News

Michigan Maritime Museum’s tall ship Friends Good Will Sails to Holland for 2024 Tulip Time Festival Tours

The Michigan Maritime Museum returns to Holland, Michigan for the 2024 Tulip Time Festival with tall ship Friends Good Will! Celebrate the iconic West Michigan festival by taking a dockside tour of this replica nineteenth-century vessel. The ship will be located in the heart of the spring festivities at the docks behind Boatwerks Restaurant Saturday, May 4 – Saturday May 11. 

Step aboard history as the ship’s crew gives you a complete tour above and below deck. Friends Good Will is a replica of a square topsail sloop built in 1811 for a Detroit merchant, which was captured by both British and American forces during the War of 1812. See for yourself where fur trade cargo was stored below and where the British mounted their naval guns on deck. Learn from the experienced captain and crew what it takes to sail and maintain a traditionally rigged tall ship, all while never leaving the dock! 

Since 2018, Friends Good Will has been an annual visitor to the Tulip Time Festival, welcoming aboard new friends from near and far. “We’re so proud to once again be part of the West Michigan lakeshore, especially with this being the 20th anniversary of the Friends Good Will and the 50th anniversary of the Museum” said Patti Montgomery-Reinert, executive director of the Michigan Maritime Museum. “We are extremely grateful for the generous support from Gull Lake Marine, our 50th Anniversary sponsoring partner, for making participation in events like Tulip Time possible”. These dockside tours prove to be more popular every year, so Museum staff recommend arriving early for the tours, which usually last 15-20 minutes once you’re on board. 

Tours are available 10 am – 4 pm daily, Saturday, May 4 through Saturday, May 11. Dockside tour tickets are $8 per person. To purchase tickets ahead of your visit, please go to MichiganMaritimeMuseum.org/events. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate, availability permitting. For more information about the Tulip Time Festival, please visit tuliptime.com

Event Details

Friends Good Will at Tulip Time

Date: May 4 – 11, 2024, 10am – 4pm daily

Location: Boatwerks Restaurant (216 Van Raalte Ave., Holland, MI 49423)

Cost: $8 per person. Tickets available online at MichiganMaritimeMuseum.org/events