Located on Belle Island,this museum showcases the maritime history of the Great Lakes . There are many exhibits and short films highlighting the shipping heritage,culture and vessels that sailed the Great Lakes Admission is 5.00 per adult,kids under 6 are free. Plenty of free parking. read more

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Small maritime museum focused on boats and the boating industry in the area of Detroit and the Great Lakes. They have a section on the history of river events on the Detroit River. They cover time periods from the initial settling of Detroit through the present. Cool exhibit on a boat that got its own zip code! There's a section where you can climb up as if you were steering a boat. There's a small gift shop. It took us about 30 minutes to see it all read more

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A maritime museum that celebrates the role of the Detroit River in building the areas commerce and industry. The exhibits are very hands on. You can try steering a long ship or loading a container ship. Admission is $5 per person for anyone 6 years of age and older. Windsor, Canada can be seen from here just across the river. read more

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Cool little museum but it is very tiny. It's definitely geared towards kids/families. But still cool to check out. read more

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A great smaller museum (as I deal more with a chronic pain condition, I appreciate more manageable size museums because you still get to see a lot but not as taxing). As advertised, there's all kinds of information on the Great Lakes to be found here. There are interactive activities (so kids won't get bored) like learning to tie knots. Detroit natives will get a nostalgic pang seeing the information on Bob-Lo Island. Don't sleep on some beautiful art work including the stained glass in the lobby. And you'd better not miss the anchor of the "Edmund Fitzgerald" outside. There's a small gift shop at the front (but no postcards!) Staff were friendly. Definitely worth checking out if you come to Belle Isle. read more

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Review from 7/2023 This was so much fun! It is not free, but it is well worth the $5 you spend to get in (and you get a free postcard). You start outside with a wonderful old speed boat, and then you enter the maritime world of the Great Lakes- who knew? You enter into a stained glass gem. If I remember correctly, I believe it was either a replica of a portion of a ship or the actual part. Sorry, cannot remember. There were so many interactive things to do in here; young and old had fun. You even get to go to the helm of a ship and look out onto the river! Artifacts are available to look at, things I never would have expected. Help this museum stay afloat (dad joke) by visiting and paying the small fee. read more

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Very nice museum on history of the Great Lakes and Detroit ports. It's small but definitely worth it to go around and learn! Took an hour ish to go around and read/interact with things. Learned some great things, good for families with children too. read more

Fantastic tiny museum located in bell aisle park of Detroit. Right on the River banks. This is a free museum. It isn't very large. 5-7 rooms total. But the stiff they do have is really cool and interactive. The gentleman walking around as an unofficial tour guide was super nice. He gave 2 of my younger daughters free captain ball caps and made them fell very important. They both keep saying this museum will be one of there best memories of our trip to Detroit. And I think that gentleman may have a big part to do with that. It's amazing how one act of kindness can affect someone's memories. Our favorite part of the Museum was the periscope and the upper port of the ship. The periscope is an actual live working periscope attached to the building that you can zoom in and look around the outside lakes with. The upstairs of the museum transfers into an actual top of the ship where the Command center would be. It offer great views and a cool look of what it would be like to actually captain a massive boat. Awesome perk and attraction for the bell aisle park. I'm not big on museums so I was a tad bit skeptical. But this is a smaller one so it doesn't overbear you with room much info and knowledge and allows it to stay fresh and fun. read more

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Inside there are many buttons, things to feel. videos, and blocks which will keep kids entertained throughout the museum. This is a brightly colored and interactive museum which focuses primarily on ships and shipping to/from the Great Lake trading ports from the 1700s onward. Specifically (and unsurprisingly), Detroit's role is highlighted, both in maritime innovation and how the city became the shipbuilding capital of Great Lakes region for nearly two centuries. I came as a nonresident on a Sunday and the price of admission was only $5 -- it's worth noting that the museum is much bigger than how it appears on the outside! read more

Dossin Great Lakes Museum - Museums Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

The History here is Fabulous! If your from Michigan or not what a great place full of I formation.

Did you know Michigan had a rich maritime history? Well, I shouldn't be that surprised since the state touches four of the five Great Lakes. As you would expect, there are lots of artifacts and recreations of ships that traversed the waters nearby, and most interesting, at least for me, were the historical film shorts which provided helpful background information about the Great Lakes and Belle isle. Otherwise it's a kid-friendly place and a logical complement to the aquarium and conservatory across the Strand. RELATED - Exploring this part of Michigan? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2Jt7MiE read more

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Such a cool museum! It's very interactive and great for kids. I love that you can actually go inside a ship at the back of the museum and then try out the sailing simulator for that ship. Probably about 1-2 hours of entertainment, but for $5 a person it's not bad! Also they have bathrooms you can use if you visit the museum. read more

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I've never reviewed Belle Isle and am trying to gear myself up for it, but first I feel like I should review all the individual attractions on the island first, at least the ones of some concern to me. (I can't see myself going to the Detroit Yacht Club anytime soon.) The Dossin Great Lakes Museum isn't overwhelming in its size but it is a little gem. I paid a visit many years ago then returned maybe 7 or 8 years ago for the wedding reception of a couple of friends in the DeRoy Hall here. Everything with that went off without a hitch but I wasn't too much in the mode of actually taking in everything in the museum itself. I recently returned on a Sunday to properly absorb the collection here, complete with watching the two short films in the second room. Even with that I was here probably less than an hour. But hey, it's only 5 bucks to get in, and honestly if I really wanted to I could have skated past the front desk without paying as there was a few people and they seemed preoccupied but that wouldn't be right, now, would it? There's some great stained glass, woodworking and ornamental trim in that entrance/exit room along with some souvenirs. I bought my mom a book on Boblo Island for Mother's Day that I ended up reading for myself first. ‍ I tend to pull that move. There's also a few artifacts from Boblo and a mock up of a speedboat with video from the hydroplane Gold Cup races. Kids were being all hyper in it, spinning the steering wheel wildly which put me off on trying to sit there and have that experience myself. There's historical exhibits about the history of indigenous people along the Detroit River and more about French trappers and other colonial settlers. The centerpiece of the museum is the pilot house from the SS William Clay Ford freighter, one of the first two ships to search for survivors of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It's a great piece of history and the captain and crew were heroic in that terrible storm but I feel like the information presented slights the contributions made by the Arthur M Anderson, the first ship to search for survivors who made two searches in those treacherous waters. Maybe they're just trying to build up their ship at the expense of the other, but they don't make it clear the Anderson made one search, made it to the safety of Whitefish Bay then headed back out into the dangerous storm after being told by the coast guard that both their rescue vessels were out of commission. The Anderson is still in service today, too! The William Clay Ford is cool and all but put some respeck on the Arthur M. Anderson's name! There's a smaller building in the lot with a full size genuine hydroplane boat racer, not that little boat for the kids to play in. And be sure to go around back for a complete look at the Ford's pilot house. Last but not least there's an anchor from the venerable doomed Edmund Fitzgerald itself. It's not thee anchor that sank with it, which they would have had to haul up 538 feet up from the bottom of Superior. No, in 1974 one of the chain links broke and the Fitzgerald lost an anchor in the Detroit River and it's that anchor they salvaged. Still pretty cool but it doesn't feel quite so monumental to put your hand on it. So that's about it for the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Next I'm gonna try to make my way to the Belle Isle Nature Center. read more

We had a lot of fun visiting the Musuem. First off it is free, which is amazing. My favorite section was the wooden area with the arches. It was absolutely breathtaking. The carvings were amazing. They had cute little lighthouses for $4-6. There was bigger ones that cost more as well. They had other things at a mini gift shop. An awesome thing was that we got to listen to a gentlemen talk about the Fitzgerald boat that dissapeared. He said we were standing in a part that was left of it and found. He talked a lot about the whistles and how to sail. We learned a lot about the Great Lakes and boats. It was interesting and quite fun. read more

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While hubs and our son had been before, this was the first time we visited the Dossin Museum as a family. I'm so glad we did! First of all, they are all for keeping visitors as safe as possible. When we entered, we were asked to provide our name and a phone number, in the case of necessary contact tracing due to COVID exposure. They also provided us with pen/styluses that we were asked to use to push buttons or touch anything you're supposed to touch in the displays. And we got to keep those. They also pointed out the donation box. A free museum is such a blessing and a treat, but it certainly isn't free to run it! The nine-year-old with us was so excited to get to driving the boat on the water side of the museum. Apparently it made an impression on him last time he visited. The very knowledgeable docent was in the first lobby and pointed out where all the elements of the lobby came from (including the gift shop corner, the stained glass on the opposite wall, and the window ledge around the top of the room). It was fascinating! When we had seen almost the whole museum, the same docent found us again to point out a freighter on its way through that could be seen either on the camera watching the river, or from outside right along the river. It was neat to see, and a nice touch to make sure we didn't miss it. We'd definitely recommend visiting and donating if possible to keep this gem operating :) read more

Picture it: The weekend of Valentines day, checking out of the Ren Cen, already downtown, what do you do? Explore detroit! Dossin Great Lakes Musuem is a great little attraction on Belle Isle. First off- admission his free. It is considered a historical maritime museum, so It highlights some of the history concerning the great lakes and freighter history. There are about 6 rooms each highlighting something. My favorite was the entrance which showcased beautiful stained glass and wooden arches. I also enjoyed the boblo boat and boblo island area. There is a section towards the back thats like a boat was chopped off and attached to the musuem and its a neat exhibit for kids or adults even who havent been in a boat of this type. Support the detroit things. read more

Dossin Great Lakes Museum - Museums Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Dossin Great Lakes Museum was the surprise of the attractions we visited on Belle Isle today! I wasn't expecting much from the museum (if I'm being honest, I might have stepped in mostly to use the restroom?), but it was surprisingly great! The museum had a lot of interesting information about the Great Lakes and Detroit River! It also had a section from a beautiful old boat put directly into the building! Very fun to explore. Such a surprise! Worth a visit if you're exploring Belle Isle! read more

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I was here attending a private event held in the DeRoy Hall. Just outside was a waterfront patio with a breathtaking view of the Detroit River and Canada. It was quite beautiful and tranquil. We had to go through the museum to enter the space and there are a lot of artifacts and replicas of ships that would have travailed the waters in times past. I will return back to explore the museum more and learn more about hosting an event there in the future. read more

My kids didn't want to get out of the car, but after coming in, we actually stayed longer than we had planned. It's bigger than it looks on the outside. Steven Mrozekis sooooo helpful and friendly. read more

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This is a very nice place. Well worth the time. There is a great deal of History here. The scientific facts they present are in depth and interesting. The Dossin Museum is fun and informative for all ages. read more

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After visiting the Aquarium and Conservatory, which are right next to each other, we drove over to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, which is a historical maritime museum. It features exhibits on Detroit's role on national and regional maritime history. You can get an amazing view of the Detroit River from the Museum. The first room you enter is actually a room that was on a former cruise ship. Be very careful if you're over 6 feet tall because the awnings are very low! I'm an avid cruiser, so it was interesting to learn about some of the first cruise ships that sailed from Detroit to Niagara and through the Great Lakes. It so interesting to see what meals were served on these early cruises - and what the trips felt like. They have a lot of interactive exhibits that are great for little kids. Definitely bring the little ones if they're interested in boats and ships. read more

Went to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on a summer Sunday afternoon. The museum is right on the water and there are bike racks for those bikers. Free admission and you walk into a grand and beautiful room. The left is the gift shop and single stall bathrooms. There are about 6-7 or so rooms total with different sections of the museum. Lots to look at and learn about. Good for kids, families, and couples - something for everyone. Cool views overlooking the water as if you were on a freighter. There was also a banquet type room to the right of the museum, seemed like a neat place to hold an event looking on the river front. We got through the museum in about 45 minutes to an hour. We took our time and read/looked at pretty much everything. Good museum for it being free and lots of Great Lakes, Detroit, and freighter history. I would also add that the museum is the best attraction on Belle Isle, so be sure to check it out! read more

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Small museum but a great one. FREE ADMISSION!! Yup....you are reading that correctly....FREE!! Take the kids for cryin' out loud! Get out of the house, and check it out!!! There is a great spot right on the water with a ship deck, lots of buttons to push for kids of all ages. While on Belle Isle there are other great things to check out...for FREE...but this is a must!! read more

Why is no one talking about this place??? This is the hidden gem of Belle Isle and I could spend an hour in here looking at everything. Go straight to the back if you are time-limited and climb up into the captain's wheel looking out over the river. You really get a feel for operating a freighter on the Detroit. If you have memories of Boblo, this is a must. The "you have to be this tall" animal almost made me weep with childhood memories. I didn't even realize why I remembered it at first. Chat up the ladies at the front, they have a lot of info on the stained glass area and the cannon up front, and truly seem to love telling it, but only if you are there early. If it's getting close to closing time, they clearly want you out. read more

We went last weekend with my son and some friends. We felt that covid precautions were definitely followed through. Along with wearing masks, they also gave us a stylist for touching all of the interactive pieces. My son loves learning about the boats and all the interactive parts. His favorite part was going into the bridge of the old freighter. The staff there was so friendly and even gave my son a complimentary dog tag just for coming, he was thrilled. read more

What a perfect venue this was for our wedding! It was beautiful, our guests remarked how unique and fun it was. The staff was wonderful! read more

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We held our wedding reception at the Dossin, and it was hugely fun. We're not particularly interested in Great Lakes nautical history, but we wanted our rental fee to go to a non-profit, if possible, and we especially wanted something for our guests to do, beyond hanging out at tables, having awkward conversations with relatives they haven't seen in years. The Dossin has a great mix of beauty, science, history and nostalgia on display, and admission is free. There are a lot of fun elements for kids, but just to give you a clue, I think my dad liked it the most. As a party venue, a few pros: 1) The Dossin is on Belle Isle, which is inherently gorgeous, and makes for great photos in and of itself. The Dossin itself is extremely photogenic if you're having kind of a fun event. Except for the STUNNING main entrance, it's not an elegant museum like the DIA, but it's interesting, and the guests really enjoyed it. 2) Belle Isle is a popular wedding venue, but the Dossin is often forgotten because it's not booked by Parks & Rec. (The Detroit HIstorical Society runs it, and the rental prices are EXTREMELY affordable.) If you're trying to plan a wedding without two years of lead time, give them a call! 3) There are a lot of little perks that add up to being huge perks: the rental included chairs and tables, a sound system, parking, security and for $20, a docent to lead guests on a tour while we were finishing up pictures. 4) The Historical Society staff is incredibly friendly and Marcus, the facility manager, was fantastic. The folks working the museum that night were great, too. 5) Seriously, before you book that $8,000 ballroom, call the Historical Society. The price will shock you. And a couple cons: 1) DeRoy Hall, where we had the main reception, is not a particularly easy room to decorate, nor is it conventionally beautiful. It has an unabashed nautical theme, and if you have a problem with that, this may not be right for you. The view of the river is fantastic, but if the flags on the ceiling or ship models bother you, that might be a problem. Give it a look though. We dressed it up, and people seemed to like it. (I did!) 2) Accommodating as the staff was, they couldn't help us much with times -- we would have loved to get in to decorate the space earlier, but 10:30 a.m. day-of was the best we could do. (Even that we were grateful for; they didn't have to let us in at all.) We also had to clean up that night before we left. It was fine for us -- our reception ended at 9 p.m. and we had lots of moderately sober groomsmen and friends who like to climb ladders, and the staff helped, too. But, if you're taking off for a romantic night and a honeymoon, you'll need to have some friends willing to stay after and clean up. read more

This museum is a gem and they are improving the surrounding grounds. We could have spent more time here. We only had a limited amount of time so I think we spent 1.25 hours exploring with our 3.5 yr old. The docents are knowledgeable, there are interesting things to keep kids entertained like the ship simulated steering area overlooking the river. There are artifacts from retired ships and a nice viewing gallery to watch whatever goes bu on the river. There are historical displays about shipping in the region. It is free admission but they welcome donations and since it is on Belle Isle, which is part of the state park system, be sure to have a recreation passport in your license plate. read more

This place is really a small, secret FREE gem on the heart of a Detroit landmark! We stopped through Belle Isle on a Saturday just thinking to enjoy the river scenery when we were pleasantly surprise to find a museum. We had heard of the observatory, aquarium, and casino and all that fun jazz but low and behold there was an interactive center awaiting our arrival! Even better was that there was a maritime flea market going on and a bunch of vendors were occupying certain rooms with nautical trinkets. The entrance to the museum was full of history about the boats that traveled the Detroit river. My favorite part took place right when you walk inn, when you step into a "Gothic Room" that resembled that of the luxury ships. Little 'ol me living in Michigan my entire life and not fully understanding the glory (and dangers!) of the Great Lakes and Detroit River. There was an awesome area that resembled the captains room that allowed you to use the wheel and look out across the river. There was also a really fun interactive boating "video game" that you navigated through buoys. If I got this excited as an almost-30-year-old, I can't imagine how much fun kids would have! read more

I highly suggest sitting this one out unless you are incredibly interested in the maritime, which I am not. Granted, I could probably happily sit on a boat on the water all day, but when it comes to the history of that boat and all boats -- I zone out. Some points of interest: The pilot's house is a great photo op. It has a retro feel on the inside, and if you love photography, especially authentic vintage aesthetics -- this is a great place for that. There are great examples of model ships. But then again, who isn't fascinated with the miniature? read more

My children absolutely love it here!!! If you have ever heard the song "I'm on a boat" you will feel like singing it and holding on to the ship's wheel with pride as you look out to the Detroit River!!!!!! I don't worry about the people that think i am crazy!!! When you get up to that big pretend boat SCREAM IT out out with pride!!!!! I'm on a boat! I'm on a boat! everybody look at me I'm standing on a boat! And okay if you don't know what song I'm talking about just go to the museum it's really neat and have yourself a good time and make sure you put a donation in the donation box have a good time. read more

Dossin Great Lakes Museum - Driving a boat - Museums Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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It took me two years of living in the city to come here. It's pretty cool! I imagine it's great for children but fun as an adult too. Free, too, which is always a plus. read more

When I first met Alexis I was a frantic bride to be, she instantly took notice of my stress level and asked what was wrong. After explaining to her my ordeal (that my caterer had canceled on me 6 weeks before the wedding and I had not place for the reception) she made a suggestion that literally make my wedding day absolutely unforgettable. We were going to have our ceremony at the museum and have to find a place for the reception. She offered up another room in the museum for the reception and reduced my stress level by 100%! She was very hands on and allowed me to be a little "bridezilla" but also reassured me that we were in good hands. She did an amazing job and all my guest were pleased with the space and service they received. I would not hesitate to recommend Alexis and her team at the Dossin Museum. Extremely personal, professional and affordable. read more

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What a gem! 1st class museum. I was renovated & reopened in May 2013. Beautiful job. I attended a private event & the Deroy Hall is very nice. Brought up to date, its the perfect venue for smaller events. The staff was very accommodating & knowledgeable. The menu was really good. Overall great experience! read more

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I will be reviewing the museum as a site for my wedding reception, because that is my only real experience with the museum. It was a beautiful venue to have a reception in, and was positively remarked upon by all of my guests, as unique, but wonderful. We had dancing and the DJ setup in the Gothic Room (can't wait to see the pictures), food setup in the exhibit space, and dinner tables set up in Deroy Hall. Some of the nicer touches (besides the aesthetics, which are amazing) were that the layout fostered movement among my guests, and allowed people to have a quieter time in Deroy hall, a bit further away from the dancing if they chose. The exhibits were great for conversation starters, and occupied some of the children at the wedding. And planning through the museum was as painless as I could have asked for. I worked with Alexis, and it went beautifully. Highly recommended. read more

You'll have little difficulty remembering your first view of the Dossin Museum's interior; the aptly titled Gothic Room, pulled wholesale from the remains of the Detroit III, is at once a beautiful reminder of a different era of dominant transportation and a painful reminder of the loss of many of the city's opulent places. The stained glass mural that adorns the far wall also -- and much more literally -- illustrates a neglected chapter of Detroit's foundation. Even the fireplace is embellished with tiny clues to the existence of a Detroit in a much different imperial sphere. I was greeted by Steven M., an employee of the Detroit Historical Society and an absolute wealth of pertinent historical information. In addition to his exposition on the various artifacts in the museum, Steve gave an interesting impromptu lecture on Fort Detroit's significance in the war of 1812. It's an increasingly rare experience to speak with a museum worker who knows the subject matter they're representing -- the Detroit Zoo is often a great example of this shameful phenomenon -- and I was more than happy to hear Steve express his passion for history. Other noteworthy exhibits include a steep recreation of a freighter's bridge that looks out over the river and a room dedicated to the fine art of speedboat racing and construction. Nothing else in the museum quite tops the grand entrance but outside you'll find a collection of mildly important anchors and canons. If you grew up locally and were made to suffer through the terrible Gordon Lightfoot song in elementary school, take the time to let the legend live on and touch an anchor off the Edmund Fitzgerald. read more

One of the cooler attractions of the island (also check out the conservatory). There is a lot of history to be learned about our Great Lakes. The curator here was very knowledgable and excited to tell all kinds of stories. A must for history/ ship wreck/ boat enthusiasts. read more

This is g great maritime museum. It looks small from the outside, but it is actually quite big. It has so much Detroit history in it and the fact that it's a free museum, makes it a unique gem. This museum is located on the Belle Isle Park right on the river. Such a treat to visit. Check it out. read more

A great little museum to check out during a day at Belle Isle. There's a real pilot house, some interactive stuff for the kids, a little gift shop, some beautiful woodwork from an old Great Lakes cruise ship, and old maps to check out. It's not a huge museum but that is actually kind of nice because you do a little walk through and have time for the Conservatory or to walk around. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Remodeled in 2013, worth a look. Lots of Detroit River history here. Has a beautiful rental room overlooking the river. Hands on for kids, great web cam, video's, etc. go see for yourself free admission!!!!! read more