Sturgeon Bay WI Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
Frequently Asked Questions
A short walk from downtown, on the channel that cuts through the city. Great Lakes cruise ships tie up here in the middle of the Door County peninsula.
Yes, the town centre is easily walked. The main streets line up artisan shops, galleries, bookstores and cafés in turn-of-the-20th-century brick buildings, and the landscaped banks invite a stroll.
The Door County Maritime Museum on the waterfront, a walk to the 1931 steel bridge to watch the boats pass, then the shopping streets. Finish with a slice of cherry pie in a main street café.
Because a bold piece of engineering, opened in 1881, linked the waters of Green Bay to Lake Michigan over about two kilometres, with no lock. It spared ships the long detour around the tip of the peninsula and turned this fishing village into a maritime crossroads.
Yes, and they are still working. Depending on the season you may see huge lake freighters laid up for winter or under repair, their rusting hulls towering over the houses.
Bold captains, solitary lighthouse keepers, fishermen and shipwrights. The exhibit on Door County shipwrecks holds the attention, with objects raised from the bottom, underwater footage and the tools of underwater archaeology: these waters are among the most dangerous on the Great Lakes.
Door County tart cherries, turned into pies, jams and juice. Many passengers carry off a jar of jam or a bag of dried cherries, modest souvenirs that extend the call long after they get home.
A heritage-listed 1931 structure crossing the channel right downtown. It is the best vantage point on the boat traffic, and its raising remains a small local event.
The US dollar and English. Credit cards are accepted everywhere and restaurant tipping runs 15 to 20 percent.
June through September, the Great Lakes sailing season, which coincides with the Door County cherries. The lake wind cools things quickly: keep a layer within reach.
