Attractions - Lake Superior




Attraction Name Description
Apostle Islands Cruise Service Lake Superior is the largest body of fresh water in the world. A cruise among the Apostle Islands will leave you with a lasting memory of the pure beauty of the crystal clear water. Guided tours on each cruise describe the historical and natural resources of this unique, beautiful area. Join an A...
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Wisconsin's northernmost landscape juts out into Lake Superior as the scenic archipelago known as the Apostle Islands. The national lakeshore includes 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland Lake Superior shoreline, featuring pristine stretches of sand beach, spectacular sea caves, remnant old-growth...
Ashland Breakwater Light Early in the twentieth century, a lighthouse was needed to guide vessels in and out of the booming Ashland harbor. Shallow areas near the light also are a potential hazard to navigation and needed to be marked. Located on the west end of the approximately one and a half mile long breakwater out i...
Ashland Historical Society Museum A non-profit volunteer organization, the Ashland Historical Society promotes the appreciation and pride of community through a visual connection to the past. This mission is accomplished by collecting and preserving memorabilia, artifacts, stories, and traditions, as well as functioning as an edu...
Ashland Memorial Park Overlooking Lake Superior and the historic Soo Line Ore Dock, Ashland Memorial Park contains artifacts from the maritime logging days of Ashland. Sitting at the western edge of the park is a propeller from a mid-20th century rafting tug which towed pulpwood from parts of Minnesota and Canada to A...
Basswood Island Quarry Dock The Basswood Island Quarry, otherwise known as the Bass Island Brownstone Quarry, is located at the south end of Basswood Island. In 1854, a group of investors from St. Paul, Minnesota and Kentucky originally purchased the land on which the quarry eventually opened. Each of the four original inve...
Bayfield Commercial Fishermens' Memorial A tribute to the commercial fishermen of the Bayfield area, the Bayfield Commercial Fishermens' Memorial not only remembers those who have lost their lives at sea, but is also constructed from local maritime artifacts. Dedicated in 1981, the Memorial sits on the Bayfield docks and looks out over ...
Bayfield Heritage Center The Bayfield Heritage Association (BHA), founded in 1974, opened the Bayfield Heritage Center in 2003. A historical museum and research facility, the Bayfield Heritage Center provides a venue for the BHA to schedule regular exhibits and programs. The programming highlights the facets of Bayfield'...
Bayfield Historic Waterfront Maritime Trails Maker Historic marker that celebrates the Bayfield waterfront's rich history. Located at the corner of 1st Street and Wilson Ave. at the entrance to the Madeline Island Ferry Dock.
Bayfield Maritime Museum BAYFIELD MARITIME MUSEUM - Presenting 150 years of Bayfield's maritime heritage! The Bayfield Maritime Museum features hands on demonstrations and commercial fishing and boatbuilding exhibits, as well as exhibits on lighthouses, sailor crafts, shipwrecks, and much more!!
Big Bay State Park Located in the Apostle Islands on Madeline Island, the park features picturesque sandstone bluffs, lake caves and 1.5 miles of Lake Superior shoreline. A family campground, including walk-in campsites, hiking and nature trails, and 1.5 miles of sand beach await visitors.
Devils Island Lighthouse Devils Island is the northernmost point in Wisconsin. First lit in 1901, the white iron tower at the northern end of the island is topped with a third-order Fresnel lens and continues to this day to be an active aid to navigation. Within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Devils Island is ac...
Early Vessels Maritime Trails Marker The Ojibwe tell of the origins of their birchbark canoe: The spirit Winneboujou was searching for his mother. He did not know that she had become a spirit to be with his father, the West Wind. Winneboujou was told that a large fish swallowed his mother while she was walking along Lake Superior. H...
Hermit Island Brownstone Quarry Dock The Excelsior Brownstone Quarry, owned by Fredrick Prentice of the Prentice Brownstone Company, operated on Wilson Island, or Hermit Island, from 1891 to 1897. The remains of the quarry are located on the northeast side of the island. In the 1850’s, a trader with the Hudson Bay Company working fo...
La Pointe Lighthouse Lighthouse located on Long Island in Lake Superior and is one of the oldest skeletal lighthouses on the Great Lakes.
Lucerne Buoy Lying in about 20 feet of water, the shipwreck site is easily accessible by boat. Lucerne is a popular shipwreck for beginner divers, and remains mostly intact with machinery remaining. The site is marked with a seasonal Wisconsin Historical Society shipwreck mooring buoy, allowing boats to tie u...
Lucerne Maritime Trails Marker About 200 yards off Long Island, in 20 feet of water, lies the wreck of the Lucerne. In her day, the three-masted wooden schooner was one of the largest and sturdiest vessels on the Great Lakes. The barometer indicated good weather when the Lucerne left Ashland the night of Nov. 15, 1886. The big...
Madeline Island Historical Museum Founded in 1958 by several inhabitants of the island, the Madeline Island Historical Museum is today maintained by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Exhibits of rare and one-of-a-kind artifacts, most of them found on Madeline Island or one of the surrounding islands that dot Chequamegon Bay, illu...
Michigan Island Lighthouses Lying within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Michigan Island has two lighthouses; the old lighthouse, built in 1857, as well as the new lighthouse built in 1929. Although no regular ferries service the island, Michigan Island is accessible by private boat in the summer. A dock on the sout...
National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Spread out over a four-building connected complex which surround lush gardens and giant sculptures of fish, the National Freshwater Fishing Museum is a truly unique Wisconsin maritime attraction. The highlight of the museum complex is a landmark 'Shrine to Anglers,' contained in a gargantuan conc...
Noquebay Buoy Lying in about 15 feet of water, the shipwreck site is easily accessible by boat or kayak. Noquebay is a popular shipwreck for beginner divers. The site is marked with a seasonal Wisconsin Historical Society shipwreck mooring buoy, allowing boats to tie up directly above the site while protecting...
Osaugie Waterfront Trail The five mile long, asphalt-paved, Osaugie Waterfront Trail meanders past the one of the busiest harbors on the Great Lakes, passing several historic maritime sites. Beginning at the trailhead situated at the Superior and Douglas County Visitors Center, hikers and bikers head southeast past Super...
Outer Island Lighthouse The northeastern limit of the Apostle Islands, the remote Outer Island lighthouse was built in 1874 and remains an active aid to navigation. Sitting atop a 40-foot bluff, the white brick tower offers an incredible view over Lake Superior. Situated just within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshor...
Port Wing Heritage Hall Newly constructed in 2001, the Port Wing Heritage Hall is a local history resource center, as well as the home of the Port Wing library. The museum features exhibits on the area's history, mainly focusing on the local lumbering and commercial fishing industries. Photographic displays of local fis...
Pretoria Buoy Lying in about 55 feet of water, the shipwreck site is easily accessible by boat. Pretoria is a popular shipwreck for beginner divers, and the lower hull of which remains mostly intact. The site is marked with a seasonal Wisconsin Historical Society shipwreck mooring buoy, allowing boats to tie u...
Raspberry Island Lighthouse The Raspberry Island lighthouse was built in 1863 on the southwest side of Raspberry Island in Lake Superior's Apostle Islands. The lighthouse is open seasonally, with guided tours available. The lighthouse keeper's residence has period furnishings and historic artifacts. The island is accessible...
S.S. Meteor Maritime Museum Designed by Captain Alexander McDougall and launched in Superior, the 336-foot Meteor is the only remaining whaleback steamer. Built as the bulk propeller Frank Rockefeller in 1896, the name was changed to South Park in 1927 and to Meteor in 1943 when it was converted to a tanker. The ship became...
Sand Island Lighthouse The Sand Island lighthouse, located in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, sits on the western most major island. The light was first lit in 1881 and continues to be an active aid to navigation. This lighthouse is unique in that it is the only one in the Apostle Island built of brownstone. Th...
Sevona Buoy Lying in about 25 feet of water, the shipwreck site is easily accessible by boat. Sevona is a popular shipwreck for beginner divers. The site is marked with a seasonal Wisconsin Historical Society shipwreck mooring buoy, allowing boats to tie up directly above the site while protecting the shipwr...
Sevona Maritime Trails Marker About 4 miles from here lies the wreck of the Sevona, one of the largest carriers on the Great Lakes when it was launched in 1890. She was originally named the Emily P. Weed. When the Sevona departed Superior's Allouez ore docks on the evening of September 1, 1905, the skies showed no sign of an ...
Soo Line Ore Dock Construction of the Ore Dock began in 1916. Originally constructed at 900 feet in length, a 1,925 addition brought the dock to its present length of 1,800 feet. At 80 feet high by 59 feet wide, it is the largest concrete structure of its kind. Iron-ore mined in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was...
Stockton Island Brownstone Quarry Dock Quarrying operations took place on Stockton Island, or Presque Isle, in 1871, and then again from 1886 until the fall of the brownstone industry in 1897. The Ashland Brownstone Company operated the main quarry on the island from the spring of 1886 through the end of 1897. The remains of the quarr...
Washburn Historic Waterfront Maritime Trails Markers Washburn's waterfront walking trail runs from Thompson West End Park to Washburn Marina. Once a bustling industrial waterfront, Washburn's Lake Superior coastline today offers visitors beautiful vistas of the Lake and the natural surroundings of Chequamegon Bay. Hints of the town's rich maritime ...
Washburn Historical Museum The 1890's Brownstone building that houses the Historical Museum is a beautiful museum piece in its own right. The historic venue also contains the city's Cultural Arts Center. The museum features local history, including a wonderful collection of the area's maritime history. This collection incl...
Washburn Waterfront Walking Trail Washburn's waterfront walking trail runs from Thompson West End Park to Washburn Marina. Once a bustling industrial waterfront, Washburn's Lake Superior coastline today offers visitors beautiful vistas of the Lake and the natural surroundings of Chequamegon Bay. Hints of the town's rich maritime ...
Wisconsin Point Light (Superior Entry) Built in 1913, this Douglas County lighthouse is unique in that its base is oval in shape, while the concrete light tower is round. The structure is supported by a foundation secured in the lake bottom. Positioned at the west pierhead entrance to Superior Harbor at the western end of Wisconsin Po...
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