SS Valley Camp, Museum ship in Sault Ste. Marie, United States.
The SS Valley Camp is a preserved cargo ship that operates as a floating museum in Sault Ste. Marie where visitors can walk through multiple decks and rooms. The vessel displays crew quarters, the captain's cabin, the engine room, and cargo holds filled with over 100 items related to Great Lakes shipping operations.
The ship was built in 1917 and spent decades carrying iron ore and coal across the Great Lakes before its final voyage in 1966. After retirement from commercial service, it was converted into a museum to preserve the history of Great Lakes cargo shipping.
The ship preserves the memory of the dangerous work done by sailors on the Great Lakes and their daily routines aboard cargo vessels. Visitors can experience how crews lived and worked in tight quarters during long journeys across the water.
Exploring the ship involves climbing stairs and walking through narrow passageways, so wearing comfortable shoes is recommended and watch for slippery steps. Arriving early helps you move through the rooms at your own pace, especially during warmer months when crowds are larger.
The ship houses two lifeboats recovered from the sunken Edmund Fitzgerald, a famous wreck from the 1970s. These artifacts connect the museum to one of the most well-known shipwrecks in Great Lakes history.
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