Full weekend of activities November 7-10 at Dossin Great Lakes Museum
The Detroit Historical Society announced today that it will host a full weekend of commemorative activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the loss of the famed Great Lakes freighter, the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Commemorative activities kick off on Friday, November 7, 2025 at 11:00am with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, about his new book WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.
On Saturday, curators and docents will be on hand for drop in tours in the Edmund Fitzgerald Exhibit on the lower level of the Wm. Clay Ford Pilot House, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be on hand with information and merchandise related to the Edmund Fitzgerald, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be back in DeRoy Hall with its annual Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, a new pop-up exhibit by Wayne State Professor of Humanities, Victoria Stewart, will debut, and families will find crafts and activities throughout the museum.
Sunday morning will feature the Dossin Great Lakes Museum’s first-ever Maritime Brunch, featuring a historically accurate chef-prepared meal taken directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald Ship’s Menu accompanied by a video presentation by Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck (shiptoshorechef.com.)The centerpiece of the Brunch will be the premiere of a new film by the Detroit Historical Society and its Curator Emeritus Joel Stone in conversation with Edmund Fitzgerald experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for this special morning are on sale now at detroithistorical.org.
When the museum opens to regular guests at 1:00 pm, expect the continuation of Professor Stewart’s pop-up exhibit, the return of GLMI, more crafts and activities, and a pair of videos related to the Edmund Fitzgerald looping in DeRoy Hall.
On Monday, November 10, the Society will host its 26th Annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance offering a poignant tribute to sailors lost on the Great Lakes. Running from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., the event marks the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, the last significant maritime disaster on the Lakes. The evening begins with a Lantern Vigil at the Fitzgerald's bow anchor, setting a somber tone for the remembrance.
A key highlight of the evening is always the performance by Lee Murdock, a celebrated balladeer of the Great Lakes, who brings the history and sacrifice of the sailors to life through song. The event also features a Wreath Ceremony, where an Honor Guard escorts a memorial wreath to the Detroit River, to be received by a fleet of government and commercial vessels from both the U.S. and Canada.
The program continues with the screening of the new film by the Detroit Historical Society and its Curator Emeritus Joel Stone, in conversation with Edmund Fitzgerald experts from around the Great Lakes. As always, the evening closes with the playing of Gordon Lightfoot’s famous The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, coupled with a bell ringing.
The Lost Mariner’s Remembrance is sponsored by the Detroit Historical Society and the Great Lakes Maritime Institute, with cooperation from over 16 regional maritime services and organizations in both Detroit and Windsor.
This event is always a sellout. Tickets are available now at detroithistorical.org, and if you are unable to join us in-person, tune in for a livestream of the event on the Dossin Great Lakes Museum facebook page.
--
The Detroit Historical Society is an independent non-profit organization that manages the Detroit Historical Museum in Midtown and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, while caring for an outstanding collection of nearly 300,000 historic artifacts. The Society presents hundreds of educational tours, programs, workshops and lectures annually and stages several new exhibits every year. Founded in 1921, Detroit Historical Society has worked for over 100 years to foster an appreciation of our region’s rich history, telling Detroit’s stories and why they matter.
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is located at 100 Strand Drive on Belle Isle. Admission is $5 for adults and children (free for kids under 6 and Detroit Historical Society members). Regular hours are Friday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m. Permanent exhibits include Built by the River in the John A. and Marlene L. Boll Foundation Gallery, the Miss Pepsi vintage 1950s championship hydroplane, the Gothic Room from the City of Detroit III, a bow anchor from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, and the pilothouse from the Great Lakes freighter S.S. William Clay Ford. For more information, visit our website at detroithistorical.org.
