Museum Ship Valley Camp — Attraction in Michigan

Poorly maintained exhibit. Very close to becoming what would be called a "tourist trap" destination. It was interesting to tour the inside of a shipping vessel if you have not done so. However, exhibits were dusty w/cobwebs & poorly maintained. The aquarium was cloudy/murky w/tiny fish that were hard to determine exact type of fish due to water clarity. The bottom level of the ship was dark, water puddling on a floor that was very uneven & caused a definite trip/fall hazard. There were signs posted regarding this. We understood & wanted to proceed. Please be aware of this should you visit having vision or walking impairments. My favorite part of any nautical vessel is the bridge, living quarters, and galley. It was disappointing. It was so dirty w/ mondern day shop vacs, water bottles, & other debris strewn about. I feel like since the top deck was staged at the opening of the Valley Camp, no staff has ever been back to check or maintain it. The best part of Valley Camp is the engine rooms & exhibit lifeboat of the Edmond Fitzgerald. This is interestingly documented. Do not miss out on this! Pets are not allowed on the vessel/tour, however, they provide a kennel w/ lock so you can safely leave your dog at the entrance of the exhibit w/ shade & water for free. Brilliant idea & much appreciated. The outside grounds are very dog friendly & they provide poo bags & disposal trash barrels for the waste. Edit after owner response: Thank you for the explanation on the fish aquarium. That is very understandable & I appreciate keeping them in their natural habitat. I really think Valley Camp is a gem! Please do address the maintenance of the exhibit & I believe it will continue to be a educational & fun destination for all that visit...

This place is excellent. We took a couple of hours to see it. Bottom to top. You can save $2 on the ticket for the Tower of History if purchased together, so we did.

Walking up to the ship, there are kennels, free, to place your pet in so that everyone can enjoy the space inside.

I appreciated that they opened up the coal shaft so you could see into there. That portion of the ship was interesting to explore.

There is so much to take in on every level of the ship. Ir is ser up very well.

We did go in and watch the mid to end of the movie playing. I highly recommend watching it. It was very informative of what happened on that shipwreck, I think it was the Carl D. Bradley. That movie is sold in the Gift Shop. Weird thing, I was fine in that space until I was leaving it, and then I was overcome with sadness. Almost cried.

The Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit was the reason I came. The story behind those giant bouys is quite interesting. Take time to read it. I read every name on that wall, the 29 who lost their lives. Leaving that space, I was overcome with sadness. There were only 2 places on the ship that this happened. I find that quite interesting.

And yes, I saw that Adam and Amy did an investigation on this ship for Kindred Spirits.

The ship was a real joy to roam through, every inch that we did. I loved my time here. I highly...

We got the adventure pass which is the tour of the ship, the tower, and boat tour. Let me tell you. You need to carve out a day to do this. I am from port huron and we live in iron mountain area. We have never been to the Su so it was both our first time. Growing up on the lake you would see the Ore boats and wonder what it was like to be inside. This gave us the opportunity to see. It took about 2 hours to explore fully and the great thing is if you want to you could go as many times as you wanted that day as it is a day pass into the ship. Not only do you get to see artifacts, paintings, and the ship in person but you get to explore on your own terms and pace. Every room and space is utilized with exhibits and staff was friendly. Everyone was respectful in not touching anything. Some areas have leaks so puddles can be seen. They repaired the very top so it is slippery when walking on but it was worth it. To be that high up and to see the captains quarters. The entire experience was really cool. At times it was a little hard to breathe for me because I have asthma but let me tell you it was worth it....