One of the Midwest’s finest attractions will be open to the public again this coming week.

That attraction is the Marquette Maritime Museum. This museum may be one of the best-kept secrets in the Upper Peninsula.

According to the museum’s website, it features exhibits on shipwrecks in Marquette and Lake Superior, early life-saving and the U.S. Coast Guard, the wrecks of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Henry B. Smith, and a 3-D breeches buoy exhibition.

All of these exhibits are a salute to maritime history, a big part of Marquette’s heritage.

The Marquette Maritime Museum, according to its website, also has one of the largest collections of Fresnel lenses on the Great Lakes. This includes a 4th order lens from the Marquette breakwater, the 3 1/2 order lens from the Huron Island Lighthouse and a 2nd order lens from the Stannard Rock Lighthouse — one of only five of the largest lenses used on the Great Lakes.

We know many people visiting the area will visit the museum this summer, but we hope local residents find the time to check it out, bringing the kids along, too.

The Marquette Maritime Museum opens for the 2022 season on Tuesday.

Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed on Mondays.

Lighthouse tours are at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Call ahead at 906-226-2006 to reserve a spot.

For more information, check out the website at mqtmaritimemuseum.com for more information on ticket prices and special events.