Admission to the Steamship William G. Mather Museum is approximately $9/adult, $7/senior, and $6/child ages 2-12. Discounted combo tickets when combined with the Great Lakes Science Center.
- Open: May – October but call or visit the website below for days and hours of operation.
- Location: (Map It) 601 Erieside Ave. in Cleveland, Ohio
- Phone: 216-694-2000
- Web: click here
The Steamship William G. Mather Museum is located at the Great Lakes Science Center at Cleveland’s North Coast Harbor across from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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 firsthand what life on this shipping relic was once like. It features the cramped crew quarters to the stately captain’s quarters. A captivating view of Cleveland’s skyline comes high atop the pilothouse where maps, radio beacon, and other instruments once guided the ship through stormy Lake Erie weather en route from Cleveland to Detroit. Other points of interest include the galley, enclosed observation lounge, and hands-on displays depicting Great Lakes maritime history.
