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Touring the USCGC Acacia in Manistee

Step Aboard a Great Lakes Legend

If you love exploring ships, history you can touch, or uniquely Northern Michigan attractions, the USCGC Acacia deserves a spot on your itinerary. Docked in Manistee next to the historic SS City of Milwaukee, this former Coast Guard cutter offers visitors the chance to walk the decks of a real working vessel that served the Great Lakes for more than 60 years.

What Makes the Acacia So Special?

The Acacia isn’t a replica or a display—it’s the real thing. Built in 1944, she spent decades tending buoys, breaking ice, rescuing stranded ships, and responding to emergencies.

Even better? Much of the ship remains intact, giving visitors an authentic look at Coast Guard life aboard a Great Lakes cutter.

What You’ll See Onboard

A visit to the Acacia is a hands-on experience. Highlights include:

The Bridge

Stand where officers navigated ice-filled waters, storms, and nighttime rescues.

Crew Quarters

See where sailors lived during weeks-long missions on the lakes and beyond.

Engine Room

Explore the diesel-electric system that powered the ship for thousands of miles.

Buoy Deck

The heart of the operation, where massive navigation buoys were lifted, repaired, and redeployed using a 20-ton boom.

Icebreaking Bow

Up close, you can see the reinforced steel designed to crush thick lake ice.

A Ship That Did It All

Though officially a buoy tender, Acacia was a jack-of-all-trades. She:

Maintained hundreds of navigational aids
Broke ice to keep shipping lanes open
Rescued stranded vessels and crews
Assisted in oil spill containment
Helped stock Lake Michigan with trout
Served missions in the Caribbean

Few museum ships can claim such a wide range of service.

Perfect for Families and History Buffs

Because the Acacia is part of a larger museum complex, visitors can easily pair their visit with a tour of the SS City of Milwaukee—a former railroad car ferry. Together, the two ships offer a full day of exploration and learning.

Kids love the ladders, tight passageways, and massive machinery. Adults appreciate the stories, craftsmanship, and sheer scale of the vessel.

Plan Your Visit

The SS City of Milwaukee / USCGC Acacia Museum is typically open seasonally from late spring through fall.

Visitors can enjoy:

Self-guided tours
Guided history tours
Educational programs
Special events
Unique venue rentals

📍 Location: Manistee, Michigan
⏰ Best Time to Visit: Summer and early fall

Why It’s Worth the Stop

Northern Michigan has no shortage of beaches and trails—but attractions like the USCGC Acacia are rare. It’s not just a museum; it’s an experience that lets you step inside the working history of the Great Lakes.

If you’re exploring Manistee or planning a Northern Michigan road trip, make time to climb aboard.

Marisa Fancy along with her husband and four children dreamt of moving “Up North”. They had vacationed for years in northern Michigan and in 1995 they finally made the move.

The family was always out exploring, but with 4 kids there was some limitations on what they could do. Marisa discovered the amazing network of trails in Northern Michigan after Steve died and she would walk for miles. The trails provided her with peace, comfort and solitude at a difficult time in her life. Later, after meeting Guy who would become her second husband, she learned to golf and found another passion she could enjoy in beautiful Northern Michigan.

Marisa has been the family historian, writer, and poet for as long as she can remember. She has always loved to write and has now found a creative outlet for it other than family. You can read her articles in Adventures in Northern Michigan, Northern Michigan History and Golf Up North.