Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (June 18, 2020) – The Door County Maritime Museum (DCMM) is pleased to announce participation in a number of programs and initiatives to increase accessibility to the exhibits and collections of the Museum for visitors and local residents. DCMM joins a large coalition of museums nationwide making a broad commitment to seek, include and welcome all audiences.
Earlier this year, DCMM staff completed an accessibility training program with Abbie Diaz, Director of Education & Public Programs from the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, who is a member of the Accessibility and Disability Advisory Council and a certified ADA Coordinator. Recognizing that nearly 1 in 5 Americans has a disability, the training program emphasized ways in which museums can break down barriers to access in exhibits, programs and policies.
Museums for All is a national, branded access program that encourages individuals of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. Through Museums for All, those receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain free or reduced admission to more than 400 museums throughout the United States simply by presenting their SNAP EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefit Transfer) card. Museums for All is an initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency based in Washington, DC. For Museums for All, DCMM will provide a discounted admission of $2 per person for up to four people to the Sturgeon Bay and Gills Rock museum locations.
DCMM has also expanded our existing policy to now offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve. DCMM will provide free admission for those currently serving in the United States Military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, US Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. This new admission policy is available year-round, especially honoring the service of our three local US Coast Guard stations.
DCMM recently acquired an assisted listening Tour Group System designed specifically for use in tour groups and meetings led by guides or docents. The system allows for hard-of-hearing visitors to more clearly hear and participate in docent-led tours of the museum, and for general audiences to hear the information provided by a docent while not interfering with other museum guests who are not participating in the tour. Given the aging population of Door County and the general demographics of our visitors, DCMM is pleased to be able to provide listening assistance to guests who require it. Financial support for the assisted listening equipment was provided to DCMM by the Door County Medical Center, several funds of the Door County Community Foundation and other private donors.
During Wisconsin’s “Safer At Home” order due to COVID-19, the Maritime Museum shifted exhibit materials and programs to online platforms to continue fulfilling our educational mission. This included the animated videos that are part of the current “Shipwrecks of Door County” exhibit, which were posted to the DCMM YouTube channel, closed captioned and translated into Spanish to make them more broadly available to the wider community.
Current Museum Hours:
- The Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay is open seven days a week, 10am-5pm
- As of Friday, June 19, the Cana Island Lighthouse in Baileys Harbor will be open seven days a week, 10am-5pm.
- Starting Friday, June 19, the Death’s Door Maritime Museum in Gills Rock is open Friday through Sunday, 10am-5pm.
- The historic tug John Purves is not yet open to the public for tours.
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