The Dossin Great Lakes Museum now open to public after $2 million renovation

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle just completed a $2 million renovation that officially opened to the public this past weekend.
 
"The project was an ambitious project in that it touched everything we do there," says Bob Bury, Executive Director and CEO of the Detroit Historical Society. "Certain things were refreshed and re-enchanced; some things (are) brand new."
 
One of the new exhibits is called Built by the River, which documents the significance that the Detroit River has had in building this city. Integral to the growth of Detroit's major industries, the Detroit River was used to transport lumber during the early logging days, automotive parts in the modern era, and, yes, alcohol during Prohibition. The river still defines life for Detroiters in how we live, work and play.  
 
The museum encourages interaction – they want kids and adults alike to touch the displays and have a fully immersive experience, like in the S.S. William Clay Ford pilot house, the actual pilot house from the freighter, and the fully-restored Gothic Room, salvaged from the luxury passenger ship the City of Detroit III when it was decommissioned. On the grounds outside the museum rests the bow anchor from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.
 
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum attracted 1,000 people per day in its grand reopening weekend. Admission was free and will remain free for the forseeable future to encourage people to visit, whether they have a specific interest in Detroit's maritime history or not. The museum is open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Source: Bob Bury, Executive Director and CEO of the Detroit Historical Society
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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