Cleveland’s North Coast Harbor at the East 9^th Pier is best known for its Rock Hall but visitors find its heavy metal neighbor an interesting diversion. 

Gracing the waters of the Great Lakes for 55 years, the Steamship William G. Mather retired in 1980 and opened as a museum ship in 1990 – one of only four Great Lakes vessels designated as a National Historic Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 

Visitors are fascinated with what they see on the tour of the historic vessel, which is four stories high, longer than two football fields and carried 14,000 tons of cargo. It progressed throughout time with updates to keep it modernized in a rapidly changing world since its christening in 1925. Originally a coal-powered ship, it converted to oil in 1954 and used more than 25 gallons per mile. Later, it was the first on the Great Lakes to incorporate automated controls that were computer operated.  

The tour lets guests see and feel first hand what life on this shipping relic was once like. It features the cramped crew quarters to the stately captains quarters. A captivating view of Cleveland’s skyline come high atop the pilot house where maps, radio beacon and other instruments once guided the ship through stormy Lake Erie weather enroute from Cleveland to Detroit. Other points of interest include the galley, enclosed observation lounge, and hands-on displays depicting Great Lakes maritime history. 

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