William G. Mather Steamship Museum

On Friday, we visited the William G. Mather Steamship Museum in Cleveland. We had a fairly large group attend and were split into smaller groups of around 10 to tour the ship. The ship is a wonderful example of Cleveland history.

Through every doorway, you are carried back to the days when the ship was in its heyday, and so was Cleveland. There is the bridge, where the children learned about how the ship was controlled and were given a chance to turn the wheel. We walked through the Captain's quarters, which were decorated in a 1920s style as were the guest's quarters. The number of antiques is intriguing. A visiting/living room has a 1970s feel, but with a few older pieces thrown in. The guest's dining room is especially elegant, a true surprise on such a rough and rugged vessel. It suggests a different time, a time when the dichotomy between the classes was accepted and expected. Next door, we went in the officer's dining room, which had been rebuilt after a fire in the mid-80s.

We seemed to have an all-access pass, although I know that with 618 feet of ship, we couldn't have seen everything. There were a lot of very steep staircases. My 2 year old climbed up them well, but required help going down. She is a bit adventurous, so I had to keep an eye on her around the railings. The other children seemed to enjoy the ship also. They were especially intrigued by a photo album explained to us by George Yaworsky, a steward who served on the Fitzgerald, other merchant ships, and possibly the Mather as well. (sorry, I missed that info) The views from the deck were amazing. We were blessed by beautiful weather.
The end of our tour came with a small demonstration of knot-tying. Many of the children watched and attempted to learn a new skill. Also, their website contains a good amount of educational material to accompany the visit.

The cost was $4.00 per person, which was quite economical, especially considering the care and personal attention I felt we were given. There is parking right on the dock in front of the ship. It costs $8.00, which is comparable to other lots in the area, and you can walk to other nearby attractions if you stay there.