Located along Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin’s busy working waterfront, the Door County Maritime Museum showcases the area’s rich maritime roots. Hard-working fishermen, brave ship captains, skilled craftsmen, bold inventors and lonely lighthouse keepers are just some of the personalities you’ll discover in the galleries of the museum.
See how these maritime pioneers worked and what they made, and you’ll understand and appreciate your visit to Door County on a deeper, more engaged level.
In December 1956, Roen Steamship Company of Sturgeon Bay purchased the John Purves and put her to work on all five Great Lakes taking on towing and salvage jobs. The Purves was well known throughout the Great Lakes for her strength and towing capabilities. In fact, due to her might, she made a good living after the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, rescuing many a saltwater vessel that ran aground in the tricky channels of the Great Lakes.
MISSION STATEMENT
Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc. preserves Great Lakes maritime history, primarily focusing on Door County, Wisconsin, and provides interpretive and educational opportunities for current and future generations.
VISION STATEMENT
It is the vision of the Door County Maritime Museum to provide and perpetuate the best maritime museum experiences on the Great Lakes.
COVID-19 Statement
The Door County Maritime Museum (DCMM) continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and we will adjust our action plan and policies as needed when the situation changes.
Our priority is to keep our employees and guests safe.
Keeping in mind that the COVID-19 situation is very dynamic, we are prepared to adapt to any changing circumstances as needed. DCMM will follow, and update guidelines based on existing and future Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, as well as local input including the Partnership for Infection Prevention measures as outlined.
We ask that our Museum team and our guests take their own health and the health of others seriously.
Our reopening plan is available here..
Featuring: Remembering Bill Harder
The Door County Maritime Museum and Lighthouse Preservation Society is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of the President of the Museum’s Board of Directors, Bill Harder. Bill served as President of the Museum for the past eight years. During that time he was a driving force in making the Museum’s three venues in Sturgeon Bay, on Cana Island and in Gills Rock integral institutions that contribute to Door County’s uniquely special quality of life for both local residents and visitors.
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