Museum launches new temporary exhibit

        On Saturday, July 1, the National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) will welcome a new temporary exhibit titled “Two Men and a Boat: From Lake Erie to Puget Sound.”
        The exhibit explores the history and skilled work of small boat building through the story of two men, their extraordinary boat, and one incredible race.
        “So many individuals across the Great Lakes have a passion for building, sailing, paddling and motoring boats,” said Carrie Sowden, the exhibit’s curator and NMGL’s Archaeological and Research Director. “A journey over 70 miles in 48 hours within a human-powered vessel is an intriguing tale and became the fuel we needed to highlight the art and history of small boat building.”
        The temporary exhibit tells the story of Henry Billingsley and Ed Neal and their self-built wooden boat named TAMO.
        As a student at Columbia University, Billingsley fell in love with boating through the sport of rowing, and Neal had a lifelong passion for woodworking. Together, alongside the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland, they created a Whitehall-style boat with a unique sliding seat and then tested its skill in a fierce competition taking place cross-country in the Puget Sound.
        “Two Men and a Boat: From Lake Erie to Puget Sound” will be open during regular museum hours and available to view through Labor Day on Sept. 4. Exhibit admission is free for museum members and included with any museum admission purchase.
        Purchase same-day tickets at the door or in advance online at nmglstore.org. For more information, visit nmgl.org/events or call 419-214-5000.
        The National Museum of the Great Lakes is located at 1701 Front St., Toledo. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday noon-5 p.m.
        Admission is $17 (museum and ship) and $11 (museum only) for adults (18-64); $16 (museum and ship) and $10 (museum only) for seniors (65+); $14 (museum and ship) and $8 (museum only) for youths (6-17). Children 5 and under and GLHS/NMGL members are admitted free.
        For more information, visit nmgl.org or call 419-214-5000.