Dossin Great Lakes Museum

Activity Overview

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is a maritime museum in Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan. The museum is dedicated to the fascinating maritime history of the Great Lakes and the Detroit River, with exhibits that focus on the development of Detroit and showcase fascinating artifacts such as a historic hydroplane and naval cannons. It also frequently hosts screenings of educational films and documentaries.

Things to Do

• View the Built by the River exhibit, which shows how the Detroit River has been essential to the development of Detroit over the years. Highlights include an 18th century canoe you can climb inside of and a display that simulates a speedboat flying down the river.
• Explore the beautiful Gothic Room, the reconstructed gentleman's lounge of a boat called the City of Detroit III, which is often used for special events like weddings.
• View the Miss Pepsi, which was the fastest hydroplane on the Detroit River in the 1940s. It was named after Pepsi, the most popular product of the brothers who owned the boat.

Dossin Great Lakes Museum Insider Tips

• Check out the museum's calendar to learn about upcoming events such as film screenings, regattas, musical performances, and lectures.
• Admission to the museum is free, but vehicles that enter Belle Isle Park do have to purchase a Recreation Pass, which costs approximately $10.
• Take a tour of the museum! The 90-minute Maritime History Tour includes information on the history of Detroit, how the Great Lakes have been used for transportation in the past, and the role of the Great Lakes in various wars.