Exploring Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Part 11) - Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

 "Life is short, make every day an adventure."

- Unknown

July 28, 2024

One of the items on our bucket list of things to visit during our stay on Michigan's Upper Peninsula was the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, located at the Whitefish Point Light Station, 11 miles north of the town of Paradise, about a 1.5 hour drive from St. Ignace. It's one of Michigan's most popular tourist destinations, and a must for lighthouse and shipwreck enthusiasts. 

The museum complex includes the Shipwreck Museum Gallery, the restored 1861 Whitefish Point Light Station, the 1923 Lookout Tower, the 1923 Lifeboat Station Surfboat House, the 1923 USCG Motor Lifeboat House and the 1925 Assistant USCG Chief's Quarters. 

Visitors to the site can also follow a boardwalk out to the shore of Lake Superior where you can watch huge cargo ships on their way to or from the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie. Although visitors can roam the grounds freely, there is an admission fee to enter the buildings, but we found it to be well worth the price.

Cargo ship on Lake Superior as seen from Whitefish Point
	Memorial marker for the Edmund Fitzgerald

Shipwreck Museum Gallery

The area off Whitefish Point has more than 200 shipwrecks lying in the water and is known as Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast. The Shipwreck Museum Gallery is small, but it's loaded with exhibits containing shipwreck artifacts, models and artwork. In addition, the 2nd Order Fresnel lens from the White Shoal lighthouse is prominently displayed along with the bell of the famous Edmund Fitzgerald. The ship sank in 1975, 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point during a powerful storm. Those of us of a certain age will remember the popular 1976 ballad sung by Gordon Lightfoot called "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". The bell from the ship was recovered from the wreck in 1995 and serves as a memorial to the 29 crew members who lost their lives in the tragedy.

The ship bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald

White Shoal Lighthouse Lens   Ship anchor retrieved from a shipwreck

1923 USCG Motor Lifeboat House

This building was restored for use as a theater in which a 14-minute-long documentary about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald can be viewed. 

Whitefish Point Light Tower & Keeper's Quarters

The 1861 Whitefish Point light tower replaced a stone tower that was constructed in 1849. It's the oldest active lighthouse on Lake Superior. The 76-foot-tall tower isn't open to the public. The two-story keeper's dwelling, also built in 1861 for the keeper and his family, housed Coast Guard personnel until 1970. It was restored to 1920-era condition in 1996 and features period furnishings, descriptive panels, exhibits and artifacts. 

Whitefish Point Keeper's Dwelling & light tower

1923 USCG Surfboat House

This building was restored in 2001 and displays a full-size replica of the Beebe-McClellan, a 26-foot surfboat, as well as other historical exhibits.

USCG Surfboat House

Museum Store

After finishing our exploration of the museum buildings and grounds we stopped in the large museum store. It was very well stocked with items related to maritime life and the Great Lakes including clothing, books, souvenirs, artwork and models. We even found a counter where we purchased more fudge to replenish our supply.

To view a video of our visit to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, including some of the video about the Edmund Fitzgerald, click here for our YouTube channel.

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