Alpena Shipwreck Tours
Alpena Shipwreck Tours
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Explore the shipwrecks of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The crystal clear waters and our large ‘glass bottom’ viewing wells allow you to dive the wrecks – without getting wet. During our 2 hour cruise you will experience the magnificently preserved shipwrecks and the scenic shorelines of Thunder Bay. Learn the exciting tales of many famous ships and the history, legends and lore of Lake Huron.
Alpena Shipwreck Tours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
199 reviews
Excellent
140
Very good
36
Average
11
Poor
5
Terrible
7
Shalee G.
Wyoming, MI7 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
I can’t believe I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life and not done this! Cheap price for a fun 2-2 1/2 experience. Funny, informative guides who answered any questions. But also didn’t talk so much that it was annoying.
Shipwrecks were easy to see. And so beautiful.
If you are in Alpena during the summer time, it’s a must do.
Covid update: they require masks and it was easy to keep distance for others with the decreased capacity.
Order tickets ahead of time online.
Shipwrecks were easy to see. And so beautiful.
If you are in Alpena during the summer time, it’s a must do.
Covid update: they require masks and it was easy to keep distance for others with the decreased capacity.
Order tickets ahead of time online.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elizabeth S
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
The crew of the ship was amazing. The views were fantastic. Trust me when I say you do not want to miss this tour. It is so amazing being able to see one hundred-year-old shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Huron. Thank you for an amazing tour. (The Student Driver).
Written August 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beacher P
Midland, MI14 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
I had excellent day viewing shipwrecks. It was a beautiful day. The ship's captain provided much information about what we were seeing and was very friendly. The water was very clear, and the water was smooth. They made sure that everybody saw the shipwrecks. The people on the top deck would rotate with people on the bottom deck where the viewing wells were.
Written September 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
smerk44
Leesburg, VA62 contributions
Sep 2021 • Friends
This tour is billed as an opportunity to see old ship wrecks in Lake Huron thru a glass bottom boat. It was a total disappointment. We saw only 2 shipwrecks and they were just a bunch of wooden boards. There was nothing discernible that resembled a boat. And the guide rambled on incessantly about outlandish stories I think he made up which really took away from an otherwise peaceful boat ride.
Written September 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LCL19
Michigan21 contributions
May 2021 • Friends
I went on this tour yesterday and was beyond disappointed. The sound system didn’t work, couldn’t hear any of the history about Thunder Bay. To make it worse, we were in the boat for almost three hours and only saw two shipwrecks the whole time. Thunder Bay has 160 known wrecks. We saw two in three hours! Lastly, the young man trying to be the tour guide was a power hungry fool. Horrible experience, waste of time and waste of money! Everyone on the boat was playing on their cell phones.
Written May 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rick M
1 contribution
Aug 2021
Absolute waste of money. 8-11-21 morning tour. 2 plus hour boat ride. 1 I repeat 1 shipwreck stop less then 8 minutes. claimed the weather was too rough for any more. really....... not too rough to take my money that morning... my 2 children were very disappointed.
Written August 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ray R
Grand Rapids, MI81 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
Great place to visit while in Alpena. We got to see 4 shipwrecks while on the tour. Great staff on board, very friendly. The museum is nice and they have a great little gift shop. The National Maritime Heritage Trail has great informational signs about many of the shipwrecks in Thunder Bay.
Written July 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Walker H
Portland, OR57 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
Unique tour to see wreck remnants, not really recognizable as intact ships. The glass-bottom boat is an easy way to glimpse what divers in the area scout out, and makes for a nice afternoon on Lake Huron. Be aware that getting to and from the actual shipwreck sites takes up the majority of the two-hour time frame. Crew was friendly and entertaining, and offered up some bits of history.
Give yourself extra time too for the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, at the tour’s departure site, to get more context of shipping trade and disasters in “Shipwreck Alley.” Admission to the museum is free.
Give yourself extra time too for the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, at the tour’s departure site, to get more context of shipping trade and disasters in “Shipwreck Alley.” Admission to the museum is free.
Written August 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Twinky
Markle, IN32 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
After taking a shipwreck tour on Lake Superior earlier in the week, the family was excited to check out another tour on a different body of water. Ticket purchase was smooth and boarding of boat was straight forward. After a short boat ride out to the first site, it became apparent that this viewing would pale in comparison to our Lake Superior tour. The only real similarities would be the boat ride part of it. Clarity of the structures under water was poor at best. We were all very disappointed. Our narrator mentioned that we would be seeing extra sites on our trip because conditions were great. I can't imagine going on the tour during poor conditions. If you are looking for a boat ride on the bay, it may be worth your time and money. If you are looking for shipwrecks, look elsewhere.
Written August 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DebiThomas1
Traverse City, MI78 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
Recently 19 family members ages 1-81 participated in the ship wreck tour on Thunderbay . The original tour was canceled due to weather and we rebooked on the afternoon tour.
The images were unique and viewed through the glass boat bottom. The first wreck could be viewed from the top deck once the rain picked up the entire group was inside the lower level. It was a bit crowded and cumbersome to view the glass.
The captain and crew were pleasant and Narrator Chuck has unique wreck and Alpena history committed to memory.
There were a number of older tour group people on the tour and many stayed seated bringing us to suggest the group consider viewing screens be installed. At least one would have shown those folks the views. We used an iPhone to capture images to show to our 81 yr old dad as the boat did encounter some swells, as is to be expected on Lake Huron
We're glad we took the tour and found it a good value for the $30.00 ticket price for adults. We did think the children's ticket price was steep and wonder if that is to discourage young passengers.
We would book the trip again and hope for better weather.
The images were unique and viewed through the glass boat bottom. The first wreck could be viewed from the top deck once the rain picked up the entire group was inside the lower level. It was a bit crowded and cumbersome to view the glass.
The captain and crew were pleasant and Narrator Chuck has unique wreck and Alpena history committed to memory.
There were a number of older tour group people on the tour and many stayed seated bringing us to suggest the group consider viewing screens be installed. At least one would have shown those folks the views. We used an iPhone to capture images to show to our 81 yr old dad as the boat did encounter some swells, as is to be expected on Lake Huron
We're glad we took the tour and found it a good value for the $30.00 ticket price for adults. We did think the children's ticket price was steep and wonder if that is to discourage young passengers.
We would book the trip again and hope for better weather.
Written August 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
