Dossin Great Lakes Museum

Took my son for there homeschool day. Our guide was very knowledgeable and interacted great with all the kids. Awesome place, great exhibits, 5 stars

Lots of fun interactive ways to enjoy this museum at Bell Isle. I love bringing my son here on rainy days !

One of the coolest little historical sites in Detroit. It's a REAL gem that I think gets slept on far too much. There's so much to learn, for both adults AND kids. My kid was so against going in because from the outside it's completely unassuming. Once she was in, she was HOOKED on how cool this place was. Dossin was a very memorable place from my childhood so being able to get my kid in and into the museum really touched on something special for me. I was blown away by the event space as well, event space in Detroit anywhere isn't really "cheap" but you will not find such an intimate space with private riverfront access for such reasonable rates. I'm already fantasizing about future events that I'd like to have there. Anyways, you can see I'm geeked, if you've read this far just visit and enjoy.

Hidden gem!! The Gothic Room (pulled from an old steamer) when you walk in is staggering, jaw dropping. It is hard to believe it’s there! The back half of the museum is a boat. Like a full boat. With a working periscope and a large exhibit about the Edmund Fitzgerald. Adults and kids have plenty to do and see with a lot of interactive exhibits. I also got to see a show about lighthouse keepers in the museums gathering room, which overlooks the river. Absolutely recommend going, the admission price is well worth it.

This is an interesting maritime museum on Belle Isle. Learn all about the settlement of Detroit on the St. Lawrence Seaway . Super interesting info about boat travel and shipping in the Great Lakes. Lots of cool interactive exhibits that adults as well as kids can enjoy. This is well worth a visit!

Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area, plan to spend a couple hours to see it all, $5 admission. Variety of different kinds of boats and you learn so much of the history of boats and of the area as well. Something for adults and even has a few hands on activities for children. The museum is right off the water with a Beautiful view.

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is a hidden gem nestled along the Detroit River. The museum beautifully captures the spirit of the Great Lakes, offering engaging exhibits and educational experiences for visitors of all ages. It's a fantastic destination to learn, appreciate, and connect with the Great Lakes' captivating history.

Great little musuem. Very friendly & informed staff, great exhibits & presented very well.

This museum has many hands on exhibits for children and adults that immerse you into the geography and business of navigating the Great Lakes. Take the helm of a freighter navigating the Great Lakes, look through a real periscope from a submarine, see up close preserved hand carved woodworking from the Detroiiter III, or take a look at their collection of model ships. The museum is perched on the edge of the river and includes artifacts like the anchor from the Fitzgerald and cannons from the war of 1812.

I have to be honest.... I wasn't expecting this museum to be anything special. Boy, was I wrong! There is a lot of stuff to see and do here. They even have a simulator where you can operate and dock a freighter ship. It was a lot of fun. The best part, I thought, was the ship's bridge. It looks out over the water just as a ship would. It was really cool! There is a ton of information and things to see. There is also a very beautiful room set up as you enter that was from an old ship that traveled the local waters. There is a small building to the left of the actual museum. It houses one exhibit... The Miss Pepsi race boat. It's super cool. It has a raised walkway along the boat which is easy to manuver, and gives better place to view the exhibit. This was a really nice museum. Check them out....they are doing a great job ☺

The museum was so great!! I had no idea how much Detroit was involved in the war of 1812. There are so many miniatures and interactive exhibits inside. It kept us busy for about an hour and a half, though we could have stayed for longer. There's a whole room filled with maps preserved from the 1800-1900s to browse over, and a few videos to watch.
Really cute date idea. We hit the conservatory and aquarium nearby afterwards, which were great too!

It was a beautiful day. So much information and history. And hands on. I'll need to go back!

What a nice find. Beautiful grounds with nice water views. Beautiful exhibits and well laid out. A lot to try and play around doing. Like learning to dock your own big ship. Many stairs and levels. Some areas not accessible by wheelchair or walkers. We played and spent 2 hours learning.

Dossin Great Lakes museum is a hidden gem on Belle Isle. And beautiful setting for events and weddings. Staff goes above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect for your big day! And the outdoor patio is perfect right on the Detroit River!

Small hidden gem. Free for Detroit residents. Do you like ships? Boats? 19th and 20th century Navy retro-high-tech?

Friendly front desk people. James McLean volunteer docent was a helpful and kind highlight. Check out my pics from the periscope, which was a fun challenge to shoot with my phone camera.

This is a little bit smaller Museum, it would only take about an hour or so to go through. That said, you could spend a couple of hours here. Several very interesting displays. There is an actual ships pilot house on the second floor of the building. It wasn’t clear if there was an elevator for handicap access, but assuming there is access.

There is no set price for entry. They ask a donation, and recommend five dollars per person. It’s worth it. Right on the river, facing Canada, it would be a great place to go in the summer. We went in the middle of winter so it’s not quite as scenic. There are a couple of movies that show the history of Belle Isle. They’re only about seven or eight minutes each, but worth a look.

Very nice maritime experience.

Its not big, but very interesting museum. You can touch some of the equipment, imagine yourself as a captain, look into periscope and learn interesting history of freight. Dont forget to bring children!)) They will like it too

Really nice museum on Belle Isle. Worthy of a visit if you are in Detroit. Not too big, so it can be done in an hour or two. Lots of history relating to Great Lakes Shipping. Almost always someone available to talk about ships on the lakes. The gentleman on all of our visits can tell you when a ship will be passing the museum on the Detroit River in case you want to watch. When we were there, a 1,000 foot vessel was transiting the river.

Wow! What a great museum. Well worth the 5.00 per person admission. Lots of ship replicas and information. We truly enjoyed our visit.