FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kelsey Schnell
schnellk@michigan.gov
Mackinac State Historic Parks
Phone: (231) 436-4100
Mackinac State Historic Parks Creates New Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum
Numerous artifacts to be featured at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
Mackinaw City, Mich. — Mackinac State Historic Parks is excited to announce the development of a brand new experience at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum. Director of Mackinac State Historic Parks Phil Porter made the announcement.
Located on the grounds of Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City, the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum will tell the story of the ships and sailors whose time on the straits ended tragically.
Featuring a variety of original objects and artifacts, including some recovered from the steamer Eber Ward and Cedarville, in addition to, large-scale maps and interactive components, the museum will be housed in the reconstructed warehouse, originally built in 1890 and torn down around 1940.
“Reconstructing the warehouse will help return Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and the surrounding light station grounds to its early 20th century appearance,” Porter said. “The exhibits contained within will tell stories of loss and survival in the Straits of Mackinac, in addition to discussing ongoing efforts to preserve wrecks and this important component of maritime history for the straits region.”
Now that archaeological testing for remains of the original warehouse is complete, Mackinac State Historic Parks is finishing exhibit planning and fundraising the remainder of the $225,000 estimated cost. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year and the museum will open in early summer 2014.
For more information about the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum, visit mackinacparks.com
Mackinac State Historic Parks, a family of living history museums and parks in northern Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, is an agency within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Its sites—which are accredited by the American Association of Museums—include Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park, Historic Downtown, and The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City. Mackinac State Historic Parks is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, established in 1895 to protect, preserve and present the parks’ rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Visitor information is available at 231-436-4100 or on the web at www.MackinacParks.com
