Opportunities for Museum Ships

The Valley Camp Museum Ship is one of our favorite spots to bring visitors to our cabin in the summer. Young and old love the chance to see a Great Lakes freighter. Plus, the Valley Camp has great exhibits including the lifeboat from the Edmund Fitzgerald and an aquarium of Great Lakes fish.
My grandson had a memorable visit there this summer.
Lack of tourists could mean auction block instead of dock for Duluth's Sundew

Boatnerd.com is reporting that a museum vessel in Duluth, the Sundew, is struggling to survive because of a low number of visitors. I visited Duluth in May and took this picture of the Sundew.

I received an email from a reader about another ship that has been taken out of service.

Brenda, I wondered if you knew this, But the Cleveland Steamship Company is looking for a museum or city to take the E.M. Ford for use as an exhibit. It is currently moored in Saginaw in use as a cement storage vessel. I wondered if you can maybe rattle some chains in the Soo, It would defiantly compliment the Valley Camp. I would hate to see such a historic vessel go to the scrapper's. No, I didn't take this picture today. There is no ice in the St. Marys River right now. I found this picture of the E.M. Ford on boatnerd.com.

Interesting thoughts. If we could develop our waterfront in the Soo to include more shipping related attractions, it would complement our historical walk on Water Street. Please share what your thoughts are on these ideas.