Livin' Outside the Box!: Museums at the Soo

While in Sault Ste Marie, I wanted to check out some the museums in the area. You can get information HERE. I purchased a three part plan from the ticket office at the Valley Camp Museum which included the ship, the Tower of History, and the River of History. I enjoyed all of it except for the Tower of History. I can not fathom how this place got its name. It is nothing more than an observation tower about 200 feet high. It does give a great view of the river, locks, and surrounding area, but there is very little history. You ride an elevator to the top and find an upper and lower observation deck. That's it. The elevator has two stops - one at the ground and the other at the top, so I walked down the many steps looking for something that the elevator missed. Nope. Nothing. Nada. When I got back to the bottom I found the design drawings for the tower in a display and looked them over for a "hidden room of history". Again, there was nothing there. I talked to others that attended this and they felt the same way. Just be aware what you are buying on this part. It will take the better part of a day to visit the Valley Camp and the River of History so plan accordingly.

The Valley Camp is a retired Great Lakes Freighter set up with a museum in parts of the ship.

Entrance to the Valley Camp

The Valley Camp

You will learn a lot about the history of shipping on the Great Lakes, the ships that have plied these waters over the years and how the larger freighters work. The museum also includes nautical tools and equipment and a life boat from the Edmund Fitzgerald with a nice display on the history and demise of the vessel. While this tragedy where 29 lives were lost is widely known, there have been many ships lost to the waters of the Great Lakes. For instance, have you heard of the SS Eastland? This was a passenger ferry that flipped over while tied to the dock in Chicago killing 848 people! There was a display in the Vally Camp commemorating this event but until then, I had never heard of it. You can read more about it HERE if interested.

Following is a sampling of the displays . Hope you enjoy!