TOLEDO, Ohio — Nearly half a century after the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior, claiming the lives of 29 crew members, the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) in east Toledo will hold guided tours commemorating the sinking and honors those who died.
In a press release, NMGL announced the Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 tours, the latter of which coincides with the 49th anniversary of the ship's 1975 sinking. The tours will take place aboard the NMGL museum ship, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, during which visitors will learn about the events of the Fitzgerald's sinking, as well as the similarities between the two ships.
Tours will last approximately 75 minutes and will be held every 30 minutes on Nov. 9 and 10. The Saturday, Nov. 9 tours will be held from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 3:30 p.m. Tours will be limited to eight people.
Tickets are $20 for NMGL members and $25 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased on the NMGL site, or by calling 419-214-5000.
The SS Edumund Fitzgerald (sometimes affectionately called "The Fitz") was vital to Great Lakes maritime commerce, setting haul records, causing it to become known as "The Pride of the American Side," a name referenced in Gordon Lightfoot's famous 1976 ballad, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." The freighter was also known by several other names, including "Toledo Express." Its captain, too, Ernest M. McSorley, spent some of his life in Toledo.
You can watch a WTOL 11 documentary on the Fitzgerald's sinking below. This video aired on Nov. 26, 1995.