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The National Landmark Steamship City of Milwaukee is the last traditional Great Lakes railroad car ferry. The 75 year-old vessel is permanently moored and open to the public in Manistee, Michigan. Explore the unique legacy of "Rails Across the Water."

 

 

Carferry Reunion/Open House on Saturday, May 24

Come by the S.S. City of Milwaukee and find out about carferry and Great Lakes maritime history at this free event from 11am to 7pm.

This year we will have a full day of speakers, entertainment and refreshments.

 

Our guests this year will be author Art Chavez speaking on the construction and

launching of the Spartan and the Badger. John Brandt will be speaking on the Hurtigruten

coastal ferry service in Norway, which has many similarities to the Lake Michigan car ferries.

Rich Brauer will be speaking about the sinking of the Hartzel.

 

Plus, come see the unveiling of the new exhibit created by 6th grade students from Manistee Middle School.

 

We will also have Marty Hopkins and the Time Machine providing our musical

entertainment and we will have the grill fired up for hamburgers and hot dogs available for a small cost.

 

2nd Annual Silent Auction on July 5

"The End of an Era," carved by Pat Pointer-

just one of our special auction items.

 

Come find a treasure or a gift between the hours of 11am and 5pm. It's part of Manistee's

Forest Festival Weekend, so there's even more things to do in town that weekend.

We are also asking for items to be auctioned. Please contact us here at the

ship if you have an item to donate. 231-723-3587

New Gift Shop Items Available Online
Updated: Nov.16,2007 Come see our online gift shop and you'll find new items for Christmas! Ornamental working compasses, knot-tying kits and portable coolers (bring it with you when you visit Manistee this December)! Plus car ferry books and official S.S. City of Milwaukee souvenirs!

Oh...why come to Manistee this December? In order to see the Victorian Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend, of course! It runs from December 6-9, 2007. Full details here.

Manistee's 8th Annual Ghost Ship
Every October, the S.S. City of Milwaukee becomes a frightening spectacle. Not much longer now, and the transformation will be complete. Manistee's GHOST SHIP 2008 promises to be the scariest, strangest Ghost Ship yet! You won't believe what you'll see!

Drop by on Fridays and Saturdays in October, and you'll experience four stories of unsettling oddities, all within the confines of a 77-year old Great Lakes ship.

Details:

7:30 - 10:30pm

Friday, October 3 & Saturday, October 4

Friday, October 10 & Saturday, October 11ur

Friday, October 17 & Saturday, October 18

Friday, October 24 & Saturday, October 25

--plus Halloween night, Friday, October 31--

and Saturday, November 1

PRICES T.B.A.

Not recommended for children 8 and under.

We're always looking for a few good souls to inhabit the Ghost Ship, as well. Not only will you become one of the terrifying creatures onboard, we'll grant you free admission. No experience necessary. For more information, call us at (231) 723-3587 or email us at ghostship@carferry.com.

Also, throughout October, Manistee County is a great place to visit if you like a more peaceful season. "Macabre Manistee County" means color tour, thrills and chills. We'll show you a great time at Ghost Ship, and afterwards, we invite you to relax and enjoy harvest festivals, music, food, theater and art. 16 different events to choose from, during October, as well as lodging, dining and shopping specials!

Click here to find out more about Macabre Manistee County!

"Manistee's Ghost Ship" (c) S.S. City of Milwaukee National Historic Landmark 2005-2007

CARFERRY ONLINE GIFT SHOP NOW OPEN!
NEW BOOKS ADDED 9/7/2007
Did you visit us but discover that you had no place in the cramped car for souvenirs? Were there complaints about bringing home too many brochures and t-shirts? Did you momentarily compare the amount of space required by a stack of new maritime books with that taken up by one of your children?

We understand, but the choices needn't be so difficult anymore.

The S.S. City of Milwaukee online gift shop is now open. With a few clicks, you can instantly order some of our products, including official S.S. City of Milwaukee t-shirts and sweatshirts. Plus, you can purchase the standard reference work on car ferries that all diehard fans quote from (when given the chance): George W. Hilton's The Great Lakes Carferries. We'll expand the items available as spring and summer arrive.

Also, our online gift shop will allow you and fellow car ferry history buffs to acquire membership status electronically, which will include access to our new online archives (coming soon). Articles, photos, bibliographies and more will be available for browsing, as a special benefit of membership. Watch this space for more details!

ARCHIVES SECTION features records, library holdings, and more!

updated July 8, 2007
Have you ever wondered exactly what those boxcars carried across Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes? Are you researching a project and need help identifying useful books?

The S.S. City of Milwaukee's Archive section now features some of this information, and will be regularly updated in order to provide online access to our holdings. Full access is now available with membership. If you'd like to take a glimpse, we offer sample archive pages. Simply click here to enter.

CARFERRY REUNION
We had a great time at the Carferry Reunion on May 26. Over 150 visitors came to the S.S. City of Milwaukee, including ferry workers, enthusiasts and supporters. We even had many people who simply saw the festivities from the road and came to see what the whole thing was about!

With help from state Representative for the 101st District, David Palsrok, we officially opened our new Boxcar Museum, featuring a display designed and constructed by Manistee Middle School students. Additionally, we had speakers including car ferry historian Art Chavez, former car handler Pat Brandon, and shipwreck divers Valerie Olson and Jack van Heest. In between programs, visitors had a chance to see Roxy Wienand's car ferry collection, as well as intricate models of ships, engines and gears.

Musician David H.B. Drake closed the evening with songs of the sea.

Were you able to be here? If not, plan on coming for Reunion 2008. Whether you're a longtime carferry enthusiast, or just discovering Great Lakes history, this event provides a chance to interact with people who were there, and ask questions while aboard an actual Lake Michigan carferry.

We'll have pictures coming soon. In the meantime, tack a note up on the wall: the Carferry Reunion, coming again in May 2008.

 
 
 
 

 
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