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Step back to the 1840s and learn how shipbuilding and shipping were some of the first industries in the newly-formed state of Wisconsin. Next to a replica cross-section of the schooner Clipper City, explore the streets of old Manitowoc where shipbuilders, sailors and traders walked more than 150 years ago. Imagine buying a ticket at Goodrich Transportation Co. and traveling on the whaleback steamer Christopher Columbus. Learn how Wisconsin shipyards contributed to our nation’s growth during the 20th century and its defense during World War II by building ships and submarines in Manitowoc and northeastern Wisconsin. |
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Model Ship Gallery & Carferry Exhibits |
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Scale models, half-hull models and quarterboards tell of Great Lakes sailing ships and freighters, past and present, in the Model Ship Gallery. Learn about Lake Michigan carferries such as City of Midland and City of Saginaw 31. These unique ships transported passengers and railroad cars between Michigan and Wisconsin ports year ’round, through storms and heavy ice.
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Chief Wawatam Steam Engine |
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Step into the engine room of a Great Lakes ship in the early 1900s and see a 65-ton steam engine come to life under your control. Built in 1911, this powerful triple-expansion steam engine was used by the ice-breaking carferry Chief Wawatam to transport passengers, vehicles and rail cars across the Straits of Mackinac. |
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Wisconsin-Built Boat Gallery |
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Renowned throughout the Great Lakes and the world, Wisconsin boat builders have a tradition of craftsmanship that goes back 150 years. Walk through the Wisconsin-Built Boat Gallery, presented by the Manitowoc Company, for a close-up view of actual boats that helped build that tradition. The 44-foot luxury yacht Lady Isabel, built in 1907 by Burger Boat, and 33-foot Palmer-Johnson sailboat Skybird, built in 1947, highlight the collection that also features many examples of Wisconsin-built boats, outboard motors and hunting craft used for pleasure and sport throughout the Great Lakes region. |
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Come play with the fish in the unique underwater setting of the Little Lakefarer’s Room, presented by Aurora Healthcare. This hands-on environment is a special place for young children and their parents to relax, explore a “shipwreck,” look through a periscope, play maritime games, and read about life on and near the water. |
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Children's Waterways Room |
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It’s a learning experience unlike any other! The Children’s Waterways Room, presented by Burger Boat Company, allows children of all ages to launch their boat onto a miniature Lake Superior, sail it to the locks at Sault Ste. Marie and continue on to Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Navigate the waterfalls of the Wisconsin River from its headwaters in northern Wisconsin downriver to where it meets the Mississippi – come play and learn in the Children’s Waterways Room!
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Temporary Exhibit: Havesting the Inland Seas |
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Harvesting the Inland Seas—Commercial Fishing on the Great Lakes traces lake fishing from the 1830s to the present, focusing on Wisconsin and illustrating how this once thriving industry contributed to the economy and flavor of the area. |
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 This exhibit places fishermen and women in the stern of a boat, with a rod in their hand and a virtual fishing experience in front of them on a large monitor. Surrounded by a lake mural, players will see the fish hit the lure, feel the strike of a Great Lakes trout, salmon, bass or other fish, hear the line reeling off as the fish runs, and then fight to bring the fish in. Players can lose the fish or break the line if they are too aggressive or careless. On-screen scoring will rate the skill of each player. The sport fishing simulator is ADA accessible.
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Museum Exhibits
Scouts, come and join the Navy for a night with the USS COBIA Overnight Program. Details... 
