On June 2, 2025, YOUR Door County Maritime Museum entered an exciting new phase of development with the purchase of an existing former manufacturing building to become our new off-site collections storage and archive facility. The storage and archive at 512 South Columbia Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI will allow DCMM to more appropriately preserve and protect the items that represent the rich maritime history of Door County and the Great Lakes.
DCMM was founded in 1969 by concerned citizens who observed shipwreck artifacts and other pieces of local maritime history leaving the area in the possession of divers from surrounding states. The new facility will help DCMM achieve goals outlined in our current strategic plan, and continue to fulfill our organizational mission and vision for preservation of regional maritime history in the decades to come.
This project was made possible with the generous support of the P.G. Horton Charitable Trust, the David L. & Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the George Kress Foundation, The Boldt Company, the Dwight and Linda Davis Foundation, the Raibrook Foundation, and the 1923 Fund.
We are SO grateful for the on-going support for DCMM from our maritime community.
DCMM was recently awarded a National Park Service & Institute of Museum and Library Services “Save America’s Treasures” grant for the museum’s new off-site archive and collections storage project!
The grant of $182,520 is targeted for archive and artifact shelving systems in compliance with Department of the Interior and National Park Service Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation. The Museum’s former storage totaled little more than 5,000 square feet. The new 26,000 square foot facility will house archives, artifact storage and an education program area. The project is key to the Museum’s pursuit of accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums.
The Door County Maritime Museum is committed to preserving not only the physical artifacts of the peninsula’s rich maritime history, but also the stories and experiences of the people involved in creating that history. The people and industries of Door County have had a global impact for more than three centuries.
It is the mission and responsibility of the Door County Maritime Museum to preserve, celebrate and share our collective maritime heritage.