Wisconsin Maritime Museum
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is a maritime museum founded in 1968 as the Manitowoc Maritime Museum to ensure that the maritime heritage of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, U.S., and the Great Lakes would not be forgotten. Since it opened its doors to the public in 1969 the Museum has become home to one of the nation's most extensive collections of Great Lakes maritime history, original artifacts and nautical archaeology.
The Museum was founded by former submariners and civic leaders who wanted to bring a World War II submarine to Manitowoc to commemorate the role the city played in building submarines and supporting the war effort. In 1970, the United States Navy donated the USS Cobia to the museum, which is the same type of submarine constructed in Manitowoc during the war. The Cobia, permanently berthed in the Manitowoc River adjacent to the museum, hosts thousands of visitors each year.