Thanks to a grant from the City of Port Huron, the Blue Water Convention and Visitors Bureau and SEMCO Energy, we are able to offer free admission at the Carnegie Museum, HURON Lightship and Thomas Edison Depot Museum. Find out more to do in the area at BlueWater.org!  Suggested donation is $3 per person.

2023 Hours of Operation

Fall Hours:
September 18 - October 31st
Saturday & Sunday
10am - 5pm
Last entry for tours is at 4pm. Museum store remains open until 5pm.

Winter Hours:
November 1, 2023 - March 31st 2024
Closed for the season.

Open to group tours April thru October by appointment. Call (810) 982-0891, ext. 118 for details. Group tours must be booked in advance in order to be accommodated.

Location:
800 Prospect Place
Port Huron, MI 48060

Phone: 810-984-9768

Unfortunately, due to the nature of historic ships, the HURON is not wheelchair accessible. 

Visit a Real Functioning Lightship

Lightships are floating lighthouses that are anchored in areas where it was too deep, expensive, or impractical to construct a lighthouse. Lightships displayed a light at the top of a mast and, in areas of fog, also sounded a fog signal and radio beacon. The fog signals used over the years consisted of bells, whistles, trumpets, sirens, and horns. Early fog horns were powered by steam and later by air compressors. The HURON Lightship sounded her fog horn signal in 3 second blasts every 30 seconds and was known locally as “Old B.O.” because of the familiar sound her horn made.

The HURON Lightship was the last operating lightship on the Great Lakes, and served for over 50 years when she was retired in 1970.  For 36 of those years, she was stationed at Corsica Shoals, a sandy area 6 miles north of Port Huron.  She was permanently moored in sand, along the banks of the St. Clair River in scenic Pine Grove Park, Port Huron, MI.  There is an extensive collection of artifacts, including many model ships, as well as a live camera feed of the bottom of the river, taken off a camera positioned at the bow.  It was dedicated in 1990 as a National Historic Landmark.