National Museum of the Great Lakes Announces Exclusive Curator
Tours for Dark Waters: True Crime & Mystery on the Great Lakes
Toledo, Ohio – The National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) isoffering visitors a rare opportunity to go beyond the exhibit walls with Dark Waters: Curator Tours, guided by the exhibit’s curator and the museum’s Director Emeritus, Chris Gillcrist. Step into the shadows of Great Lakes history during these exclusive tours, where Gillcrist shares untold stories, chilling details, and insider insights into how Dark Waters: True Crime & Mystery on the Great Lakes came together.
Tour Dates & Times
- Saturday, Sept. 20 – 10:15–11:15 a.m. | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 25 – 10:15–11:15 a.m. | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 1 – 10:15–11:15 a.m. (Final opportunity to see the exhibit.)
Tickets: $20 NMGL Members | $40 Non-Members Museum admission included. Registration required. Find out more at nmgl.org/events.
All tours take place in the temporary exhibit gallery at the National Museum of the Great
Lakes. Dark Waters is recommended for ages 13 and up.
“These tours let me share what didn’t fit on the labels—the research, the curatorial choices, and the questions that still keep me curious,” said Chris Gillcrist, Director Emeritus and curator of Dark Waters. “We’ll look closely at the artifacts, connect them to the people and decisions behind each case, and talk about where the mysteries remain.”
Participants will explore all seven stories featured in the gallery while discovering additional accounts, hidden details, and deeper context behind the artifacts on display. The exhibit is scheduled to close at the end of October 2025; the Nov. 1 tour offers a final, limited-access viewing before deinstallation.
Tickets are available now at nmgl.org/events. Space is limited.
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
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MHSD Detroit River Cruise Tickets Will Be Available at the Dock
DETROIT, MI – Join members of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit aboard the Diamond Jack’s River Tours passenger vessel DIAMOND BELLE (captained by the MHSD’s very own Mike Nicholls and with MHSD member Ken Borg as narrator) for our annual three-hour cruise, 1-4 P.M. Sunday, September 14, on the Detroit River. The weather forecast calls for sunshine and balmy temperatures.
We will do our best to get up close to freighter traffic. Snacks and refreshments will be available
on the boat (coolers not allowed on board), which leaves from the Cullen Plaza at the foot of Rivard Street (1340 Atwater St.) Detroit. There is parking at Cullen Plaza (which often fills up early) and there is both street and garage parking nearby.
Tickets at the dock are $30 (cash or check only. Please arrive by 12:45 as the boat will sail promptly at 1 p.m.
MHSD
Annual Maritime Career Day Seeking Partners
TOLEDO, OHIO – The National Museum of the Great Lakes is calling on maritime and Great Lakes–related industries to take part in its second annual Maritime Career Day on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Designed to connect students and the public with career opportunities across the region, the event provides a unique platform for companies, higher education institutions, and tradespeople to connect with future talent and gain valuable exposure.
Last year’s inaugural event drew over 300 students and more than 30 career partners, including leaders from various fields such as shipping, environmental science, engineering, the military, and culinary arts. This year, in addition to students, the museum is expanding its reach by inviting the broader community to take part, offering career partners an even wider audience to share their work and opportunities.
“Maritime Career Day is about building connections and inspiring the next generation of Great Lakes professionals,” said Sara Smith, Director of Institutional Advancement with the National Museum of the Great Lakes. “With the addition of a community session this year, partners will not only meet eager students but also connect with adults exploring career opportunities or seeking new paths within our region’s vital industries.”
Event Details:
- Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
- Student Session: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Grades 7–12)
- Community Session: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (Open to the public)
- Location: National Museum of the Great Lakes, 1701 Front St., Toledo, OH
Career partners will host booths inside the museum and aboard its Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship, offering attendees a chance to interact directly with professionals from diverse fields.
Sponsors of the 2025 Maritime Career Day include:
- Presenting Sponsor: World Group Foundation – the philanthropic arm of The World Group, dedicated to creating meaningful, lasting change in the communities where its people live and work.
- Community Sponsors: The Andersons and International Ship Masters Association Toledo Lodge 9
Organizations interested in participating as a career partner are encouraged to contact Sara Smith at sara.smith@nmgl.org. Space is limited, and early registration is recommended.For more information, visit nmgl.org/careerday.
Marine Historical Society of Detroit
Now Accepting New Members, Renewals
DETROIT, MI – You don’t have to live in the Motor City to join the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. Its focus includes all the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway as well as the ships and sailors keeping the economies of two countries moving.
The 81-year-old non-profit group is now accepting new memberships and membership renewals.
“The MHSD has plenty to offer anyone interested in and concerned with the history of the Great Lakes and its vibrant maritime heritage,” says long-time group President Roger LeLievre. “We have members across the U.S. and Canada and even overseas.”
Membership includes the monthly publication The Detroit Marine Historian, which offers a variety of articles exploring Great Lakes shipping past and present. It also includes an annual, full-color calendar featuring superb, often rare, photos of Great Lakes ships of the past.
Last year the group published the 300-page, hardcover book Ahoy & Farewell III, documenting the vessels built and those that left the lakes during the past 30 years. The book recently won an award for excellence from the Historical Society of Michigan.
In keeping with society’s goal of preserving historical images, the MHSD’s image portal, featuring photos and details of many historic vessels, is now online at www.marinehistorydetroit.historyit.com
The Society has named an annual Historian of the Year since 1969. The award is voted on by past winners and honors those who have contributed significantly to the research, presentation or publication of Great Lakes ships and the shipping history.
Membership is $40 (U.S. and Canada). Join online at www.mhsd.org. To join or renew by mail, please print out the form in the gallery below.
MHSD
2025 Luck of the Lakes Raffle Includes Ship Trips
Your raffle ticket purchase supports the Great Lakes Historical Society and its National Museum of the Great Lakes whose mission is to preserve, share, and celebrate the past, present, and future of the Great Lakes story.
Details here:
https://nmgl.org/2025lolraffle/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMDBTFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZUGV4UFMxNFFGYUpPbTZ2AR5OikAHiWMuo30CZrAqM9nuK93_xmmqYBsoAerabXJ3sBlZWNxpz7mZwoLuFw_aem_1pxrUONQfReTGS4dlnAgzg
