Thanks to your generosity, the Door County Maritime Museum reached a major fundraising milestone this week with the Jim Kress Maritime Tower.

The museum raised over $9.2 million for the capital campaign for the tower, which includes an observation deck and nine floors of interactive exhibits highlighting the area’s maritime history. After a christening of the tower last May, the museum has seen a significant increase in attendance and welcomed visitors to its second-floor shipwrecks exhibit and its seventh-floor navigation exhibit last month. The capital campaign for the tower officially began six years ago, but the genesis of the tower began close to a decade ago. Door County Maritime Museum Deputy Director Sam Perlman says it is a tremendous accomplishment made possible by the community.

Two state grants and donations from the George F. Kress Foundation, John Baumgartner, and David G. Hatch helped the museum reach its goal. A grand opening celebration is planned for May. Perlman added that the next big task is to get the museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.