About the Organization

The Society for the Preservation of the S.S. City of Milwaukee was organized in 1985 to establish the carferry City of Milwaukee as a museum ship. Since that time, the Society has continued ongoing restoration and preservation of this historically significant carferry. Unable to obtain a suitable permanent site in Frankfort, the Society had the ship towed to Manistee in 2000, eventually moving to our current site along US 31. In 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Acacia was acquired and docked alongside the City of Milwaukee and since that time we’ve become known as S.S. City of Milwaukee and USCGC Acacia. In addition to the preservation efforts, our mission is to present and interpret the fascinating history of these significant ships to our visitors. Our activities include informative tours and exhibits, special events, sale of publications and mementos of historical nature, and assistance to researchers. Our funding is derived from individual memberships, gifts, grants, site rentals, tours, gift shop sales, and, more recently, the unique experience of overnight stays onboard the two ships. S.S. City of Milwaukee and USCGC Acacia is governed by a board of directors and is a private, nonprofit, tax-exempt, educational 501(c)3 organization.