By Rob Alway
MANITOWOC, Wisconsin — A World War II submarine moored along the Manitowoc River is one of the most visible reminders of Wisconsin’s maritime history. But the Wisconsin Maritime Museum tells a much broader story, encompassing Great Lakes commercial shipping, shipbuilding, shipwrecks and the men and women who worked on the lakes.
Located in downtown Manitowoc, the museum contains more than 60,000 square feet of exhibit space, making it one of the largest maritime museums in the Midwest. Its collections document Wisconsin’s relationship with the Great Lakes and the development of maritime commerce throughout the region.
For Great Lakes shipping enthusiasts, one of the museum’s highlights is its Maritime History Gallery. The exhibit explores shipbuilding, sailors and commerce beginning in the 19th century, tracing the development of Wisconsin’s shipyards and the vessels they produced.
The nearby Model Ship Gallery features scale and half-hull models of historic Great Lakes sailing vessels and freighters.
One of the museum’s most significant artifacts is a 65-ton triple-expansion steam engine from the railroad car ferry Chief Wawatam.
Built in 1911, the Chief Wawatam transported railroad cars, automobiles and passengers across the Straits of Mackinac between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, Michigan. The museum has preserved one of her massive steam engines in working condition, allowing visitors to observe the machinery that powered Great Lakes steamships during the early 20th century.
The Wisconsin-Built Boat Gallery examines the state’s shipbuilding industry, while exhibits dedicated to Lake Michigan shipwrecks feature recovered artifacts and interactive displays.
The museum serves as a repository for Wisconsin shipwreck artifacts, caring for more than 10,000 objects on behalf of the state. Its overall collection includes nearly 20,000 objects, more than 60 boats, approximately 300 regionally built outboard motors and more than 250 ship models.
Manitowoc’s submarine-building history
Perhaps the museum’s best-known exhibit is located immediately outside the building.
The USS Cobia, a World War II-era Gato-class submarine, is permanently moored along the Manitowoc River.
Launched Nov. 28, 1943, at Groton, Connecticut, the Cobia completed six war patrols in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, sinking 13 Japanese vessels.
She was brought to Manitowoc in 1970 as a memorial to the submariners who served during the war. The submarine has since been restored to her 1945 configuration and is designated a National Historic Landmark.
Although the Cobia was not built in Manitowoc, her presence commemorates one of the more unusual chapters of Great Lakes shipbuilding.
During World War II, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company constructed 28 submarines for the U.S. Navy, despite the shipyard being located hundreds of miles from the ocean.
More than 7,000 men and women worked at the Manitowoc shipyard during the wartime submarine program. The submarines were launched into the Manitowoc River and ultimately made their way to the Pacific, where they entered wartime service.
Today, the Cobia serves as a memorial to those shipbuilders and the sailors who served aboard American submarines during the war.
Visitors can tour the submarine independently or participate in guided tours. Her narrow passageways, crew quarters, engine rooms and operating spaces provide a close look at the conditions under which submariners lived and worked.
The museum has restored several of the Cobia‘s operating systems, including two main engines, her World War II radio shack and SJ-1 radar.
Preserving Wisconsin’s maritime heritage
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum traces its origins to the Manitowoc Submarine Memorial Association, established around 1970 to preserve the area’s World War II submarine-building history.
Over the following decades, the museum expanded its mission to include the broader maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes.
Today, its exhibits connect the history of commercial navigation, shipbuilding, marine engineering and wartime submarine construction.
From the massive steam engine of the Chief Wawatam to the narrow compartments of the USS Cobia, the museum preserves two distinctly different chapters of maritime history, both connected to the Great Lakes.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is located at 75 Maritime Drive in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Visitors interested in exploring the full collection should plan on spending several hours at the museum.
For additional information, visit www.wisconsinmaritime.org.
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