Wisconsin Maritime Museum

In 2023, collections saw a transition of the collections manager. The Museum worked to finalize a memorandum of understanding with the Wisconsin historical society, while receiving a Maritime heritage grant to properly inventory and care for the large shipwreck artifact collection. Starting in 2023, more than $300,000 was invested in exterior building renovations at the Museum's off-site storage facility that is now called the Wisconsin Maritime heritage center. In the years to come, this center will house a museum-quality storage facility, conservation lab, teaching space, and boat restoration lab, and enhanced Museum behind the scenes responsibilities. Several new and updated exhibits were also designed and installed in 2023 using artifacts from the Museum's collection. These included: bringing shipwrecks to life, adriatic and the birth of self-unloading technology, attack of the sea lampreys, and towers of power: 100+ years of outboard innovation

2023 saw mostly standard maintenance and small projects aboard the submarine. The biggest project was the start of replacing cobia's wooden decking. Volunteers replaced the old decking with new boards. The old planks are cut down into smaller pieces to be turned into pens and other items and sold to raise money for dry dock. Dry dock restoration at fincantieri bay shipbuilding in sturgeon bay will take place in september 2025. At the close of 2023, the dry dock fund raised $777,908.96, which includes a $500,000 grant from the national parks service (save america's treasures). Meanwhile, the overnight program aboard cobia welcomed nearly 3,000 youth and adults from across the midwest who experienced first hand what it is like to sleep on a wwii submarine.

Formal education programs saw significant increases over 2023, with 132 school field trips at near maximum capacity, serving 4718 youth and adults from across Wisconsin and the midwest. Informal education programs were also in high demand with our group overnight programs, thursday "think n' drink" series, sensory friendly activities, and adult group tours reached 4816 people. Outreach events reached 5126 people with direct interactions. In total, our educational programs and outreach efforts reached a total of 14,660 youth and adults.