Preserving the history of the third-most successful Allied submarine of World War II, the USS Silversides Submarine Museum (formerly the Great Lakes Naval Memorial & Museum) is located on Muskegon Channel connecting Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan. A two-story museum contains extensive information about the U.S. Navy’s role during World War II, but the highlights of the establishment are two preserved vessels: USS Silversides (SS-236), first of two submarines to bear the “Silversides” name, and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter McLane--the only Coast Guard cutter to ever sink an enemy submarine. The museum has been maintained at its present location since 1987, though Silversides herself has served as a museum ship since the 1970s.
The LST 393 is a transport ship that was used during WWII by the US Navy. Although over 1000 LSTs were built, the 393 is only one of two still in existence. Launched in 1942, it participated in three invasions in Europe, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy. It was later used as a commercial ship to transport cars and passengers across Lake Michigan. Today it is preserved as a museum dedicated to veterans and telling the history of WWII.
Known as the "Queen of the Great Lakes," the icebreaker ship, the Mackinaw, was built in Toledo, Ohio in 1944 to help keep shipping in the Great Lakes open during the winter. The need for iron ore, limestone and coal (the ingredients need to produce steel) was very during World War II. The vessel was commissioned in 1941, just over a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor. However construction delays prevented its completion until 1944. It was in operation for 62 years, finally decommissioned in 2006. It has been a floating museum ever since. One of the museum's highlights is the overnight program, where young people can sleep on board to get a hands on experience about how the ship functioned and what life was like on board.
Launched in 1919 and now a floating museum, the Steamship Valley Camp is the most intact iron ore and coal Great Lakes freighter from its time period. It is 550 feet long and could transport up to 12,000 tons of cargo. It sailed for fifty years until 1967 when it was finally retired. In all, the Valley Camp covered three million miles and transported 16 million miles. Visitors are allowed to explore every part of the ship. There are also artifacts, paintings, shipwreck items, models and other objects on display inside. Maybe the most striking items on display are the two lifeboats recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sunk in November, 1975. Given its good condition and the fact that it is one of the few Great Lakes freighters of its era left, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is also a Michigan State Historic Site.
Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum was established by residents of Bay City who hoped to bring a historic naval vessel to their community's waterfront. The organization succeeded, securing the USS Edson in 2013. The USS Edson was a vital member of the Pacific Fleet during the Vietnam War and other conflicts in the U.S. fight against communism in Asia. The organization offers tours of the Edson and also maintains responsibility for maintaining the vessel.
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The Huron Lightship is a retired lightship that is now operated as a historical museum under the auspices of the Port Huron Museums. The Huron was the last operating lightship on the Great Lakes, and had served more than fifty years when she was retired in 1970. After she was decommissioned, the lightship was permanently moored at Pine Grove Park in Port Huron. The Huron was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1989.
This Tour is a Thematic Tour or Heritage Trail.
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With more than 3,000 miles of coastline, Michigan has an impressive maritime heritage. Several cities along the lakeshore host museum ships that are open to the public for tours, in season. Among them are a WWII-era submarine, an LST, a Coast Guard icebreaker, a Vietnam-era destroyer, and a lake freighter.
