The Door County Maritime Museum is filled with educational exhibits, historical photographs, and interactive opportunities for visitors to savor history, and by offering sensory backpacks and other tools, exploring the museum is now more enjoyable and accessible for all. 

Sensory backpacks are available at both Sturgeon Bay and Death’s Door museums, and can be checked out at no cost from the Visitor Services desk. They contain items such as headphones and single-use ear plugs, sunglasses, a visual timer, sensory maps, communication cards for non-verbal guests, and a variety of fidgets including marbles, Pop Its, Tangles, and stretchy worms.

“They help people, not even necessarily just kids, who might feel anxious in spaces that they’re unfamiliar,” said DCMM’s Program Manager, Andrea Stromeyer, “we have multiple sizes of backpacks, some with prints and some without, to include adults as well as children and everyone in between.”

Guests can also utilize a range of other sensory helping tools available at the museum including the Bloomberg Connect app. The app offers expanded audio and video exhibit content, allowing users to comfortably explore the area. The free app is accessible on a visitor’s personal device and allows them to see the same content as everyone else, in real time.

“We want guests to feel empowered to navigate the world as autonomously as possible,” added Stromeyer, “we want them to experience the gallery while they’re in the gallery and the Bloomberg Connect app really allows that to happen.”

As a way to interact and focus on one task at a time and to ease anxiety, the museum also offers complimentary Bingo cards for visitors to play along and locate different items in the exhibits. Next season, activity backpacks for guests who need a little bit more engagement will also be introduced at the Cana Island museum, and descriptive visual tours will launch in 2026. 

Photo Credit: Door County Maritime Museum