Museum Announces 2025 Christmas Tree Ship: Free Admission and Holiday Giveback
November 19, 2025 (Toledo, Ohio) – The National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) will host its annual Christmas Tree Ship event on Saturday, December 6, 2025. Presented by UToledo Health, with support from the Port of Monroe, the day features free museum admission for all visitors and marks the museum’s largest community giveback event of the year.
Inspired by the historic schooner Rouse Simmons—known as the original “Christmas Tree Ship”—the event blends holiday tradition with Great Lakes history. The community is invited to purchase a live 5–7 ft. Christmas tree for themselves or donate one to a community member in need. Trees, sourced from Matthes Tree Farm in Ida, Michigan, may be pre-purchased through Sunday, November 30, at 1 p.m.
NMGL also invites the community to purchase gift card donations, which the museum’s community partners will distribute:
- East Toledo Family Center
- Family House
- Lucas County Children Services
- Sylvania Area Family Services
Thanks to the generosity of UToledo Health, every tree or gift card donation will include a matching healthy hygiene kit provided to families in need. More details on how to donate can be found at nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship25.
“This event embodies who we are as a museum—not just a place that preserves, shares, and celebrates history, but a place that also uplifts our community,” said Sara Smith, Director of Institutional Advancement at the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
Event Schedule — Saturday, December 6
- 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. — Free admission to the National Museum of the Great Lakes
- 11:00 a.m. — East Toledo Holiday Parade
- 1:15 p.m. — Live Facebook stream of the tugboat delivering Christmas trees
- 1:30 p.m. — Santa arrives by tugboat at the museum with live trees
- 1:45–3:45 p.m. — Meet & greet with Santa inside the museum
Families in need of a donated tree may contact United Way’s Community Resource Advisors by dialing 211.
How to Participate
Purchase or donate a tree, purchase a gift card for donation, or learn more about the event at nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship25.
About the National Museum of the Great Lakes: The National Museum of the Great Lakes preserves, shares, and celebrates the past, present, and future of the Great Lakes story. As an interactive, experiential museum, we offer visitors the chance to explore thousands of years of history and stories through nine dynamic exhibit galleries—including a rotating temporary exhibition space—and two historic museum vessels, the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Museum Tug Ohio, plus the pilothouse of the storied St. Marys Challenger.
Founded in 1944 as the Great Lakes Historical Society, we have a long-standing commitment to education, research, and storytelling. Our initiatives include the publication of Inland Seas®, a quarterly journal of Great Lakes history since 1945 and decades of maritime preservation and archaeological exploration. Today, we strive to be the gathering place for Great Lakes conversations—welcoming all to connect with the stories, people, and innovations that have shaped and continue to influence this vital region.
WHAT: Christmas Tree Ship
WHEN: Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 10 am - 5 pm
WHERE: National Museum of the Great Lakes
1701 Front St., Toledo, OH 43605
ADMISSION: Free
MEDIA CONTACT: Ashley Streichert Lovejoy, 419-460-8181
###