Door County Maritime Museum

About Us :

Located along Sturgeon Bay’s busy waterfront, the Door County Maritime Museum showcases the area’s rich maritime roots. Hard-working fishermen, brave ship captains, skilled craftsmen, bold inventors and lonely lighthouse keepers are just some of the personalities you’ll discover in the galleries of the museum.

See how these maritime pioneers worked and what they made, and you’ll understand and appreciate your visit to Door County on a deeper, more engaged level.

In December 1956, Roen Steamship Company of Sturgeon Bay purchased the John Purves and put her to work on all five Great Lakes taking on towing and salvage jobs. The Purves was well known throughout the Great Lakes for her strength and towing capabilities. In fact, due to her might, she made a good living after the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, rescuing many a saltwater vessel that ran aground in the tricky channels of the Great Lakes.