Dossin Great Lakes Museum
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is located on Belle Isle, at 100 the Strand. This sprawling facility holds various artifacts and exhibits detailing the great lakes and local maritime history, a great way to further get to know Detroit. Open daily from 10 am to 4 pm, this is the perfect mid-day education center, allowing you and your group to be immersed in local and regional history in a completely unique way: by water. The knowledgeable staff here ensures that this is an ‘engaging educational, fun experience for everyone,’ offering several different tours, programs, workshops, and exhibits throughout.
If you choose to take a tour while here be sure to note that tours must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance, however, the curriculum standards that are met during are worth it. Take the Maritime History tour and see how the waterways developed through such major events as WWII and the War of 1812. You can also take the Great Lake Strains Workshop, a 90-minute navigational sort of hands-on exercise. Many groups just like to take a self-guided tour, the museum offering several excellent signature exhibits such as Miss Pepsi, Clay Ford Pilot House, Gothic Room from SS City Detroit II, and Built by the River, each doing its own part in explaining the region's rich maritime history.
