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Visit DCMM
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The Door County Maritime Museum is located at 120 N.
Madison Avenue in Sturgeon Bay, on the West Side waterfront between the two downtown
bridges. Adult admission is $7.50 to the Museum and $5 to the tug. For
more information, call 920-743-5958, send email to info@dcmm.org or visit www.dcmm.org. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
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Greetings!
 Welcome to the first edition of the Door County Maritime Museum's e-newsletter! With summer just around the corner, we're going to have a lot happening at the Museum, and we're looking forward to being able to
share our news and updates with you on a regular basis in a
user-friendly format.
In this issue, we have information for you about our upcoming Door County Lighthouse Festival, the exciting new incarnation of our ever-popular Lighthouse Walk, and the many exceptional tours and special activities that will enhance the experience for our Members and guests. We also are announcing this year's Family Week, which allows
children age 17 and under to visit the museum free with a paying or Member adult. We're actually offering this special for three weeks, allowing families to enjoy the extra savings during the spring break season.
And don't miss the opportunity to get half-price admission to our new exhibition, "Ghosts! Haunted Lighthouses of the Great Lakes," which opens May 22.
We hope you enjoy our new e-newsletter, and we look forward to seeing you at the Museum, on the Tug John Purves and at the Door County lights this summer!
Wishing you fair winds and calm seas,
Bob Desh
Executive Director
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Tickets Now on Sale:
2010 Lighthouse Festival, June 11-13
Sherwood Point Lighthouse in Sturgeon Bay, Door County.
 | The Door County Maritime Museum's annual celebration of the peninsula's 10 lighthouses will return for its 17th year on June 11-13. Now called the Door County Lighthouse Festival, the event encompasses a dozen intriguing tour packages that include traditional favorites, a first-of-its-kind journey and the long-awaited return of another.
The Door County Maritime Museum is now accepting ticket orders from Museum members; the general public will be able to purchase tickets starting Thursday, April 1.
While the lighthouse walk has always been a popular signature event for the Museum, it now has even more to offer. First of all, the event moved from May to June last year, ensuring even better weather for exploring the historic lights. Next, the evolution from "walk" to "festival" has allowed the Museum to showcase the lights in a new, exciting way.
Instead of providing a comprehensive ticket for admission to the five mainland lighthouses, the lights will maintain their regular hours and admission fees. The Sherwood Point Lighthouse and the Canal Station light in Sturgeon Bay, both operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, offer free admission. As always, Sherwood Point's property and lighthouse are a special Lighthouse Festival feature; they are only accessible to the public on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival weekend.
The highlight of the festival will be the assortment of land-based and boat tours that provide outstanding opportunities to experience Door County's unmatched collection of lighthouses. There are four land-based tours; two are split between the peninsula's northern and southern areas and combine lighthouses with wine-tasting opportunities. A smaller-capacity tour featuring all of the mainland lights is also being offered Saturday and Sunday.
Most fun of all: On Friday and Saturday evenings, Ghost/Mystery tours will depart from the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay. These will tie into the Museum's new "Ghosts! Haunted Lighthouses of the Great Lakes" exhibit.
Nationally renowned lighthouse artist Donna Elias will also be on hand at the Museum in Sturgeon Bay to sign prints and discuss her acclaimed Great American Light Collection, a series of works celebrating more 200 historic beacons.
As for the boat trips, the daylong Island Clipper tour will take visitors past a couple of Michigan lights before stopping at Rock Island. The Museum also is offering a first-of-its kind tour to Plum Island, and it has resurrected the popular trip to the Chambers Island light. Space is extremely limited for the Plum Island tour. Other tours will also be leaving Gills Rock, Baileys Harbor and Sturgeon Bay to highlight the lights and sights in those areas.
Even the annual Keeper's Kin dessert social is different this year. The Museum will host the popular event aboard Sturgeon Bay's stunning cruise boat Harbor Lady on Friday evening, and participants will enjoy a sunset cruise to Sherwood Point Lighthouse. Relatives of Door County lighthouse keepers will be on board to share stories and answer questions, and a Door County-themed dessert spread is part of the package.
For more information or to request a brochure, visit www.dcmm.org. Tickets can be ordered on the Web site or by calling 920-743-5958.
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Winter Speaker Series Closes March 25 with International Ice Patrol Program
The Door County Maritime Museum and Friends of the Maritime Museum will wrap up their 2009-10 Winter Speakers Series on Thursday, March 25 at 7 p.m. at the Museum in Sturgeon Bay.
Executive Director Bob Desh will present the program, which will focus on the International Ice Patrol and the role it has played tracking icebergs for nearly 100 years. While in the United States Coast Guard, Desh served as the patrol's commanding officer from 2000 to 2003.
The tragic 1912 sinking of the luxury passenger liner RMS Titanic prompted the world's maritime nations to create an International Ice Patrol to track icebergs in the North Atlantic. The U.S. Coast Guard has been tasked with its management and operation since 1913.
Executive Director Bob Desh during his U.S. Coast Guard service. | Desh will chronicle the icebergs' journey from the coast of Greenland to the Grand Banks near Newfoundland. He will share tales of his days in charge of the patrol and the many challenges of hunting these spectacular castles of ice that still menace transatlantic shipping today.
The Friends of the Door County Maritime Museum is an organization dedicated to assisting the Museum both through fundraising projects and volunteer service. Admission to the program is free, and the Friends will provide refreshments. Donations are appreciated.
For more information on the Speakers Series, call 920-743-5958 or visit www.dcmm.org.
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Family Week at Maritime Museum to Run
Through Saturday, April 3
The Museum's popular periscope.
 | The Door County Maritime Museum has announced the return of Family Week, an event designed to encourage families to spend part of spring break at the Museum in Sturgeon Bay. Family Week will actually extend more than three weeks - from Saturday, March 13 through Saturday, April 3. All children age 17 and under who are accompanied by a paying adult or adult Museum member will be admitted free.
"The Museum is a great place to spend some of that vacation time," said Executive Director Bob Desh. "There will be a children's activity or two in addition to the variety of kid-friendly attractions."
The nuclear submarine periscope offers a fifth-story view of the surrounding waterfront. Boats, engines, large-scale models and a striking lighthouse exhibit round out the Museum experience.
As an added treat, Desh said the Family Week offer will extend to the Tug John Purves after it opens for tours the first weekend in April. Consequently, children will be allowed to board the tug free when accompanied by a paying adult or adult Museum member. Please note: A 42-inch height restriction does apply to tug tours.
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Get Half-Price Admission for New Exhibit!
The Door County Maritime Museum is a great place to spend a winter day, and now there's added incentive to get out of the house and visit the Sturgeon Bay facility. If you buy a ticket to the museum anytime between now and mid-May, the museum will provide you with a coupon for half-price admission to the new exhibition, titled "Ghosts! Haunted Lighthouses of the Great Lakes." The exhibition opens May 22.
With each admission to the museum now through the opening of the new exhibit "Ghosts! Haunted Lighthouse of the Great Lakes" on May 22, the Museum will offer a coupon for a half-price admission to come back and see the new exhibition.
"Even though the Horton Gallery, which held the former 'Freshwater Fury' exhibit, is closed to allow for construction of the 'Ghosts!' exhibit, there's still plenty to see in the Museum," said Executive Director Bob Desh. "Winter is a great time to visit; the museum has a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere. Then you can come back later this spring or summer to see what will be a spectacular new exhibit at a great price."
Even those who have visited the museum in past years will probably find something new in the three galleries that remain open. New upgrades in the Asher Gallery spotlight the history and growth of Marine Travelift, one of Sturgeon Bay's principle employers, as well as the story behind the company that built one of the museum's most stunning pieces - its vintage Chris Craft. The periscope remains a top draw in the Peterson Gallery, as is Sherwood Point's Fresnel lens in the Baumgartner Gallery.
As always, museum members are admitted free... become a member today!
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Save the Date: Ports of Call Gala
The Door County Maritime Museum's annual Ports of Call gala will be held on June 25 this year. The Ports of Call planning committee is hard at work... it's going to be a great party! Please watch future e-newsletters for details.
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