Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale coming to the Michigan Maritime Museum!

The Michigan Maritime Museum’s Steamship Lecture Series continues with
a screening of the award-winning documentary, Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale at the
Maritime Heritage Center on Wednesday, February 15, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. After the screening,
filmmaker Aaron Schillinger will join virtually from across the state for a Q & A with the audience.
Whether or not you had the chance to ride these iconic boats yourself, you’re sure to enjoy this
fascinating look at their history and potential restoration!
When Ste. Claire and SS Columbia sounded their whistles, every Detroit kid knew it
heralded the coming of summer and the magic of ferrying over to nearby Boblo Island
Amusement Park. In 1993 Boblo Island tragically shut down, and the boats were left to ruin.
Mirroring Detroit's decline and resurgence, two teams of people doggedly attempt the
restoration of these iconic vessels as the city stands in the midst of a grass roots renaissance.
SS Columbia is presently owned by a New York-based nonprofit endowed with grants and
employing experienced nautical preservationists, leaving Ste. Claire as Detroit's last vestige of
Boblo Island. Claire's fate rests in the hands of an unlikely band of heroes: a doctor, a psychic,
and an amusement park fanatic. Martha Reeves, the Motown legend with a lilting voice,
narrates this revelatory fable-doc that’s full of heart and hard truths about a challenging
restoration and the intoxicating ways that nostalgia can inspire and blur memories.
“The film has been receiving such incredible accolades since it premiered and inspiring
so much interest in these ships, we knew we wanted to bring it to South Haven,” said Ashley
Deming, Director of Education and Administration. “We’re thrilled Aaron can join us to talk about
the creative process behind its creation!” Like the other events in the Museum’s 2022-23 lecture
series, this look into the history of Great Lakes passenger steamships complements the new
exhibit, Full Steam Ahead.
Tickets are free for museum members and $10 for non-members. For more information
about the Museum’s events, please visit https://www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/events/. For
more information about the film, please visit https://www.bobloboatsfilm.com/.