Apparently I have a penchant for exploring aquatic vessels. I visited the USS Cod, a World War II submarine, now located in Cleveland, Ohio, two summers ago. Last summer I visited the Col. James M. Schoonmaker (formerly the Willis B Boyer). Based in Toledo, Ohio, this massive lake freighter served as a commercial vessel on the Great Lakes for much of the 20th Century.
I’m originally from Toledo, so it seemed fitting that I met up with another Toledo native and friend to tour this ship! We started by exploring The National Museum of the Great Lakes, which opened in the spring of 2014.
The museum provides a cool reprieve on a warm summer day. We watched videos about battles of ships on Lake Erie, learned about wartime on the Great Lakes, viewed old nautical equipment and more. After leaving the museum we moved onto the main attraction - the massive Col. James M. Schoonmaker.
The National Museum of the Great Lakes is located at 1701 Front St., in Toledo, Ohio. From the ship, which is docked along the banks of the Maumee River, you can see amazing views of downtown. Our tour was self-guided, relaxed and enjoyable.
There are signs on the ship that visitors follow. We found ourselves in the officers’ quarters, visiting their dining room, bathrooms and a small office with a typewriter - which is fitting for a writer like myself! Once inside, we also saw the ship’s internal workings.
The Col. James M. Schoonmaker was christened in 1911 and was the largest operating ship on the great lakes until 1914. Her maiden voyage was from Toledo to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, with more than 12,000 tons of coal in tow. The ship carried cargo and ore for many years. Later the ship was rechristened the Willis B. Boyer, before being retired in 1980. In 1987 the city of Toledo purchased the ship to make it a museum. In 2011, for the 100th anniversary of the ship, she was rechristened back to her original name and moved to her current location.
The ship is open for tours from May to October each year. Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admittance to the museum and ship is budget-friendly with discounts for seniors, students, children and AAA members.
While in Toledo, I encourage you to make time to enjoy some of my other Glass City favorites - a meal at Tony Packo’s Cafe, a Toledo Mud Hens baseball game and a visit to the Toledo Zoo. Or try a trip to The Toledo Museum of Art and then take in the sights of flora and fauna at the Toledo Botanical Garden!
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