Really nice museum on Belle Isle. Worthy of a visit if you are in Detroit. Not too big, so it can be done in an hour or two. Lots of history relating to Great Lakes Shipping. Almost always someone available to talk about ships on the lakes. The gentleman on all of our visits can tell you when a ship will be passing the museum on the Detroit River in case you want to watch. When we were there, a 1,000 foot vessel was transiting the river.

We came from Central Ohio to see the the Henry Ford museum. So glad we went to Belle Isle museum. I cant remember the guys name but he was so informative about the Edmund Fitzgerald and so much other stuff that my wife who had never heard of any of it was amazed. I was very impressed with his knowledge and information, I would definitely recommend checking it out

Great time. My kids enjoyed ut very much. Friendly staff. Went as a little boy and still love to visit. Good times.

Steve is amazing! He is the manager and have us the most informative tour. This place is a gem on belle island.

A small gem on Belle Isle. Its nice to see history put in a place that has meant so much. Great stop, and please donate.

Truly an awesome experience a lot of great history gorgeous woodworking inside the building itself a must seek

This place is amazing. The staff is super friendly. They explained all kinds of nautical information. You should check this place out. Belle Isle is beautiful!

Really enjoyed the experience, also staff members were very knowledgable, I remember as a kid in the back seat looking at miss Pepsi thinking awesome.

So informative and interesting! They have been really creative in keeping the interactive activities available. Clean. Safe. Knowledgeable and friendly staff!

Well Maintained, beautiful, informative museum about Detroit and its shipping routes. Entry is free. Has a great view over the river and look at Canadian side.

Cool museum. The whole experience is only about 20 minutes. If you have the option to go on a guided tour thats what Id recommend.

First time going. Loved the history of every thing that was in the museum.Hours are Fri thru Sun 10-4

Fun nautical museum located on belle island. The museum offers free admission, hands on activities, and beautiful views of Canada and the river. Exhibits included information on Michigan’s shipping history and details on the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Walking through was like a wonderland. Interactive displays beautiful scenery and of course you can play captain of a boat

William Clay Ford pilot house saved from the actual ship along with City of Detroits ornate room.

Good museum on island. It gives good overview of history as well as ships. Good ships models, simulator of ship sailing, ship sailing office. Very nice informative experience

I had never seen this museum before. I missed so much as a child! The interactive exhibits were great, the grandkids loved them. Definitely a must see!

I have always loved Dossins, Ive been going there for since the early 90s. They did a job with the last renovation, plenty for the novice shipwatcher as well as for the veteran. Exhibits cover both personal and commercial maritime history in the Detroit area as well as the Great Lakes as a whole. Exhibits include the Miss Pepsi hydroplane; an anchor from the Edmund Fitzgerald lost in the Detroit river before the ship sunk in 1975; the Smoking Room from the passenger steamer City of Detroit III; and the pilothouse of the Steamer William Clay Ford. The staff there is very pleasant and knowledgeable. All together it makes a very enjoyable experience for people of all ages and walks of life!

A great winter getaway. Along with aquarium and zoo. Going back when its warmer too.

Dossin is one of a few great maritime museums scattered around the Great Lakes. It is small, but packed with exhibits from the Detroit area and allows you to experience a lake freighter pilot house via the old William Clay Ford.

I love this little museum. It has quite a bit to look at and the view of the river is amazing also. They have great customer service and a small gift shop at the entrance for souvenirs! If you visit Belle Isle, you must stop here and its free!

Had a worker/manager come up and explain how the opening room was taken straight off an old boat! So cool to see that woodwork in person and restored (he showed us an unrestored piece!)Pretty small but its free and its a great experience!!

Beautiful spot to hold such a lovely event as when I attended the Bourbon and Bowties event here. Food was delicious and the Bourbon was insane - thoroughly enjoyed the setting and had fun delving into the interactive learning displays about Michigans rich maritime history.Very cool event and location, and had great affordable gift items to purchase on site, which was pleasantly surprising and wholly welcome! The building itself is spectacular, especially the picture set into a huge wall of stained glass at the entrance - truly stunning!

What an absolute gem. The two fellows that we spoke with were awesome.

I didnt know this place existed until 2 weeks ago. it was like walking onto a real boat. kids of all ages would enjoy this place. my niece and I had fun pretending we were the captain and taking pic as we exit the boat.walking on the top was like being on the water. that took me by surprise when i walked up the stirs and seen the water for the first time, it was an awesome sight.

Great place to go! Very cool exhibits and very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Fun for all ages. Close to other attractions on Belle Isle, aquarium, and gardens. Could spend the whole day out here.

Visually appealing educational and interactive walk through the history of water vessels and their value to the great lakes area. The museum is free but takes donations. Its a great tourist destination on the belle isle.

Since my birth, I dont ever recall visiting this place. Drove past here for years and just never knew what I was missing! Thank you, Kanita, for showing me something so educational and wonderful as this Detroit Gem! Youre right! I wasnt always around the right people!

A dont miss if you are in the island. Really cool. Kids would love. Small but interesting. FREE!

Had a wonderful time . We learned a lot of maritime history.

The museum is great, it has fun things for kids to do and lots of history lessons for adults. It has a lot about the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck, and the bridge of the William Clay Ford freighter to show what the deck is like on the river. Very nice displays of model ships from long ago are very interesting too.

Very cool artifacts and the most amazing view of the water, cool place to take the kids.

Pretty cool museum of Great Lakes history!

Surprisingly cool! Loved docking the William Clay Ford!

Loved my visit here! From Bob-Lo lore to things brought up from the bottom to watching a huge cargo ship via periscope as it navigated past the island to playing with fresnel lenses from lighthouses to learning about luxury cruising on the river to tooting a boats whistle to learning about semaphore flags, pulleys and blocks.... Every minute was great. Would love to stay all day and read everything. Attached are some of my photos.

I like visiting this place by myself. The intricate woodwork is mesmerizing. The homage to Boblo island stirs sweet memories.

This is a very nice place. Well worth the the time.

Cool nautical museum for the great lakes

Very interesting. Wish we had more time. Lots of info on old Cruise ships, lighthouses and lots more

Miss Pepsi hydroplane on exhibit. Lots to see in museum. Section of museum made of wood is the old smoking room of the old cruise ship City of Detroit III.

I loved when I was young.

Very informative. Also, interactive for the kids. Since the state has taken over Belle Isle, its a truly special place. We spend all day here and feel safe. My wife takes the kids solo and feels safe doing it. When I was growing up, Belle Isle was a place you avoided.

Lots of neat nautical history, you will learn a lot about the old ships that sailed the Detroit river and the great lakes. Presented very well!!!!

Great experience! Informed helpful folks working there. Still under construction. Once we found a way in it was great. Entrance not clearly marked.

Outstanding museum about the history of the great lakes, focussing on Detroit and Belle Isle. Amazing exhibit on the Edmund Fitzgerald including authentic recordings of ship to shore communications during the direct aftermath of the sinking.

Dossin Great lakes has a very lovely view ....... You can see canada from here ..... its also has a lovely museum

Went to a retitement party here, such a beautiful setting, lots of history and just a pleasure it was to see something interesting about Michigan history that I had never seen before...beautiful place!

Always fun and interesting.

Great place to visit and learn about Michigans nautical history.

Pretty cool place to see

This is a beautiful and well maintained museum. The entrance is recreated as a smoking lounge used on a Detroit riverboat steamer which was used in the 1910s. The craftsmanship is gorgeous. Additionally the rest of the museum, while not very large (easily done in an hour or two), has lots of food information and plenty of interactive pieces for kids and adults. For free it is a great time.

Very educational and interactive. The exhibits are informative and fun for adults and children. I would definitely recommend swinging by and learning about the history of our Great Lakes while youre at Belle Isle.

I attended a wedding here and just had to come back and enjoy the museum while I was still in Michigan. Would definitely recommend coming here.

This museum is small, but it is filled with wonderful information, models, and artifacts of life on the Detroit River and the Great Lakes.

Wonderfull environment. Nice picnic spots around.

Beautiful,Awesome DossinGreat Lakes MuseumDowntown DetroitThe Islandon A Wonderful Sunny Day!I Was There At My CousinBirthday, Graduation Party. .Summer Time 2019Here Are Some Phots...

Had our wedding here. The staff was very helpful. The scenery is amazing for any boat need. If you want to learn about the great lakes this is the place to go. Tons of information.

Definitely a nice venue to have weddings and receptions. Just attended and saw so much history inside the building nice view off the lake as well!

Lots of museum artifacts. Presentation of Edmond Fitzgerald history very informative

Great informative museum with many hands on exhibits for children...no admission fees!

Definitely some neat things to see and read about. The model freighter is a bonus!! Its worth the trip however its really a one time thing. Very cool especially if you love freighters like I do!

Pleasantly surprised. The place is bigger than it looks....things for the kids to interact with and you will learn something.

Attended a private party here. Its a beautiful museum.

Dropped off some coast guard Auxiliary paperwork. Interesting facts about the great lakes and Detroit and the State of Michigan. Nice place for the family .

Check it out! Tons of fun stuff to see. Also a bunch of items on display from Bob-lo Island!

Great place to learn about the Great Lakes and shipping routes! There are a lot of fun videos and games for children and the helm of a previous freighter will be as much amusement for the adults as it will be for the kids. As a side note, I love the stained glass in the lobby area!

An all around history of Detroit and the Great Lakes. Has a open pilot house to see what that view provided.

Thoughtful exhibits and a wonderful event venue.

Fantastic museum! Something interesting for everyone in the family!

We went for a 3rd grade field trip and the students had a great time! Our tour guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. Our favorite part was exploring the pilot house of an actual great lakes freighter! I highly recommend going for a visit!

Bigger and nicer than expected. Enjoyed the interactive activities like the video game captaining a large ship

This is our first time visiting. We will definitely be back soon. Such a great place with learning about our great lakes and interactive exhibits. The staff was very friendly and knowledgable. We will definitely be back!

Surprisingly it was pretty cool with the history of the port of Detroit, ships and the island itself.

I was very surprised at how clean the place was very surprised, there was someone there who was very knowledgeable about the everything including the stage of construction,WOW!!! I was there for a wedding and it was decorated gracely in Royal Blue and White very beautiful.

Was considering this place as a wedding venue nectar of their great pricing but the boat replica decor in the dining hall makes up a large amount of space. A cute family museum great for a little sailor to visit but not my cup of tea.

Shipwreck. This museum is awesome. And, like a fight at the hockey game and a crash at the race course - the shipwrecks are so cool. You can not take your eyes off the wrecks. Sure sure there are many cool things to do and see here but do I have to sing the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald for you? Come to Belle Isle and do the Dossin. For a super interesting time, ask for John McLean - hes a stitch.

Great museum. Museum manager was very helpful in explaining/pointing out different exhibits

It is free. They collect donation only. It is nice place and should be more than donation.

Very nicely done! They are in the middle of construction which will be really nice when they’re done.

Dont let the size fool you, its a larger museum than it looks, and its free! The first room is literally a room from a retired ship, and it is elegant. Another highlight is the Coast Guard bridge, preserved exactly how it was used. Great place!

Phenomenal maritime museum that I never knew existed. Theres interactive components and a pilot house that was taken off of a freighter and connected to the museum. Offers a cool view over the water! Awesome place, will definitely be there again!

Wonderful museum full of information about the exploration and settlement of Detroit, Detroit as a trading post for furs and goods, and the exploration of the Great Lakes. It has a lot of cool nautical gadgets and lighthouse beacons. And it teaches a lot about cargo ships and the luxury cruise ships that once traveled the Detroit River.

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is a small museum with huge history. There are so many cool tidbits about the museum. Parts of the museum are from real ships that operated in the area. Ive been there 3 or 4 times and learn something new every time. Plus its free to go in!!!

Enjoyed the Lost Mariners Remembrance program. Well put on program.

Interesting find. If your want more info, best to Google. Otherwise, come enjoy it.

Visited this place for the first time today. I have been to Belle Isle numerous times but ive never taken the time to go in. I was pleasantly surprised with the displays and exhibits. Although I think there should have been more about the Native Americans. There was a small exhibit in a corner maybe 1-2 rooms in the museum. I enjoyed the display of the Edmond Fitzgerald and how the William Clay Ford vessel played a role in the search for the sunken ship. To hear the actual radio conversation during the search was chilling. I learned a lot about the Great Lakes and Belle Isle today.

I hadnt visited in years, enjoyed, will be visiting again we got there like 30 minutes before they closed.

Awesome place to visit! Unbelievable views!

Motown museum was closed. So glad we went here instead, has everything youd expect and the staff was exceptionally knowledgeable and interested in sharing that knowledge with their patrons. We left with a bolstered interest in Great Lakes shipwrecks and Boblo Island. Sorry to the young couple whos rental scooters be absconded with upon departure.

I went with my aunt,Cousin,her daughter and her family.We had a great time.when we were upstairs on the ship.

Loved the fireplace and woodwork. Good inter-active activity for the kids.

Very cool museum. Nice renovations.

This is a gorgeous museum filled with amazing facts and details about the Detroit River and the Great Lakes. This is a must visit!

Another great museum that is free and much larger than it looks and located on one of my favorite State Parks located near downtown Detroit... BelleIsle ...in the middle of the Detroit River

Great little museum. Informative without requiring the whole day to appreciate it.

Come see some of the great lakes history, take some time out of you day to learn what makes the lakes so unique

Beautiful

Lots of interactive exhibits and informative little documentaries. Definitely good for the whole family. Be sure to donate or pick up something at the gift shop because the whole place is run on donations.

A wonderful gem of a museum. Guides are knowledgeable about the Great Lakes artifacts and displays housed in this museum. Well worth a visit.

Great place to see the history of the Detroit river and some of the deep drafts. They also have an actual bridge from one of the deep drafts there so you can see how they would drive them around. It is also a good place to do a reenlistment. That is where I was able to do mine. The staff was knowledgable. When it came to my reenlistment they left us up there by ourselves. There was a tour going on at the time and I didnt feel crowded at all with them in the same building.