The Commercial Fishing Museum

One of the first ships to arrive in Copper Harbor in the 1840’s arrived with two purposes. It was to drop off some of the early explorers looking for copper. But it also was to sail to neighboring Isle Royale to see if explorers who had been dropped there earlier had found a good site for commercial fishing. Thus began the related histories of copper mining and commercial fishing in the Keweenaw.

(Photo: In addition to photos of commercial fishing in the Keweenaw the museum has many related objects used locally including scales, net, ice cutting tools, etc.)

The Keweenaw County Historical Society Commercial Fishing Museum is located on the grounds of the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse complex in Eagle Harbor, Michigan next to the Rental cottage and near the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, the Maritime Museum, the Keweenaw History Museum and our Lake Superior observation deck. In it one can see many displays of commercial fishing activities in the Keweenaw and also displays of the many families that fished from one generation to the next. The many photographs in the museum put a human face on the rough and risky business of commercial fishing on Lake Superior.

(Photo: The Commercial Fishing Museum also has many photos and a continuously running DVD with movies of actual fishing in Lake Superior.)

Visiting The Commercial Fishing Museum at Eagle Harbor

Season-
June 16th through October 13th, 2024.

Hours & Admission-
Hours for June, September and October are 12-5 PM.  July and August hours are 10 AM-5 PM, Monday - Saturday and 12-5 PM on Sunday.  Admission $8.00. Children under 16 and KCHS members free. 

Location- The Commercial Fishing Museum is located in the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse Complex, located at 670 Lighthouse Road not far from the swimming beach along M26 in Eagle Harbor.  GPS: N 47 27.579 W 88 09.562, Decimal Degrees: 47.459650, -88.159370

All sites are open except Bammert Blacksmith Shop which is being renovated.

New this season!
The gift shop now has thimbleberry jam from locally picked berries. All proceeds go toward preserving our historical treasures.

Taste a bit of Keweenaw  History.
Berry picking has always been a way of life here. Locals and visitors have long enjoyed our unique natural bounty.

If you can't make it here for berry season, you can visit us vicariously through our newsletter "Superior Signal", another unique bounty of stories and anecdotes from past  news stories and memories.

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