTURE SERIES, WAS MOSTLY VIRTUAL. TRADITIONALLY THE MUSEUM HOSTS A "MARITIME MONTH" IN AUGUSTWITH SPECIAL TOURS, LECTURES, OPEN HOUSES AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO BRING GREATER AWARENESS TO OUR MARITIME HERITAGE. IN 2020 AND 2021 THE MUSEUM SUSPENDED SEVERAL SPECIAL EVENTS, INCLUDING LYLE GUN DEMONASTRATION. IN 2021, WE HELD WEEKLY SOLD-OUT PARAMORMAL LIGHTHOUSE TOURS AND SPECIAL SUNRISE TOURS. OUR LAKE SUPERIOR DAY CONSERVATION EVENT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AS WAS OUR FUNDRAISER, GHOSTS OF LIGHTHOUSE POINT. MUSEUM EVENTS ARE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ARE WELL COVERED BY THE LOCAL PRINT AND TV MEDIA, THUS SPREADING THE MARITIME MESSAGE EVEN FURTHER.