Cana Island Lighthouse

Baileys Harbor

Door County Maritime Museum

Sturgeon Bay

Death’s Door Maritime Museum

Gills Rock

​​​​​​​Door County Maritime Museum: Where Great Lakes History Comes Alive!

Our Mission: The Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc. preserves Great Lakes maritime history, primarily focusing on Door County, Wisconsin, and provides interpretive and educational opportunities for current and future generations.

The Museum operates three locations, including the Door County Maritime Museum along the working waterfront in Sturgeon Bay; the iconic Cana Island Lighthouse in Baileys Harbor; and the Death’s Door Maritime Museum in Gills Rock. As one of northeast Wisconsin’s top tourism destinations, averaging 95,000 visitors annually, the Door County Maritime Museum serves as a cultural and educational resource for all 72 counties in Wisconsin. 

Our Vision: To be a preeminent cultural and educational resource for the preservation and stewardship of regional maritime history.

DCMM Land Acknowledgement: The Door County Maritime Museum acknowledges that the indigenous peoples and nations – including the Menominee, Potawatomi, as well as other native peoples – have stewarded through generations the lands and waterways of what is now northeastern Wisconsin. We honor and respect the enduring relationship that exists between these peoples and this land and the waters surrounding it.

The PBI Story

Did you or someone you know work at Peterson Builders (PBI)? We are looking for the "People of PBI" who have a story to tell about their work building ships there. If you have a photo of yourself at work at PBI - share it with us along with some information about the image. ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​Please share this! We want to capture the stories of our local shipbuilders! Why are we doing this? We are developing an exhibit on the People of PBI, and we will contact you to verify your story, and potentially include your image and story in the new exhibit.

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Gallery Upgrades

The Peterson Gallery at DCMM Sturgeon Bay will be closed to the public January-April 2026 as we begin a complete overhaul of that space, which will reopen in May 2026. The three other legacy galleries of the Sturgeon Bay museum – along with the Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower – are all open and ready for your visit!

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maritime speaker series

2025-26 Maritime Speaker Series

The Maritime Speaker Series offers an assortment of monthly programs – from historical topics to current issues affecting the Great Lakes and the economy that relies on them. UP NEXT – March 5: Christy Corp’s Last Stand. Presenter: Brennan Christianson, Collections Manager at the Door County Maritime Museum

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