Lost in the Depths of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

Oringinally Published on July 23, 2021. Republished November 27, 2021

The Backstory

Whitefish Point is located 11 miles or 15 minutes north of Paradise, Michigan.

Lake Superior, the largest of all the Great Lakes, is infamously recognized for it’s shipwrecks and the havoc her weather can cause. Of the documented 550 shipwrecks that have occurred on the waters of this great lake, 200 of them have been in the Whitefish Point area. I’m sure nearly everyone, especially in Michigan, is familiar with the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. This complete loss happened only 15 miles from the point.

The Whitefish Point Light Station was created by Congress in 1849 and is today the oldest operating lighthouse on Lake Superior. The lighthouse was blended with the US Coast Guard in 1937 but all personnel were eventually taken from it by 1970,

In 1983 the Great Lakes Historical Society procurred a license from the Coast Guard and began opening exhibits in 1985.

Lake Superior Facts

Lake Superior has a surface area that is approximately the size of South Carolina or Austria – 31,700 square miles (82,103 km)
It contains 10% of the world’s surface fresh water
The Native American Ojibwe people originally called it the gichi-game or “great sea” . Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the first to reference it in literature and Gordon Lightfoot made in famous in his ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”
The average depth of the lake is 483 feet (147 m) but at it’s deepest it is 1,333 ft (406 m)
Lake Superior shares shores with Canada, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The 80-mile coastline from Munising, MI to Whitefish Point is known as the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes”
The last shipwreck to date was in the Whitefish Point locale and was the Edmund Fitzgerald, which lost all 29 hands
It is a Glacial lake
There are more than 80 species of fish that call Lake Superior home
Lake Superior holds over 3 quadrillion gallons of water! That’s enough to flood North and South America under one foot of water!!
If the shoreline along just Lake Superior were laid into a straight line, it would connect from Duluth, MN to the Bahamas
If you would like to read more, check out this website http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/superior/superiorfacts.html

Southern Shoreline — Shoreline south of the lighthouse and museum

Shoreline south of the lighthouse and museum

Great Lakes Facts

Before I write any post I try to make contact with individuals that are in charge or may have more information that I can bring here.

Today I had the pleasure of speaking to Sean Ley, the Development Officer for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. I am so glad I did too because he is an absolute wealth of knowledge!

While I originally called to ask questions about admission prices and programs, we started talking about the Great Lakes and maritime laws and so much more. I heard about things I never had before. And now, I’m going to share with you…

Vessels that sail the oceans and seas, as well as the Great Lakes, are called “Salties”
While there are 550 documented shipwrecks in Lake Superior, there are over 6,000 in all the Great Lakes. Some sources claim more than 10,000 ships have actually sank in these waters
In 1980 a law was passed dictating who shipwreck finds belonged to. If one is found in Michigan waters, it belongs to the State of Michigan (as in the government). In Canandian waters, their government – not the salvage companies that find the wreckage
Another law was passed in 1990 making it illegal to image human remains anywhere – shipwrecks, mine collapses etc
In 1918, twelve sweeper mine vessels had been ordered to use in English harbors to detect bombs placed by the Germans. They were manned with French sailors. Of the 12 ordered only ten arrived and two sank in the Great Lakes. Should these two sweepers ever be discovered they still belong to the French who will send personnel here to investigate.
Professional seaman find the Great Lakes more volitile than the seas because of the unpredicibility of the wave patterns bouncing between shorelines than what they encounter on the open waters. A much quicker bounce on the Great Lakes.
Whitefish Point is the only still operational light station on Lake Superior because of demand. When ships need to get off rougher waters, Whitefish Point leads directly into Whitefish Bay, which is much calmer. The light is needed to guide them around the point.
Even with the light station, there are 200 shipwrecked vessels in it’s vicinity. The Edmund Fitzgerald is one of those.
No one can dive to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald without expressed written permission from the Canandian government.

More Than I Expected

I’ll be honest, the only reason I went into the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum was because for the second year in a row my daughter practically begged me to go. From the outside it looks small and I just knew it was going to be a rinky-dink venue designed to be a tourist trap. I mean you’re on a point in the middle of nowhere so they’ve got you right there. You know what I mean?

Let me tell you I’ll be the first person to say I WAS WRONG! This place may be small but I was truly awestruck by the amount of information it shared.

First Things First

It’s a museum so there is a charge to enter the facility. It is as follows:

Adults: $14
Children 6-17: $10
Children Under 5: FREE
If you are looking for a Family Deal… 2 Adults and 2 (+) Children: $45 OR
Single Parent and 2 (+) Children: $32
There is a $1.00 Discount for AAA Members
There are also a variety of Membership Programs that include unlimited admissions, gift shop discounts and more. They last for one year from the date of purchase so if you were to purchase one now, you would be able to use it most of next summer, as well!
For more information on the various membership programs available, please visit https://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/product-category/membership/

If you’re getting a late start, don’t worry! After 5pm tickets are sold for half-priced that allow access to the museum gallery only. Also, all buildings close at 6pm.

Hours of Operation are: 10am – 6pm Everyday, May 1 through October 31

On The Inside

The building the museum is in reminds me of a church. According to Mr. Ley the building was never a church and built specifically for the museum…but it does still remind me of one.

You immediately enter into a vestibule where you will pay your admission fee and then pass through double doors into the gallery. The room is somewhat dark but that is so the exhibits are highlighted better. This is a self guided tour so you can take as long as you like…or zip along. It’s entirely up to you. I think my daughter and I spent a little over an hour here ourselves.

There are several small exhibits that tell the story of a particular shipwreck. Some are caused by violent weather and some have happened due to human error. It’s not really any different today when things happen but they are always tragic.

I am a sucker for artwork. I always have been and I always will be. So, I was delighted by the amount of paintings and photographs throughout that depicted the story of the ship. I was also a bit surprised that there was artwork for some of the shipwreck when I hadn’t even heard of a majority of them!

And don’t forget to study the apparatus on display while you meander through the gallery. They have displayed some really cool stuff that you may not get a chance to see normally. I know I am not in a position to examine these items on a regular basis so I found it very interesting to read about them and get a pretty upclose view.

I appreciated that!

Shipwreck Exhibits — An “action” exhibit depicting wreckage investigating

Shipwreck Exhibit — An “action” exhibit depicting wreckage investigating

Each display has items that will help to tell it’s story and many of the artifacts are recovered from the actual vessel. The presentations explain what type of ship it was, who owned it, what it was hauling when the accident happened, who the captain was, how many crewman were on board and more.

I strongly suggest not rushing through if you can because there is so much in each narrative!

The Most Well-Known

Of course, I’m talking about the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Nearly everyone in Michigan knows about the Edmund Fitzgerald. It’s very personal for us here.

Judging by how many people were bunched around this particular exhibit, I would have to say it is the most popular one there. People could hardly wait to push by us to get to this one.

And, the museum does a great job with it too!

Admittedly, I didnt take a lot of pictures of this presentation. That’s for two reasons: If I show you the entire exhibit, then there is no reason for you to visit. I want you to visit. I want you to support the museum and I want you to have a chance to absorb it all yourself. The second reason is very simple…I couldn’t get close enough to take a lot of pictures!

This is easily the most popular and one of the main reasons people visit The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum so why should I ruin it for anyone?

The Fun Goes On

Once you leave the museum there are more buildings to visit. When I was there last August (going again this August) not all of the buildings were open. I’m not sure if it was because of the pandemic (I suspect so) or perhaps they are rarely open anyhow.

But, the buildings your admission does allow you to go through are educational and interesting. You will walk away with a strong sense of what life was like for those who made the light station their home.

There is a gift shop and just like with most, some things are pricey. I make no secret of the fact that I am more frugal than many. I just don’t see the value in spending money on things when I can spend it on a new adventure. Memories not things, right? However, there are plenty of items on sale, or even clearance, so there are affordable souvenirs too. And fudge.

Regardless of what type of spender you are, you will find something and help the museum keep maintaining itself. I still spent $75 myself and the family was happy with their gifts – so a win, win for all. Plus, I got some fudge. Hey, you can’t go any where “up north” and NOT buy fudge, It’s anti Michiganderlike (yes, I know it isn’t a real word but it fits!)

Back to the other buildings though…These buildings offer what they refer to as guided tours although visitors still wandered at their own pace. The guides were available to answer any questions you may have as you go through and they are very knowledgable.

On the day we visited the museum, we went through two buildings besides the gallery and the gift shop. The first was the 1861 Lightkeeper’s Quarters.

There are a ton of artifacts that give you a good idea of the job the lightkeeper performed, as well as, his family life. It’s a good reminder that when the light station was first erected in this area it was not what we see today. Now as you drive to the point you will pass several houses, probably a few hotels, definitely a few places to eat but none of that existed in 1849. It was a very lonely existence. The weather was, and still is, very harsh in this region adding another dimension to any hardships.

You cannot leave here without a deeper understanding of these truths.

The second building we went into was the Surfboat House. Here it becomes blatantly clear how rough living on Whitefish Point could be and how much danger exists for the ships, then and now. The boat exhibit itself is cool and if you look closely around you may find a trickster lurking.

I encourage you take the time to read the stories framed on the walls. You may find yourself as overwhelmed as I did with emotions. Some people sacrificed all to save others. Some gave all with no glory and barely a soul left to remember their name.

While you cannot enter each building, you are welcome to walk around them and take pictures.

The courtyard is where you will find the rudder recovered from the vessel the Drake by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society’s dive team in 1978. Here is a picture of my daughter standing in front of the rudder. It’s monumental size makes her look much smaller than her actual height of 5’5″.

The Lighthouse

Finally, I’m sure a lot people are wondering…can we go into the lighthouse? The answer is yes…if you have paid to do so.

I didn’t go on the day I was there because there were a ton of people already inside and at the top. I will go during my next visit because that will be a breathtaking view I’ve got to experience!

Don’t Leave Yet!

When you finish touring the museum and grounds, don’t leave! Be sure to take a short walk to the boardwalk and shoreline. It is barrier free to the boardwalk. This is a favorite hunting area for rock hounds to search for agates and Yooperlites. Plus, there is just something calming about walking along the water and listening to the sounds of the sea gulls and the waves laping next to you and a breeze coming in off the water.

You’ve Never Heard of a Yooperlite?!

Don’t worry, until last year neither had I. But, pull up a seat – if you haven’t already done so – and I’ll give you the rundown.

In 2017, a gem and mineral dealer from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula took an ultraviolet light (aka a black light) out to Lake Superior. He was possibly looking for gems, I’m not really sure, but he was instead surprised by the amount of glowing rocks he saw on the shoreline. He gathered them up and sent them to Michigan Technological University for analysis.

In the meantime, Erik Rintamaki started to call the rocks “Yooperlites”. It turns out that he didn’t discover the stones but he was the first one to call them by this name.

What they found was that the stones are a sodalite. Actually, they are Syenite and the sodalite is what makes them fluorescent under the UV light. To the naked eye the grey rocks appear unspectacular and easy to overlook but, shine the UV light on them and they sparkle like a night sky!

Yooperlites are found along the Lake Superior shoreline and Whitefish Point and the Grand Marais areas are prime hunting spots. They come in a variety of sizes, from the very small to a “hogger”, which is what I found at Whitefish Point last year!

Rock collectors will tell you that you must have a certain type of black light but I didn’t buy those and we did just fine. I do recommend a larger lens to cover a wider path but that’s preference not necessity. FYI: I bought mine off Amazon and they have a ton to choose from.

I didn’t say this but perhaps I should…you should look for these stones in the dark.

Yay or Nay?

I think it may be obvious that I give this little museum a big Yay! There is a lot of information packed into this little punch.

If you are a parent who likes to introduce learning situations without your children realizing it, here you go. Boy and girls, men and women will find something here of interest to the. The stories are captivating while the tools and apparatus are intriguing.

With admission prices available for families, this can be an affordable adventure for all. Plus, the more people who attend, the more money the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society can fund…more expeditions and dives, more exhibits, more interest.

Speaking of expeditions…a new shipwreck has been discovered and the dive team is now working on it! A video detailing the ship (I have no idea the name at this time or any other information) and it’s story should be available on the museum’s website within the next few months. How exciting is that?!

Cost of the Day

Admission to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum $26 (with AAA Discount)
Gift Shop souvenirs: $75 for postcards, tshirts for my husband and daughter and fudge
Time Spent at the museum and buildings: 2 hours
Total Drive Time To/From Newberry (our homebase): 40 minutes each way or 1 hour 10 minutes
Dinner: at The Inn, located in Paradise, $75 including tip – this restaurant is the best we have found during our stays in this area! The food is completely homemade (with the exception of 3 items) and worth every dime… absolutely get the carrot cake if you go!!! Incidently, this little restaurant is so good, that it is a MUST whenever we visit the region -no matter how far we need to drive to get there. Hands down the best!