by Contributor | April 14, 2023 6:00 am
OSWEGO – Oswego’s history with its beautiful lake will come alive again as the H. Lee White Maritime Museum’s Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival returns Saturday, May 20. The event is free of charge and takes place from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at[1] the museum at the end of West First Street Pier.
This family-friendly event will feature tours of historic ships and a dockside tour of the WWII Tug LT-5, reduced-price tours of Oswego’s iconic lighthouse (weather permitting), the unveiling of a new addition to the museum’s gallery, new boats for sale on display, children’s activities including the Happy Pirates, and more.
“This festival kicks off the summer boating season and is a great time to reconnect with our community’s long history as a major port on Lake Ontario. We’ve put together a day that’s full of great tales of days gone by, up-close tours of various boats and ships and entertainment to remind us all of our deep connection to the water. It’ll be a fun day and I encourage everyone to come,” said Mercedes Niess, Maritime Museum Executive Director.
The stars of the show will be the opportunities to tour the schooner Ontario and Derrick Boat 8 as well as the dockside tour of the LT-5 and the Eleanor D. Tours of the Oswego Lighthouse will be offered, weather permitting.
The Ontario is a replica of an 1850’s-style topsail schooner, currently being refitted to be certified for youth and adult sail training and educational programming.
The Eleanor D. was the last U.S. commercial fishing boat on Lake Ontario, used for decades to supply fish to Oswego’s famous Cahill’s Fish Market.
The tug LT-5 served heroically during World War II, playing a key role in the crucial Normandy landing and later assisting maintenance and construction projects until its retirement in 1989. The dockside tour will highlight preservation efforts underway for the tug.
The Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse, built in 1934, remains an active lighthouse. Tours will be available at a discounted cost of $15 for adults and $5 for children between the ages of 5-12 years old. Visit the Museum’s website to purchase your tickets. Tours last approximately 30-40 minutes. Rules and suggestions for tours can be found at https://hlwmm.org/pages/oswego-lighthouse-tours[2].
The H. Lee White Maritime Museum will be open during the event for free visitation.
The Museum is located in Oswego’s Historic Maritime District at the end of the West First Street Pier. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $6 for teens, with children ages 12 and under admitted free. Hours are daily 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. with expanded hours of 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. during July and August.
For more information, visit www.hlwmm.org [3]or facebook.com/hlwmm[4] for upcoming events or call (315) 342-0480.
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/lake-ontario-waterfront-festival-returns-to-bring-oswegos-maritime-history-alive/
Copyright ©2026 Oswego County Today unless otherwise noted.