The National Museum of the Great Lakes invites visitors to step out of the cold and into a celebration of boating history with the debut of Frozen in Time: A Wooden and Antique Boat Showcase.
It runs through February 15, 2026, inside the museum’s temporary exhibit gallery. This new winter feature offers visitors a chance to experience the craftsmanship, beauty, and culture of wooden and antique vessels—all set against the backdrop of the Maumee River.
“Wooden boats are timeless works of art,” said Chris Gillcrist, Director Emeritus and curator of the showcase. “They reflect the creativity of their builders, the spirit of adventure of their owners, and the enduring connection people have with the Great Lakes. This exhibition is an opportunity to step back in time while celebrating craftsmanship that continues to inspire today.”
Frozen in Time brings together a curated selection of historic and newly hand-built watercraft. From an Indigenous canoe design to classic wooden cruisers, each vessel tells a unique story—revealing how design, leisure, and regional identity converged on the water.
The National Museum of the Great Lakes preserves, shares, and celebrates the past, present, and future of the Great Lakes story. As an interactive, experiential museum, it offers visitors the chance to explore thousands of years of history and stories through nine dynamic exhibit galleries and two historic museum vessels, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Museum Tug Ohio, plus the pilothouse of the storied St. Marys Challenger.
Frozen in Time: A Wooden and Antique Boat Showcase is included with museum admission. For more information, visit nmgl.org or call 419-214-5000.
