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Explore our online collection of historic images available for reproduction.
Home to over 85,000 historic artifacts, photographs, works of art, and documents, the Museum preserves the maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region from the initial settlement of American Indians to today. Through our collection, we document the lives and stories of all who called the Great Lakes home.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum also acts as an official repository for retrieved submerged cultural resources like shipwreck artifacts.
Artifact Donations
The Museum collects historical items that tell the story of Wisconsin and Great Lakes maritime history.
Research & Reproduction Requests
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum welcomes scholars, boat builders and ship modelers, students, and the general public to access our significant collection of blueprints, drawings, photographs, and other reference materials
Digital Collections
Search through thousands of online records or browse our extensive catalog of photographs and historic images.
Other Online Resources
Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Check out these helpful sites for more information or contact our Collection’s Staff.
Publications
Check out The Anchor, the Museum’s quarterly publication of Wisconsin’s Maritime History.
Wisconsin-built Boat Collection
The Museum is home to over 50 Wisconsin-built boats including a Burger Boat sloop and Dunphy runabout.
Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company Collection
The Manitowoc Shipbuilding Collection is an extensive assemblage of archival materials, particularly original blueprints and photographs.
Carus Collection
Edward Carus, a captain on the Great Lakes for over 50 years, researched and recorded the maritime heritage of the areas where he sailed, particularly the western shore of Lake Michigan. He compiled numerous scrapbooks with thousands of newspaper clippings, photographs, and other ephemeral material.
Objects
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum’s collection includes 10,000 three-dimensional objects. This includes whole vessels, artifacts recovered from the sites of shipwrecks, naval uniforms and WWII paraphernalia, objects from Manitowoc built submarines, model ships and boats, and works of art.
Archives
The museum’s archives contain over 600 linear feet of manuscript materials and contains a wealth of primary source documents, records, and personal papers. The archives are comprised of records and memorabilia from Great Lakes shipping and transportation companies, personal papers and diaries of sailors, captains and submariners, blueprints and ship’s plans, maps and charts, and ship’s logs.
Photographs
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum has an extensive collection of photographs and prints including photographs documenting the history of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company and photographs compiled by Great Lakes ship captain and Manitowoc native Edward Carus.
Periodicals
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum maintains an extensive periodical collection related to maritime and naval history that is available for browsing and research by appointment.
Scope of Collections
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum collects shipwreck artifacts, historic vessels, photographs, archival materials, blueprints, artwork, and material culture related to the maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin’s World War II submarines and personal effects related to maritime life and work.
Adopt-an-Artifact
Time and the elements take their toll on artifacts. One of the most enduring ways you can support the Museum is through our Adopt-an-Artifact program. Help preserve our maritime heritage.
