Tall Ships in town for Harbor Fest

MARQUETTE — Marquette’s Lower Harbor has been a popular place to be all week long and that will certainly continue into the weekend.

Three ships are currently docked at the park as part of Harbor Fest.

The El Galeon, Pride of Baltimore II and When and If are all parked in Marquette through the weekend. At one time, When and If belonged to General George Patton.

The ship has been around since 1939. One of the other boats, the El Galeon, is an authentic wooden replica that was once part of Spain’s West Indies fleet.

These large, wooden structures that sail around the world bring people of all ages together.

“I think seeing these big ships in port is tremendous,” said Marquette Historian Fred Stonehouse. “It gives people a sense of adventure, a real thrill of imagining where these ships have gone and what they’ve done, the history they represent.”

“The Pride of Baltimore II was right in the thick of the War of 1812, literally the scourge of the British Fleet was its extreme clippers that came out of Baltimore,” Stonehouse added.

“The great Spanish Galeon, so reminiscent of the ones that sailed the Spanish Main. In more modern times, think in terms of the film The Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Tours of the El Galeon and Pride of Baltimore II are available throughout the weekend. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children.

You can also take a ride on the When and If for $50. This may be the only time that these ships ever come to Marquette.