Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center

The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center is a museum in Alpena, Michigan, that tells the story of ships and seafaring life in this region. The center features ship models, photographs, interactive stations, and even a full-sized walkable schooner model to help visitors understand the maritime past.

The center was founded to preserve and share the history of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. Alpena was an important location for shipbuilding and shipping, and the museum documents this maritime past through stories of wrecks and the people who worked on these waters.

The center honors the work of sailors and shows how people lived and worked aboard ships on the Great Lakes. The exhibits tell of shipping's importance to this region and how life on the water shaped the people who made it their home.

The museum sits right on the riverfront in downtown Alpena and is easy to reach while exploring the area. Visitors should allow enough time to explore the different exhibits, interactive stations, and the schooner model at a leisurely pace.

The center offers a special illusion where visitors can look through glass over a real shipwreck as if exploring it underwater. This experience provides a rare glimpse into what divers see when they explore ancient wrecks on the lake bottom.

Location: Alpena

Address: 500 W Fletcher St, Alpena, MI 49707

Phone: +(989)8846200

Website: https://thunderbay.noaa.gov/visit/great-lakes-maritime-heritage-center.html

GPS coordinates: 45.06857,-83.43464

Latest update: December 9, 2025 13:11