Michigan Maritime Museum

Maritime Makers
2025-06-10 10:30 - 11:30 (America/Detroit) | Michigan Maritime Museum, 260 Dyckman Avenue, South Haven, MI, 49090, United States
Join us at the Michigan Maritime Museum every Tuesday throughout the summer for a make-and-take arts and crafts program! Participants will create their piece of maritime-themed art at this drop-in program while educators provide assistance and exciting information related to that day’s theme.

These programs are geared towards children, but anyone can participate! Included with general admission.

Maritime Makers is proudly sponsored by Clark & Cathy Carmichael

Hands-On the Harbor Day Camp
2025-06-12 10:30 - 12:30 UTC
Hands-On the Harbor is a weekly Day Camp that is offered Thursdays June – August, starting June 12th, from 10:30am to 12:30pm. You can drop your camper off to enjoy Museum educator-led immersive and hands-on activities, exhibit tours, and fun at the Michigan Maritime Museum! Campers will participate in a variety of maritime-themed programs exploring both inside the Museum’s Jerry Mason Learning Center and out on our waterfront campus.
Registration is $10 per student per day, $7 for Museum Members. Capacity for each camp is limited to fifteen students, so register today! To sign up or for questions, contact leslie@mimaritime.org or (269) 637-8078 ext. 205.

Purchase Tickets Here

Antique & Classic Boat Show
2025-06-14 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Detroit)
The Michigan Maritime Museum presents the 44th Antique & Classic Boat Show in South Haven. This event celebrates all kinds of antique and classic small craft from power boats to paddle boats. Woodworkers and collectors alike will show their boats, demonstrations on boat building techniques will be featured, and toy boat building will be available for kids. Our aim is to help perpetuate the building, restoration, and use of classic boats and small craft to give participants and the public an entertaining and informative learning experience. Fun for the whole family!

Calling all antique and classic boat owners and maritime vendors. Registration for our Antique & Classic Boat Show is now open. We accept all types of boats large and small, homebuilt or otherwise, actual classics or just classic lines. We have space on our campus as well as at our docks to show off your watercraft. Come brag about your boat with us June 14th, during South Haven’s HarborFest weekend.

This event is proudly sponsored by the Frizzo Allkins Family

Click Here to Register

For questions contact us at boatshow@mimaritime.org or call (269) 637-8078 ext. 103.

Women of the Watch
2025-06-20 18:30 - 19:30 UTC
“Women of the Watch, Keepers of the Light,” written and performed by Kamryn Marck and directed by D.B. Schroeder, is an uplifting 45-minutes of music, laughter, and simple honest storytelling. The play follows Kamryn as she relives family trips to lighthouses in Michigan, which ignites a passion to share the spectacular stories of various female lighthouse keepers of the Great Lakes. She details the lives of four particular keepers by donning voice and movement. As she steps into these brave women’s shoes, she discovers the tragedy of the hardships they faced and the beauty of their spirits. Each show is followed by a Q and A talkback for an hour long presentation. The show was commissioned by The Lorenzo Cultural Center in Macomb, MI.
This performance is part of our year-long programmatic series Whispers Across the Water that showcases and celebrates the invaluable contributions of minority communities to Great Lakes maritime history and heritage.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Science Expedition Cruise
2025-06-26 10:30 - 12:00 UTC
Proudly sponsored by Mike & Susan Smith
The Michigan Maritime Museum has partnered with the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) to bring you this special research opportunity in the Black River and on Lake Michigan aboard research vessel W.G. Jackson. During each Science Expedition Cruise, participants will serve as freshwater scientists, collecting data and observations about the bodies of water through which they cruise. Onboard AWRI scientists and educators will provide information about local watersheds, maritime history that has impacted the environment, and more! The vessel will anchor out on Lake Michigan at a sample station and participants will conduct water quality testing experiments before heading back to the Museum docks. Become a freshwater scientist for day with AWRI and the MMM!

Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold the day of the cruise.
Cruises are 90-minutes.
Passengers must be age 10 or above. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Please dress appropriately for the weather, including rain gear and sun protection as conditions warrant. Shoes should be non-skid and closed toe (no flip-flops or sandals).
We ask passengers to limit bags and personal items brought onboard are limited, due to limited space onboard. Potable water is also available onboard. Any bags brought onboard must be inspected by the captain. No weapons are allowed onboard.
Please note that there is no seating on the vessel. The W.G. Jackson is not wheelchair accessible away from its homeport in Muskegon, MI.
Tickets sales are non-refundable. Refunds will be issued only in the event the vessel captain cancels the cruise.

Get Tickets

23rd Annual Fish Boil Fundraiser
2025-07-12 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Detroit)
Join the Michigan Maritime Museum for our 23rd Annual Fish Boil! This old-fashioned Great Lakes fish boil dinner includes traditionally boiled local lake fish, potatoes and onions covered in a butter sauce, with a roll, coleslaw, and ice cream for dessert! There will also be a 50/50 raffle and a cash bar with beer, wine, and soft drinks. Join us for a delicious meal, great company, and the best harbor views!
Just about everything from the fish to the napkins is donated through the generosity of businesses and organizations in our community. Please come out to support the Museum and enjoy a Great Lakes tradition!

Tickets will be available at the door until we run out of fish! Take out option is available.
$20 per person, $10 children (12 and under)

Fish Boil Supporters:
Star of the Lake Masonic Lodge
South Pier Creamery
Phoenix St. Cafe
Barden’s Farm Market
Clementine’s
Bob’s Processing
MyTown Ace Hardware
South Haven Public Schools

Sweetwater Film Showcase
2025-07-24 10:30 - 15:30 UTC
This event is proudly sponsored by:
The Horton Family in honor of Gary Horton
The Michigan Maritime Museum is proud to present the Sweetwater Film Showcase. This two-day event will feature short and full length documentaries about Great Lakes topics that highlight the connections, contributions, and stories of underrepresented and minority communities and persons to Great Lakes maritime history and heritage. The Showcase is a part of the Museum’s Whispers Across the Water series.
2025 Documentary Selections
Members- $15 per person/per day
Non-Members $20 per person/per day
Get Tickets

STEAM Camp
2025-08-04 09:30 - 12:00 (America/Detroit)
The Museum offers a STEAM focused summer camp for students grades 3-5 (ages 8-10). The camp runs for one week in the summer and is open to 15 students. The STEAM curriculum focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. The day camp, held on the Museum campus in South Haven, features a maritime themed program through engaging STEAM activities and lessons. The camp includes hands-on activities, lessons aboard our tall ship Friends Good Will, interactive exhibit tours, and a paddle on the Black River in a voyageur canoe.
For more information visit the STEAM Camp webpage.

STEAM Camp is proudly sponsored by Ruth Wiser

Rock the Boat 2025
2025-08-22 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Detroit)
Join the Michigan Maritime Museum at our 4th annual Rock the Boat concert. Come rock out at an evening of fun, food, music, and definitely dancing on the Museums waterfront campus. Proceeds benefit the Michigan Maritime Museum.
Back by popular demand, The 1985 Band will surely get you up on your feet and jammin’ to some sick beats. Featuring the best of what 80’s music has to offer, The 1985 combines lights, videos, costumes and more to create a totally immersive music experience.
Proudly sponsored by Scott & Julia Robbins and Clark & Cathy Carmichael.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Dan Seavey: Confessions of a Great Lakes Pirate
2025-10-10 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Detroit)
Special Preview Performance
Dan Seavey: Confessions of A Great Lakes Pirate
Starring Tom Kastle
Directed by Francisco Torres
Dan Seavey: Confessions of A Great Lakes Pirate is a one man play written and performed by actor, musician, and tall ships sailor Tom Kastle for adult and young adult audiences.* It looks, both comically, and seriously, at the life of THE Great Lakes pirate of all time; Dan Seavey, who lived from 1865 to 1949. He was a lumberman, businessman, bureaucrat, Navy veteran, saloon keeper, Klondike gold rush miner, sailor, bootlegger, and law enforcement officer, but his biggest claim was that of… Great Lakes pirate.
Like literary contemporaries such as Long John Silver, this production treats Seavey as a charming character, a colorful character, and a flawed character, as well. A man who has done some terrible things but, in the end, you want to cheer for him and wish him well, as he sails off into the sunset.
About the performer
For years, Tom Kastle traveled the world, collecting and performing maritime songs and stories and sailing tall ships on the Great Lakes. These days, his passions are even more diverse and include theatrical projects, from Man of La Mancha to Shakespeare to God Help Us! with the legendary Ed Asner; film projects, like Francisco Torres’ Delight In the Mountain; and television, where he hosted a short documentary on the Bicentennial Battle of Lake Erie that was nominated for an Emmy Award. His captain and relief captain credits include the tall ships around the Great Lakes. Kastle was Relief Captain of the Michigan Maritime Museum’s own tall ship Friends Good Will in 2006 and Captain in 2007.
Tickets: $10 per person, $5 Museum Members
*This play is not for children. Dan Seavey contains examples of drinking, violence, and mild language. In other words, actual adult pirate behavior
Purchase Tickets Here

Kids' Halloween Spooktacular
2025-10-23 16:00 - 18:00 UTC
Calling all little ghosts and ghouls to the Michigan Maritime Museum Annual Kids’ Halloween Spooktacular!
Join us on October 23rd from 4 PM – 6 PM for a family-friendly Halloween celebration.
When children arrive, they’ll be given a treasure map guiding them to eight learning locations across the Museum’s campus. At each stop, they’ll have the chance to take part in fun activities, earn candy, and collect prizes. Along the way there will be costumes, games, trick-or-treating, and lots of surprises.
The best part? This event is completely FREE—and families can also enjoy a little exploration inside the Museum! Put on your costumes and come down for a Spooktacular evening of discovery and fun. The animals of the Michigan Maritime campus have donned their costumes for a fun and spooky, but not scary adventure. Rain or shine, in the case of poor weather the celebration continues inside our Mike and Linda Winkel & Mike and Sue Smith Maritime Heritage Center.

This family-friendly event is proudly sponsored by State Farm Insurance, Kevin Hagan Office, 228 Broadway Street, South Haven, MI

Free First Sundays
2025-11-02 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Detroit)
The Michigan Maritime Museum is open the first Sundays of every month from November through April from 10am-5pm with FREE admission for all visitors!
Guests can explore the Museum’s indoor and outdoor galleries, featuring a mix of permanent and rotating exhibits that celebrate Michigan’s rich maritime history. Step aboard the Full Steam Ahead exhibit and experience the golden age of steamship travel on the Great Lakes, or discover the heroism and ingenuity of the U.S. Coast Guard Lifesaving Service. Be sure to explore the Museum’s collection of antique and historically significant boats, some dating back to the 1800s.
While at the Museum, don’t miss the chance to learn a classic sailor’s skill by practicing maritime knot tying in the Jerry Mason Learning Center.
Make plans today to visit and discover the wonders of the Michigan Maritime Museum

Maggie's Ship Store Grand Reopening!
2025-11-29 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Detroit)
Maggie’s Ship Store at the Michigan Maritime Museum will celebrate its Grand Reopening on Small Business Saturday, November 29th!
We’ll have hundreds of new products, special membership discounts, and free coffee and hot chocolate.
Can’t make it in person? Visit our new online Ship Store, launching November 28th.

KalHaven Strings Holiday Concert
2025-12-17 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Detroit)
Join us in our Winkel-Smith Maritime Heritage Center for a special holiday concert featuring Megan Healy and Lydia Raymond, a violin/cello duo from the KalHaven Strings. Get in the holiday spirit with this family-friendly concert.
The KalHaven Strings are West Michigan’s premier wedding and event musicians, performing for over 50 events each year. The ensemble was founded in 2014 as graduate students at Western Michigan University. Highly adaptable and versatile, they are skilled in performing a variety of styles, from Vivaldi to Roddy Ricch, Metallica to Taylor Swift, Post Malone to Bach, and more.
The concert is FREE with a donation of $5.00 or two non-perishable food items. Donations will be collected at the door. These donations will benefit the food bank at Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Holidays at the Heritage Center is proudly sponsored by Greg and Marian O’Niel

Selfies with Santa
2025-12-20 11:00 - 15:00 (America/Detroit)
Santa returns to the Maritime Heritage Center! Join us in the Deary Mead Family Grand Atrium for photos, warm chats, and plenty of holiday cheer. Bring your camera to take photos of your family with Santa, and tell him what you want on the big day! There will also be a holiday craft and other festive activities in our Jerry Mason Learning Center.
This is a FREE event, no tickets required.

Holidays at the Heritage Center is proudly sponsored by Greg and Marian O’Niel.

Cookies and Cocoa with Captain Bob
2025-12-20 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Before or after your Selfie with Santa, join Captain Bob as he reads books in the Jerry Mason Learning Center from the newly updated Museum’s Ship’s Store. Sip hot cocoa, nibble cookies, and soak in a warm, festive, family-friendly atmosphere full of holiday cheer. Readings will occur at Noon and 1pm.
This is a FREE event, no tickets required.

Holidays at the Heritage Center is proudly sponsored by Greg and Marian O’Niel.

Robotics Demo Day
2026-02-01 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Detroit)
Dive into technology at the Michigan Maritime Museum as South Haven Robotics Team Ramageddon, Team Goatageddon, and Team Lambageddon provide demonstrations of their FIRST competitive robots from 1 pm to 4 pm. We’ll also have EMILY, South Haven’s water rescue robot on hand. Admission to the museum during this event is FREE thanks to our Free First Sundays series.

Humane Education Day with Al-Van Humane Society
2026-03-01 12:00 - 15:00 (America/Detroit)
Join Al-Van Humane Society and the Michigan Maritime Museum for a fun, hands-on afternoon all about animals and community. Whether you’re curious about what a humane society does, want to teach kids how to be safe and kind around animals, or are hoping to meet your next furry family member, Humane Education Day offers something for everyone. Humane Education Day is a drop-in program designed for kids and families to learn what a humane society does, how to safely and respectfully interact with animals, and why enrichment plays such an important role in animal welfare. Throughout the event, guests will also have the opportunity to meet adoptable pets from Al-Van Humane Society. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about adoption, fostering, and animal care, and on-site adoptions will be available for those who find their perfect match.
Admission is FREE for this event as part of our Free First Sunday Series.

Clothing, Canvas, & Craft: Civilian Sailors of the Early 19th Century
2026-04-11 12:30 - 16:30 (America/Detroit)
Clothing, Canvas, & Craft: Civilian Sailors of the Early 19th Century
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 12:30- 1:30 PM
Join us as Samson Historical unveils the latest in fashion for sailors… circa early 1800s that is! This presentation will cover civilian sailors’ clothing, gear, and personal items along with context on how individuals may have found themselves working aboard vessels in Michigan during the time of the original Friends Good Will. $5 for members/ $15 for non-members (includes admission ticket to the Michigan Maritime Museum)
Register for the presentation online or by calling (269) 637-8078.
Optional: Hands-On Workshop: Handsewn Seabag Construction
Time: 2:30- 4:30 PM
After the presentation, Samson Historical will be hosting a two-hour instructional workshop in which participants will hand-sew a period-appropriate sailor’s seabag. All ages welcome. Limited to 15 participants, so pre-registration is required. $35 for members/$40 for non-members (includes admission ticket to the Michigan Maritime Museum)
Register for the workshop online or by calling (269) 637-8078.
