ship tour toledo ohio

The National Museum of the Great Lakes is committed to spreading our mission by providing valuable resources to those looking for history-based learning opportunities at home. This page allows you to explore our virtual tour of our museum exhibits and the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship (scroll down for ship tour). Other opportunities to explore history from home include our current online exhibit:  Port of Toledo: Then and Now .

Museum Tour

Col. james m. schoonmaker ship tour.

Virtual Tour Instructions: You can move through the vessel by clicking on the white arrows on your screen. Many locations now have a “more information” icon. By clicking on those icons you can learn more about the history of the vessel and see additional historic images. You can easily jump to these locations using the navigation bar at the top of the tour. Some nearby locations have been grouped together in the navigation bar and can be reached through a drop-down menu. Enjoy your tour!

Get even more information and educational activities with our Schoonmaker Virtual Field Trip!

EXPLORE THE MUSEUM

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Attraction:

Toledo, Ohio : Tour Former World's Largest Freighter

The 617-foot-long Col. James M. Schoonmaker was once the largest freighter in the world. Visitors can roam all over the ship, or just marvel at its size from a park-like viewing area.

National Museum of the Great Lakes

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Visitor Tips and News About Tour Former World's Largest Freighter

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters . Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip .

I visited here in October 2015. The museum is really nice and the ship has lots of interesting things to see.

It was closed when I got here but looks interesting. Will stop again if I get the chance but the ship looks nice from the outside.

They have a self-guided walking tour that doesn't take too long. Not a good place to stop with people who can not walk well.

June 2016: Photo added.

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National Museum of the Great Lakes

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National Museum of the Great Lakes - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (0.89 mi) Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel
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• (0.70 mi) Tony Packo's Cafe
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• (0.96 mi) Real Seafood Company - Toledo
• (1.52 mi) Maumee Bay Brewing Co
• (0.52 mi) Summit Diner

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• Ship & Shore

Ship & Shore | The Ultimate Great Lakes History Day

National Museum of The Great Lakes 1701 Front St. Toledo, OH 43605

Saturday, July 8 2023 | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Make a day out of exploring Great Lakes history at the National Museum of the Great Lakes and seeing the Port of Toledo from the water aboard the   Sandpiper!

Get full access to the National Museum of the Great Lakes, including their world-class, family-friendly exhibits, a 617-foot iron ore freighter, and a tugboat before boarding the   Sandpiper   at 1 PM for a two-hour tour of the Maumee River. After the   Sandpiper   tour, you may explore the museum until we close at 5 PM.

Ticket Prices:

• Adults (18+): $40 | Youth (3-17): $30
• Member Adults (18+): $25 | Member Youth (3-17): $17
• Children under 2: Free

Make the most of your day:

• We encourage you to start your day around 10 AM when we open to make the most of your visit. Tour the freighter and the tugboat early to ensure you have plenty of time to explore. The last time to board the museum ships is 4 PM, so you don’t want to wait until after the   Sandpiper   trip.
• Food is not included in the cost of the day, so plan for a lunch break before your   Sandpiper   tour. You can even bring a picnic and eat in our Maritime Park before boarding the boat.
• Please Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.

• Request Visitors Guide
• Local Services

401 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 210

Toledo, OH 43604

• © 2024 Destination Toledo

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National Museum of the Great Lakes

1701 Front St, Toledo , Ohio 43605 USA

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“National Museum of the Great Lakes”

Willis B Boyer is a lake freighter that served as a commercial vessel on the Great Lakes for much of the 20th Century, and as of 2013 is undergoing renovation as a museum ship in Toledo, Ohio. The steamship Willis B Boyer began life on 1 July 1911 in Detroit as SS Col James Schoonmaker. At the time of her launch she took the title of Queen of the Lakes which is given to the biggest ship on the Great Lakes. She became the flagship of the Shenango Furnace Company. She broke many cargo records for iron ore, grain and coal in her first year. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine which was later replaced by a steam turbine in 1955. She sailed as part of the Shenango's fleet until 1969 when she was sold to the Interlake Steamship Co who chartered Col James Schoonmaker to the Republic Steel Corporation. After a three year charter to that company Interlake decided to sell her to the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co. They operated the laker for 7 years in the iron trade until she was laid up in 1980 due to a downturn in the steel industry which she served. After sitting unwanted for 7 years, the city of Toledo decided to purchase her for use as a museum.

Reviewed by Shelley R.

Such a wonderful find here in Toledo! There are two boats to tour(self guided!) and a beautiful Maritime Museum also! The displays are stunning and the information is well-presented! I would... Read more

Reviewed by John B.

The museum is a moderately sized set of interlocking rooms with educational materials, as well as one large shipping vessel and one smaller boat which are docked nearby. The option was given to... Read more

Reviewed by Kate C.

This was a really great museum to get an overview of the Great Lakes. They have interactive exhibits for kids and also lots of history for adults. In particular, it was super interesting to learn... Read more

View 27 reviews on

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William G. Mather Steamship

Tour this restored 618-foot historic flagship when it opens for the season on May, 4!

The Mather is currently closed for the season and will re-open on Saturday, May 4. Please note that the Science Center and Steamship William G. Mather are closed on home Brown game days. 

Steamship William G. Mather

Tour this restored 618-foot historic ship and see what life was like on board a working Great Lakes freighter. Explore the 1925-built  Mather  from stem to stern and see its huge cargo holds, brass and oak pilot house, elegant guest quarters and four-story engine room. Walk the decks and marvel at the “engineering firsts” that helped transform Northeast Ohio into a great industrial center. Experience the golden era of steamships on one of the best.

2024 Schedule May, September, and October Saturday - Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

June - August Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday - Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

*Please note that the last entry is 30 minutes prior to closing. 

When the Steamship William G. Mather was built in 1925 by Great Lakes Engineering Works in Ecorse, Michigan, she was considered the latest word in ship design, propulsion, navigation equipment, and crew accommodations. She was the flagship of The Cleveland-Cliffs Steamship Company fleet until 1952.

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Polymer Funhouse and Port Polymer are the perfect places for young scientists to discover a passion for science and engineering!

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​​ ​ ​  ​​​​​​​​ THE Canal Society of Ohio  

FALL TOUR 2023 ∙ REFLECTIONS

 Toledo Skyline from the Museum

Click on each photo to enlarge

2023 CSO Fall Tour "Discover The River and Lakes" Toledo, Ohio The tour kicked off Friday evening September 29th with a welcome to the group by CSO President Mike Morthorst followed by a slide presentation of the coming tour events and period canal photos of former sites that no longer exist in the Toledo area. Saturday morning the group met for breakfast in the tour hotel and shortly after, the car pool caravan departed for the Jefferson Street Dock in downtown Toledo. We then boarded the tour boat "Sandpiper" for a 2 hour cruise on the Maumee River South toward Perrysburg and the Town of Maumee. Several interesting views were had such as the "Glass City River Wall", a large mural painted on grain silos that is said to be the largest in the world spanning over 170,000 feet and 28 silos of the ADM Grain Facility. It required over 3,000 gallons of paint to complete! Toledo has also been known as the "Glass Capital of the World" due to extensive glass manufacture there. Upon returning to the dock, we then proceeded to our lunch reservations at the original Tony Packo's Restaurant made renown far and wide by Jamie Farr, (Corporal Klinger) of the MASH TV series fame. We had our fill of some excellent Hungarian fare and were fueled up for the next adventure! Not far away from Tony Packo's lies the National Museum of the Great Lakes which had been relocated to this much larger facility in Toledo from Vermillion, Ohio. The museum houses extensive marine artifacts as well as the docked Great Lakes Iron Ore Freighter Col. James M. Schoonmaker and the Tug Boat Ohio, both are on display and open for public examination. Several hours were spent here in doing just that! Saturday evening the group enjoyed a catered banquet dinner at the hotel after which our speaker of the evening Julia Wiley, President of the Fallen Timbers Battlefield Preservation Commission, gave a presentation of the web of intrigue created by spies within General Anthony Wayne's Army both prior to and after the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Sunday morning saw the group visiting the Ward's Canal East of Toledo where a lake ship building venture in 1870 led to the digging of a 2 mile canal from Cedar Creek to Lake Erie. The canal is now used as a marina access to Lake Erie as well as a water source for Howard Marsh Metropark Wildlife Preserve. The Maumee Side Cut Park of Toledo Metroparks was the next stop to view the nicely preserved locks completed in 1842 but abandoned in 1850. 4 of the original 6 locks remain within this and Towpath Park just to the North. This concluded the 2023 Fall Tour.

The Canal Society of Ohio, Inc.

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DECEMBER 2022

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 7:45 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 8:05 AM Returns approx. 6:00–6:30 PM

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 8:00 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 8:20 AM Returns approx. 5:30–6:00 PM

JANUARY 2022

February 2022.

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 7:00 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:20 AM Wauseon Sunoco Station (Ohio Turnpike Exit 34) 7:55 AM Returns approx. 6:30–7:00 PM

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 8:30 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 8:50 AM Wauseon - call for information Returns approx. 6:30–7:00 PM

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 8:00 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 8:20 AM Bowling Green Meijer (parking lot behind gas station) 8:40 AM Returns approx. 8:00–8:30 PM

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 7:00 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:20 AM Wauseon Sunoco Station (Ohio Turnpike Exit 34) 7:55 AM Returns approx. 6:00–6:30 PM

AUGUST 2022

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 7:00 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:20 AM Bowling Green Meijer 7:40 AM Returns approx. 6:30–7:00 PM

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 7:00 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:20 AM Wauseon - call for information Returns approx. 6:00–6:30 PM

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 6:45 AM

Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:05 AM

Returns approx. 6:30–7:00 PM

SEPTEMBER 2022

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 7:30 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:50 AM Returns approx. 5:30 - 6:00 PM

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 7:00 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:20 AM Bowling Green Meijer 7:40 AM (E. Wooster St., parking lot behind gas station) Returns approx. 6:30 - 7:00 PM

OCTOBER 2022

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 6:45 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:05 AM Bowling Green Meijer 7:25 AM  (E. Wooster St., parking lot behind gas station) Returns approx. 7:30 - 8:00 PM

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 8:00 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 8:20 AM Wauseon Sunoco Station (Ohio Turnpike Exit 34) 8:55 AM Returns approx. 8:00 - 8:30 PM

NOVEMBER 2022

Departs: Toledo Conn Weissenberger Post 7:30 AM Perrysburg/Rossford Meijer 7:50 AM Returns approx. 6:00-6:30 PM

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