Cabin Community Portal

The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center is a visitor center for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, featuring exciting exhibits for all ages. Exploring the Shipwreck Century, is located in the center's main hall and includes a full-size replica wooden Great Lakes schooner and shipwreck where visitors can walk the decks, feel a Great Lakes storm, and touch the massive timbers of the boat resting on the lake bottom ... without getting wet!

The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center features:

• 9,000 square feet of immersive exhibits
• 93-seat theater showing films daily
• Archaeological conservation lab and shipwreck artifact gallery
• Innovative education space for special programs, meetings, and events
• Scientific research facilities, including a dive operations center
• Community boat-building center small watercraft workshop
• Outdoor access to the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail and open-air picnic grounds
• Maritime Heritage Center Gift Shop
• Hosting approximately 60,000 visitors yearly, the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center is significantly increasing public awareness of maritime heritage resources in the Great Lakes.

The original Presque Isle Lighthouse was a smaller light built in 1840 at the entrance of the Presque Isle Harbor, about a mile to the south. In 1868, due to deteriorating conditions of the keeper's house at the 1840 structure, new plans were drawn to rebuild the keeper's house. However, the plans were never used and the decision was made to build a taller coastal light at the northern point of the peninsula. The conical brick tower of the New Lighthouse stands 113 feet in height from the base to the ventilator ball of the lantern. The light produced a lens focal plane of 123 feet above the mean low water level of Lake Huron. It is the tallest lighthouse accessible by the public on the Great Lakes. It has a diameter of 19 feet 3 inches at the base and 12 feet 4 inches at the parapet and is surmounted by a round iron watch room and a ten-sided cast iron lantern. The foundation is limestone, 9 feet 8 inches below ground level. At the base of the tower, there is an outer wall 24 inches thick, an air space of 31 inches, and an inner wall 12 inches thick. At the parapet, the outer wall is 16 inches thick, the air space is 4 inches, and the inner wall is 8 inches thick. Within the tower, is a spiral iron stairway with pipe railing, 138 steps and 6 landings. The tower has eight windows. There is a rectangular two story brick Keeper's House connected to the tower by an enclosed 16 foot walkway. It has a gabled slate roof and measures 24 feet by 28 feet.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan

Located at 419 Johnson Street, Alpena, Michigan

http://www.bessermuseum.org/Home_Page.php

Coming from the South follow US 23 through town. You will pass Alpena General Hospital on the right (East) as you come to the intersection of Johnson Street. Turn right (East). Besser Museum is on the left (North) about 1/4 mile from the intersection.

The Museum is open year round from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday.   Closed Sunday.

Museum Admission Prices:

· Adults - $5.00

· Children (5-18) - $3.00

· Students - $3.00

· Seniors (60+) - $3.00

· College Students (with id) - free

· Museum Members - Free

The historical artifact collection includes material culture items that portray life and industries in Norhteast Michigan.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:\"\"; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

Come stroll through the Museum\'s replica of an 1890s Avenue of Shops. Explore the lumbering and farming history of Northeast Michigan. Visit the Peoples of Lakes and Forest Gallery, which houses a variety of Prehistoric and Native American artifacts unique to this region. Take time to explore the historic buildings on the Museum\'s property. Dig for Devonian fossils in the Lafarge Fossil Park and keep the fossil you find.

Besser Museum\'s science collection includes specimens from geology, paleontology, zoology, botany, anthropology, and physical science technology.

See the Foucault Pendulum which gives visual proof that the Earth is rotating while demonstrating Newton\'s Law of Motion. Dig for Devonian fossils in the Lafarge Fossil Park and keep the fossils you find.  Visit the Natural Wildlife and Fresh Water Fish exhibits containing a variety of artistically mounted specimens native to the region. View constellations in the only planetarium in Northeast Michigan.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:\"\"; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

The Besser Museum Sky Theater, is open every Saturday at 2 p.m
Admission:

· $3.00 for adults

· $2.00 for students and seniors

· children under 5 are free.

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:\"\"; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}