National Museum of the Great Lakes announces 5,000 sq. ft. expansion, new mission at Lucas County commissioners meeting

The National Museum of the Great Lakes unveiled a nearly finished expansion and a new mission to position Toledo as a regional hub for Great Lakes education and conversation, Katie Finsky, the museum’s executive director, told the Lucas County Board of Commissioners on March 25.

Finsky said the project adds about 5,000 square feet of space, including a Great Lakes Community Education Center, temporary-exhibit space and additional permanent-exhibit area. She said the museum drew more than 30,000 visitors last year from more than 30 countries and 50 states, and that roughly 60% of members and visitors live outside Lucas County.

The new mission expands the museum’s purpose from “preserve and make known the history of the Great Lakes” to “preserve, share, and celebrate the past, present and future of our Great Lakes story,” Finsky said. The museum also announced five core values — leadership, partnership, sustainability, inclusivity and education — and plans to host a State of the Museum event on April 22 in its new education center.

“Education is at the core of every single thing we do,” Finsky said. “We want to make our space the space where Great Lakes conversations happen.”

Finsky told the commissioners the museum’s operating budget has grown from about $300,000 when it was in Vermilion to roughly $1.6 million this year, with a five-year growth target near $2.2 million. She said the museum receives no ongoing annual operating support from local, state or federal government; last year the museum received a one-time operating gift from the Lucas County Commissioners to support the transition into expanded operations.

The museum director described partnerships with Destination Toledo and Victory Cruise Lines, and said the museum will place exhibits aboard the cruise line’s Great Lakes vessels and provide training for onboard interpreters described in the presentation as “Lake Laurians.” She also highlighted accessibility efforts, including a Museums for All program that allows visitors with SNAP benefits to use EBT for free admission, and monthly sensory-friendly mornings for people with autism.

Commissioners thanked Finsky, noting the museum’s role in tourism and local economic activity. “You are putting heads in beds,” one commissioner said, referring to the museum’s out-of-county visitation and overnight stays. Commissioners encouraged continued partnership-building and said the museum’s location on the Maumee River helps centralize Great Lakes activity in Toledo.

The museum director invited commissioners and the public to the April 22 State of the Museum event and said staff recently received access to the new staff space as final touches on the expansion are completed.

Votes at the meeting that directly referenced the museum were limited to the commission’s earlier operating gift; no additional county funding or formal approvals for the expansion were requested during the presentation.