Reviews of National Museum of the Great Lakes (Museum)

david stephenson

Self guided tour of the ship with lots of information signs explaining what you as are seeing. The museum itself has quite a bit of displays. It may take longer than anticipated.

Rich

Excellent place to really learn about the history of the area.

Mary Alice Tummonds

I love to see the items from our nautical past

Keith Haddad

Great place with awesome exhibits. Watched fireworks from the Schoonmaker.

Troy Vinson

Well worth the trip. Having spent many years on the St Lawrence river, passing these monsters, it was extremely cool to be able to finally tour one up close. Excellent exhibit, wondrous interactive experiences in the main Museum. Excellent place to bring the kiddos for a visit. Certainly helps one appreciate the magnitude f these ships.

Anna Wysocki

Wow! Absolutley a must see.

brad stano

The ship made a great backdrop for wedding photos

Ken Bebak

Another excellent museum. The exhibits are well done, interesting and informative and there are hands on things for smaller kids to experience. The tour of the freighter is very well done and although self guided, the placards are well written or you can use the app for more detail. The tugboat tour can be crowded due to the size of the boat but its also well worth it.

Ryan Laube

Very informative and lots of different things to see and read...and then read some more. Great way to burn 3 hours during a snow storm. Hope to come back when warm to check out the big boat.

Ray C

The museum was ok, lots of artifacts and well displayed but not very interesting (although most reviewers would disagree). The ship was interesting, especially the engine room. Over all seem pricey at $17 per person.

Carolyn Schwarte

Comprehensive museum about sailing vessels and their size and uses. A great deal of info and the Great Lakes and their history, geography, and industries. Interactive displays and pictures.

DeSean Smith

The exhibits in the museum were nice, but I enjoyed touring the ship. You can go into the wheelhouse and blow the horn, also you can go into one of the cargo holds

Adrian Lewis

Great museum. A lot of information. Interaction stuff for the kids and kids at heart. We spent about 1.5 to 2 hours inside the museum, and could have spent a little longer. It was drizzling so we did not go into the freighter.

Michael Lowe

This is a very unique and elegant museum dedicated to the lakes and the vessels and people who operate on them. The inside exhibits are modern, interactive, and informative. The outside tours of the tugboat were immersive and well guided. The tour of the large freighter was memorable and engaging. This was an excellent facility that led to a very memorable family outing.

Jon Stawowy

If you have not been here yet, put it in your list. A cool museum that is also appealing to the kids. They have exhibits that explain the history of the Great Lakes.

Michael Smallwood

Here in Toledo bon business..took time to visit the museum. Very good tour for 15 dollars. Great way to learn about history and technology for a couple hours. Well recommended.

Jason Waldron

Neat place to see artifacts ect. We wanted to tour the ship at the doc. We was not able to the it was closed for the winter month's

Kelly O'Quin

Opt to do the self guided tour of the ship. That was great. The museum was nice

Jim Herkner

A nice place top spend an afternoon. I think you need some interest in history and shipping to enjoy there place. Tour of Lake freighter is great.

Sara Schmidt

This was a fun place, explored the boats and the kids got to play with the coal section. Fun for kids 4 and up my 2 year was more into pushing the buttons and walking away then actually exploring.

Pat Taylor

Very interesting if you are into lakes and boating.

Courtney Barkman

This place is phenomenal for kids, and adults!! It's hands on, and very educational, but in a fun way. It's a bit pricy but worth the price for sure.

Shawn

Really great place. Amazing to get on a big old ship like that. Museum has loads of interactive stuff and visuals. Couldn't give it five stars because there is some wrong information pertaining to the War of 1812, which in my book should be taken more seriously and not in a false patriotic view. Otherwise, a very special place.

Jennifer Riojas

I enjoyed looking around here. Showed the history and importance of the Great Lakes over the years. It has a lot of interactive things for kids to touch and play with to help them stay interested. Overall it's a great place and everyone in the area should visit it at least once.

Sara Lyke

Very interesting. Friendly people.

Janelle Wright

WOW!! What a cool field trip! 3 tours... 1. The Museum 2. Tug Boat 3. The BIG Ship. All kinds of activities in the museum....

Lorraine Began

Fascinating museum about our beautiful Great Lakes and the shipping industry. I was amazed at the relics from the Edmund Fitzgerald. Our next visit will be the Maritime Sailors Cathedral to pay homage.

Paul Anthony Jimenez

Nice museum about the great lakes. Small but full of interesting information. Great destination for children as it has plenty of interactive displays.

Norman Gibat

This is a great little Museum on Front Street. There is a wonderful tour of the freighter Edward Schoonmaker, which was the longest and widest freighter on the Great Lakes when it was built. I downloaded the free audio app for a wonderful guided tour. The museum is also very good with a lot of really cool interactive displays like searching for Rex and learning about the Great Lakes it's it's reasonably priced and a great little Museum to visit

Alfred Davis

We really enjoyed our visit! The museum packs a lot of informative, educational, and hands-on exhibits into a fairly compact space. The visit starts with a multi-media overview of the Great Lakes history, development, and importance. From there, guide maps in hand, we toured the rest of the museum on our own at our own pace. The staff was friendly and helpful. The young lady who welcomed us informed us, without our having to ask, that discounts are available for AAA members and military veterans. There is a small gift shop on the premises. Unfortunately, due to the weather and time of the year, we were not able to explore and enjoy the grounds surrounding the museum nor the great lakes freighter moored nearby. We will have to visit again during the summer.

DC Lee

Awesome museum with a very big ship to tour.

David Miller

I was in Toledo for a morning meeting and spent the afternoon at the National Museum of the Great Lakes. I wish I was able to spend all day! What a great place! I started out watching a short movie about the Great Lakes inside the museum and then went to their new exhibit, the Tugboat Ohio. The Executive Director of the museum gave our group a personal tour of the entire boat. It was very informative and we were able to go into nearly all parts of the vessel. After touring the tug, I spent about an hour and a half walking around the museum ship Col. James M. Schoonmaker (named after a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient). What an amazing ship! The engine room, the cargo hold, the captain's quarters, the galley, the wheelhouse, everything was open to tour and much of it still in original condition. I was only able to spend about one hour touring the museum after the ship and that was barely enough time to do so. There is so much to see and do in the museum. I will definitely be going back when I can spend all day.

Nicole Laraby

Really nice. Boo on the Boat was great. Non candy treats and everything

Bill Dell

Great museum, ship and tugboat tours.

Keith Brilhart

Interesting details about the history of the Great Lakes as a regional economy.

Lisa Gorsuch

Amazing ship, absolutely beautiful!

Chris Hindy

Great collection of artifacts plus two ships to explore!

Blanca L-J

14 to 66 year olds in our group and we all really enjoyed our visit. A lot to see and do for a low admittance charge.

Richard Paquette

Incredible history of Great Lakes shipping

Mandi Kaufmann

Definitely tour the boat. It's the best part.

Amy Moorman

Nice people and clean. Good experiences all round.

Carol Venia-Stokes

This museum is top notch. What a hidden gem in Toledo Ohio. Great portrayal of the history of maritime on the Great Lakes from the different types of vessels to the shipwrecks. We went during Christmas break which is a great way to keep the kids occupied and learning while out of school. There are a lot of hands on exhibits for all ages. In the Summer months you can tour both the museum and schooner which we plan to go back and do. I highly recommend checking this museum out. Great winter activity as well as summer.

Richard Ferris

If you like big ships and history of Industry in America this museum is a must. The huge brass prop sitting out front is amazing on the eye. They have a full line of exhibits inside enough to keep you busy for a couple of hours. However the real treat of the museum is the large oar freighter they have docked along side the museum. Climb the gang plank and tour the beautiful quarters in the front the owners and guests traveled in or check out the rear portion for the engine room and crew were at the huge holds for OAR. amazing in them selves. the ship is in amazingly good condition. for me it was one of the vest civilian boat tours you are able to go on. Tours is probably 2 generous because it's a explore for yourself type tour.

Brian Wagner

Lovely views

Michael Findlan

Very nice museum. Be sure to tour the ore boat "Schoonmaker" . Nice displays and some good interactive items for young and old. I'm a senior and I had fun firing the boiler and maintaining a steady pressure.

Ray Shaner

Great place to visit and to learn

sumone udono

Gigantic boat, too big to fit in one picture. Prices for museum entry seem reasonable. Gigantic boat is only open seasonally, while the museum is open year round. Lots of parking, easy entrance and exit, visible from the road in normal traffic.

Spring Kary

Great history lessons and perfect for the kids. Make sure they sound the ships horn!:)

Dez Anker

Very informative. Little smaller than I thought it'd be. Neat stop if your just out bumming around for the day.

David Kwechansky

I'd like to give it 4 stars but can't. They've done a good job trying to make it engrossing but the subject simply isn't. Yes the lakes are huge, yes they are very important to the region, yes the storms can imperil ships, but no, you can't make them compelling. However big, they're still just lakes. I gave it 40 min and that was stretching it. Go to Niagara to appreciate the lakes dynamically.

L S

Great Lakes history, and a great Ohio tug boat tour.

Lynn Myers

Great Lakes history, memorabilia, and information. The visit is not complete without going aboard the Col. James M. Schoonmaker.

Tony Frazer

Explore the rich maritime history of the great lakes.

William Mueller

Loved the self guided ship tour. Make sure to have a couple hours to tour the museum, lots of exhibits. Well worth the visit.

Mary Hammonds

Nice place that I had no idea existed! Lots of interesting information

Alexandra Burris

Went on free day and had a good time exploring the boat, not sure if I'd pay for the experience.

Maggie Bishop

Self guided tour allows for your imagination to navigate the romantic and industrial heritage of the Great Lakes. Museum displays walk you through the broad history and wonder of the glacier made lakes. Visitors are guaranteed to discover how their personal history has been impacted by the Great Lake industrial age. The freights vantage point demonstrates the modern and past waterway access to Lake Erie. Walking the deck, exploring the crew quarters, guest cabins, owners stateroom, engineering and galley will help to set a perspective of the confines of life for the lower class worker and how that life style contrasted upper class. Four stars for the maintanence and presentation. Did not earn five because of poor freighter marking of handy cap access and steep grades on the planks. Not a good location for individuals with aracnaphobia, toddlers, weak ankle or knees, or anyone challenged with narrow-open stairs.

Steve Pauken

Come to Toledo for a great history of the Great Lakes, including artifacts from the Edmond Fitzgerald.

Michelle Conder

This place is wonderful! We enjoyed touring the tugboat and the ship, and inside the museum we spent lots of time looking at the many exhibits. There were tons of interactive things in this museum that made it especially interesting for my husband and myself, and also for our 10 year old son. I wish we had had more time to spend there!

Brian Mominee

Awesome place to learn.

Jim Blomberg

I really enjoyed my visit here. Very interesting. I have been to a few great lakes museums, this one is one of the best.

Sharelle Brown

This museum is a great place to spend an hour or two learning the history of the Great Lakes, with exhibits ranging from bootleggers to ice breakers. Be sure to climb aboard the ship as well, really cool.

R Psurny

This has really neat history of the Great Lakes and her ships. Very informative

Donna Bridge

Great place to see. Lots of history!

Carl Lowe

It was a great experience. I was their for about two hours. There is so much to look at. I loved that there is a lot of hands on things that can be done. This is a great place to take children. There is a lot of past objects to look at that can be related to present objects for students/children. Also in the spring you can tour the ship.

George Hanas

Very interesting Worth the visit

Caleb Hiddleson

This was a great way to spend a couple hours on a Saturday. The museum itself if full of neat interactive displays and chilling stories, but the best part (for me) was climbing aboard the Schoonmaker cargo ship and getting to see a restored 1911 piece of history.

David Dinnauer

We really enjoyed the tour

Cuzonya Lasagna

Loved it❤️

Richard Morgan

They not only have a lake Freighter but they have recently added a tugboat as well so they are constantly making it better

Marlena Ainslie

Just finished up a field trip the museum with my son’s kindergarten class. Our tour of the ship with Kevin as our guide was fantastic. The kids were very interested and engaged, and Kevin was awesome with them, he was clearly very knowledgeable and passionate. The museum is cool, contained several small but surprisingly interesting and interactive exhibits (similar to what you would expect at imagination station) that the kids could enjoy. Would definitely recommend as a fun day outing for adults and families.

Will Wegert

Fascinating place ... Went with my dad, and really cool to see a taste of another mans life. Well laid out, too ... Not a place you stay for 12 hours, but a good 1-2 hour stop in Toledo.

Deb Meyer

The museum was informative and many of the displays,& videos were interesting to see, hear, and read. The Schoonmaker was enormous! I had no idea that the vessel would be so awe inspiring

Kim Weber

The museum and ship were emaculate!!! Great experience for families... My 3 yr old son at the time loved it... Will definitely go again!!!

L

So much to see and so much history. Was lucky to show up during the weekend they were touring the new Tug Ohio and the tours was fun and informative. Glad I stopped in

Andrew James260

Great place love it. So much history to learn. Definitely going back

Just that One Girl

Great place to bring the kids, family, friends or date night. Super cheap and worth experiencing a piece of history in person.

Shawn Fravel

Very interesting . Very friendly people. Well worth the money and time.

Bob Hobbs

Excellent museum. Plan to take your time so you can really get all that it has to offer.

Andrew White

I love ships and the Great Lakes. So I had to come here. I set aside four hours to tour and still did not have enough time to see everything. I will be back! Both the tug boat and the ship are well maintained. The guides and staff are knowledgeable. The museum exhibits are interactive. They even have dive simulator exploring the sunken Fitzgerald. In another exhibit you get to research and possibly find a missing ship! Check the event list too. When I was there I got to take a ride on the Appledore V schooner for a celestial cruise.

David Mays

This was an absolutely fascinating place to visit. The displays and exhibits do a nice job of telling the history of the Great Lakes and I was surprised at how easy it was to spend a couple of hours here. The only thing I lament is not coming later in the season when their circa 1911 cargo ship is open to tours - it's only open during the warmer months of the year.

Brennen Williams

With two museum vessels and an indoor museum with many artifacts and exhibits, this is an amazing place to bring the family, a significant other, or even yourself. There is so much more to learn about the great lakes than you think. From industrialization to storms and shipwrecks, the museum has an exhibit for everyone. Pair the museum with the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, a bulk freight carrier that served on the great lakes since 1911, and the recently acquired and cosmetically restored tugboat named Ohio, you have an amazing day out! The boats are very hands on and are self guided for tours. See almost every square inch of the boats from the Captain's quarters to the engine room! Personally, I recommend this musuem for a first date. My girlfriend and I have been going strong since touring the Schoonmaker for the first time nearly 10 months ago.

Al Lehman

Ship is the best part. Very cool especially if you are interested in engineering.

Coleena Cunningham

Love the location and a lot to learn on your nature walk around the museum as well.

George Moorman

Spent a couple of hours tour boats and did not see displays inside of the museum.

Andrea Boehme

Great museum. We only went on the boat, but was very interesting. Word to the wise the boat is not accessible. Lots of steep stairs. It is a self-guided tour though so you can pace yourself. We bought the year pass and plan to be back.

Matthew Eddy

So worth it! My 5 yea odl daughter loved it! Get to tour an actual frieghter and tug boat. The museum exhibits were very interesting and kept my daughter interested.

Byron Henry

This is a wonderful museum. Fun for kids.

Angie LaPlante

I wish I just had more time to look at everything!

Roger Chamberlain

A great museum detailing the history of The Great Lakes. Museum ships are open May-October. Admission is a bit steep but the museum ships makes up for that in beauty and history. Ample parking available. Great gift shop available on site. Word of caution is that the gangway leading to the cargo ship is steep so be careful.

Mark Burnard

Take your time and enjoy!

Alyssa Gorski

This Museum was fantastic! So much to read and so many interactive things for the kids. We toured the Museum first, then toured the freighter. It is an extra fee to do both, but definitely worth it. Plan on going on a nice day, not super hot or rainy because when you tour the freighter you are in the elements. My 5 year old told me his favorite part was seeing all the rooms in the freighter. This was a great afternoon activity for our family. We all learned a lot about ships and the Great Lakes!

Laura Maxwell

The tour was great. The information was great. They really should open a few windows on hot days to allow for more air flow. The bridge wings should be closed until they fix the rust on the posts on deck. The information and artifacts in the museum was great. So many things to learn about the lakes and the history of the lakes.

James Yang

Fun place for history buffs!

Philip Klunk

Includes access to Great Lakes freighter.

michelle darling

Very clean and interesting reads and pictures and all items on ships.

Ken Whitecotton

Nice tour of a great lake cargo ship

Brandon Allen

Great place for maritime enthusiasts. Someone that’s disinterested could find it as a waste of money due to the size and cost of the museum.

Mark Johansen

Highlight of the place is the old freighter that you can tour. See what a real great lakes freighter was like. You can see the storage hold, engine room, cred quarters, galley, and vip guest areas. It's fascinating.

George S

Really great museum! The museum itself has a couple concept interaction thing (cool for kids), bunch of old stuff, and the main attraction; a retired cargo vessel that is VERY open for exploration. The staff was friendly and extremely knowledgeable (especially the portly fellow wearing a shirt that said "never give up the ship." Lol sorry I never got your name dude!)

Maria Vasquez

informative and hands on things for children

Harrison Pratt

Wonderful collection of Great Lakes historical items plus a lake freighter and a tug to tour. A very scenic location, too. Good waterfront restaurants nearby.

Daniel Arnold

Great exhibits and a lot of interactive stuff for kids. Wish I had gone sooner.

Brian Van Bibber

This museum is awesome and definitely worth seeing! It's so awesome I came back the next day! The Great Lakes are not only the most important natural resource in the world, they represent thousands of years of history. The lakes have dramatically impacted the social, economic and political history of the North American continent. The National Museum of the Great Lakes tells the incredible story of our Great Lakes through over 300 genuine artifacts, a number of powerful audiovisual displays and 40 hands-on interactive exhibits including the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship. The tales told here span hundreds of years, from the fur traders in the 1600s to the Underground Railroad operators in the 1800s, the rum runners in the 1900s, to the sailors on the thousand-footers sailling today. The theme of the Great Lakes as a Powerful Force runs through all of these stories and will create a lifelong interest in all who visit from 5 – 95 years old.

Deborah Thompson

Great experience. Lots of interactive displays and memorabilia. Very educational. Museum and ship both great time.

Marc D

Very interesting stuff here video and some hands on things ..boats where closed I'm guessing due to it being December still a cool place to stop

Brenda Ruder

Love Every Minute.. Worth the Time and Money

James Frederick

Was just a wonderful time walking around looking at all the beautiful views and all the boats and the ship in the harbor!! Just a great time!!!

carolyn young

Love to tour of the cargo ship and museum

Rhonda Porterfield

Nice museum. Well worth the price.

Richard Horsman

Fascinating and really well laid out, with a good balance of general interest and kid friendly stuff

Amanda Higbee

Good Museum. I enjoyed the shipwreck history.

Kathryn Whitehill

Interactive learning!

Joe Maxwell

We very easily spent 3 hours here because the exhibits were interesting and they let you climb all over a tugboat and a large freighter. Well worth the money and time!

Casey Williams

Learned a lot here and saw a lot of great things

Zach Wilkinson

Give yourself plenty of time.

Tom Oldham jr

There are tons of facts about The Great Lakes.

mike mag

I thought it was very interesting since I worked on the great lakes and night took my significant other there and she just loved and she was amazed that everything that was there and all them knowledge you can get I'm visiting the museum about the grade lights

Bart Kigar

Interesting information on the great lakes. Can't wait till the tug is going!

Jalisa Lynae

Great day, for exploring and adventures.

David Lewis

I thought the museum displays were excellent. I learned much about the history of ship traffic on the Great Lakes. Really enjoyed the discussion of rum runners from Canada to Detroit during Prohibition. One must tour the decommissioned lake freighter. One could enter a cargo hold, the engine room, the galley, crew rooms, and the bridge. I recommend this museum highly.

Joseph Dale

Wonderful place. Beyond my expectations. Your the ship first! You can go in all the rooms, engine room, cargo holds, where the crew slept, etc. We spent hours there and didn't have enough time. Great for adults and kids.

Cindy Alderfer

Awesome and professionally presented. Great interactive stations for all ages! A must see if your in the area

David Barker

Had a great time with my family

Sarah Short

One visit will leave you wanting to come back for more! There are interactive exhibits for all ages - even the youngest. The information available is incredible. Each time we come back, we learn something new. This is a must see in Toledo!!

Andrew Bohnenkamp

A great museum for any fan of the Great Lakes or maritime history. The boats are awesome. The price was worth the ticket for admission, and I think kids of all ages will have fun here and adults as well. They have some unisex bathrooms and a nice little gift shop. When in Toledo, it is a must visit.

Sheri Tippett

Wasnt open.. Wish it had been

Julie Ormsby

Nice little museum. The ship is the best part. Do yourself a favor and download the app so your walking tour of the ship is a great experience.

Dose of Josh

Cool place to see

Karen Chrzanowski

So very interesting. Interactive displays. Great for kids! Take the time to go.

Kris Booker

My father and I went recently to visit for the first time and I have to say there is an incredible amount of history packed into this place. Anything from the early years of sailing on the lakes to the tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald to the displays of current vessels can be found here. Definitely will be coming back in the spring for the Schoonmaker and to see the restored Ohio. A must see for the nautical fan!

David Darr

awesome totally awesome! what a cool experience to roam about a real freighter and see all the details of it's operational life. the museum was great also, well done lots of artifacts and factual historical documentation pf events and evolution of sea travel.

Sam Guidry

A gem of Great Lake History right here in Toledo!

sara stanford

Having lived in Michigan my whole life, this is a great place to learn about all of the Great Lakes. Good for young and old. They even had a wheelchair for my 83 year old father so we didn't have to unload the one in the car.

Rosalie Robinson

It was a great experience. I was their for about two hours. There is so much to look at. I loved that there is a lot of hands on things that can be done! This is a great place to take children! There is a lot of past objects to look at that can be related to present objects for students/children. Also in the spring you can tour the ship! We enjoyed viewing a ship that traveled the Great Lakes. You can download the app and listen to all the points of interest of the ship at your own pace. There is also a building with a movie and museum with your ticket.

Gerard Orlowski

Interesting...loved touring the freighter and tugboat most!

Mar Wobser

There is such a variety of items to look at, read about, and try out. Well thought out, keeps attention of all ages. Several rooms to tour, terrific for a field trip or air conditioned haven. Can easily spend a couple hours here. One of our favorites.

Patricia Timmerman

Wonderfully designed and educating museum!