National Museum of the Great Lakes

06/11/2026

❔Did you know that three of the eight AAA class lake freighters built in the early 1950s are currently in lay-up in Toledo? All three boats were built at the American Ship Building Company’s Lorain, Ohio yard. The AAA class freighters were also known as the “Pittsburgh class.” ⚓

🚢The 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳 𝘔. 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 and 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘙. 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦, the first two to launch, were built for Pittsburgh Steamship Company (under U.S. Steel) in 1952, and our museum neighbor the former 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘤𝘰 (currently named the 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘰) entered service in June, 1953 for the Columbia Transportation Division of the Oglebay Norton Company.

If you’re in the neighborhood, you can spot the 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘤𝘰 (𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘳 livery) next to the Robert Craig Memorial Bridge. The 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦 and 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 can be seen from Bay View Park on Summit St. 🖤

📷Pittsburgh Steamship Company flag. It is an elongated tapered swallowtail flag. There is a white letter P on a dark triangle, the body of the flag is white, and the body and swallowtail are bordered in red, with 8 white stars on the top red border and 8 white stars on the bottom red border.

06/11/2026

⚓ Calling all Great Lakes mariners — past and present.

Join us August 15–16 at the National Museum of the Great Lakes for the inaugural Great Lakes Mariner Meet-Up, a weekend dedicated to reconnecting the people who know life on the water best.

From department meet-ups aboard our historic vessels to after-hours gatherings, storytelling sessions, and shared meals, this special weekend is all about celebrating the friendships, memories, and experiences that shaped Great Lakes maritime culture.

Whether you sailed for decades or spent just one season aboard, we’d love to welcome you.

Know a mariner? Share this post and help us spread the word throughout the Great Lakes community. ⚓

Boatnerd
The Great Lakes Towing Company and Great Lakes Shipyard
Interlake Steamship Company
American Maritime Officers
SEAFARERS
Intermodel Lake Carriers Association & Union
Great Lakes Sailors
Great Lakes Maritime Academy
International Ship Masters' Association

06/10/2026

⛳ Mini golf on the deck of a giant Great Lakes freighter? Only at the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Freighter Golf is back this June with chances to win prizes including Greater Toledo Classic tickets and a Family Membership! ⚓

Included with admission and presented by Savage and Associates.

Learn more: https://nmgl.org/event/freighter-golf-2026/

06/09/2026

Toledoans—Do you remember the water crisis in 2014? Hundreds of thousands of people could not drink the water for days.

Visit our Currents of Change exhibit to dive deeper into the reason this happened.

06/08/2026

🎆🥞💕 There’s always something special happening for members at the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

From watching fireworks aboard the 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 on the 4th of July, to enjoying our Pancake Breakfast like the ship's crew, and celebrating Valentine’s Date Night after hours, exclusive events are just one of the many perks of membership.

Become a member and unlock experiences you can’t find anywhere else. ⚓

Find out how: nmgl.org/membership.

06/07/2026

You can now find 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 swag at Jūpmode! Shop local and support the National Museum of the Great Lakes. 🌊🚢⚓

Get your shirt today:

The National Museum of the Great Lakes has two museum ships for visitors to tour, one of which is the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship. Learn more about this incredible ship here!

06/07/2026

🌊A Ghost At 40 Fathoms🌬️

🛞📕This week, instead of a trip diary, we're bringing you a ship diary! It’s a ship that experienced the same people, places, and trades shared in our phenomenal Currents of Change exhibit. From the fur trade to the lumber trade,this boat saw it all under different owners and names.🦫🌲

🌬️In our Fall 2003 issue of Inland Seas, Brendan Baillod gave us a compelling history of this boat that started life as the 𝘕𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯. Baillod said, “She would be a minor footnote in Lake Michigan history were it not for the discovery of her suspected remains in May of 1994 by a commercial fisherman.”

It wouldn’t be until 2009 that those remains were officially confirmed, and in 2010 the wreck of the boat that used to be known as the 𝘕𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.📜

Read all about it in 👉 https://heyor.ca/zZupZw

📷Wisconsin Historical Society, Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program

06/07/2026

Join a livestreamed expedition to the deepest point in the Great Lakes! Explore a hidden underwater world from your own screen and have your questions answered LIVE.
� June 7, 2026
� 11 AM ET
� The date and time of this livestream are weather dependent. Sign up for the Great Lakes Now newsletter to get updates delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/great-lakes-now-newsletter/
More than 400 meters (1,300 feet) beneath Lake Superior lies the deepest point in the Great Lakes. It’s a place where no light reaches and few people have ever seen. Great Lakes Now is teaming up with freshwater explorers Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick to send cameras to the bottom and explore the area for the first time in 40 years.
What we're hoping to see:
• The kiyi, a rare deepwater fish that is believed to live only in Lake Superior
• Alien looking deepwater sculpin
• Forests of colorful hydra
• The deepwater-adapted siscowet lake trout
Along for the voyage is Michigan DNR fisheries biologist Shawn Sitar, who has been investigating the recent appearance of "zombie fish," emaciated siscowet turning up across Lake Superior, many of them from the deepest parts of the lake.
Watch live and ask questions in real time as Drebert, Melnick, and Sitar guide you through the depths of one of the largest lakes on Earth.
Follow Great Lakes Now and Hidden Below: The Great Lakes on social media to stay updated about the expedition:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatlakesnow | https://www.facebook.com/HiddenBelowGreatLakes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatlakesnoworg | https://www.instagram.com/hiddenbelowgreatlakes

06/06/2026

We’re excited to be part of Metroparks Toledo's Glass City Riverwalk Watershed Weekend! 🌊⚓

The Riverwalk is coming alive with activities, experiences, and community events and the National Museum of the Great Lakes is right along the route with a full lineup of fun.

Stop by and enjoy:
⛳ Freighter Golf aboard the 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳
⚓ Capt. Scupper’s Kids Club: Recycled Regatta
🧘 Wellness by the Boat: Tai Chi
💙 Sensory Friendly Weekends

There’s something for everyone to explore along the waterfront this June. Come experience the Glass City Riverwalk and make a day of it at the museum!

06/05/2026

⚓ Looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift?

Shop our curated Father’s Day collection and save 15% on exclusive apparel, books, and more in our museum store.

Museum members save even more with 25% off! 🎁

Find something unique for the Great Lakes dad in your life and shop the collection before Father’s Day.

Shop now: https://nmglstore.org/collections/fathers-day-promotion