Guardians of the Great Lakes honors the US Coast Guard for their tireless vigilance on the Great Lakes. Guests will be able to learn about what the Coast Guard does, about challenges facing the Great Lakes, and about what each of us can do to join in helping the Coast Guard as a Guardian of the Great Lakes.

Guests can interact with a game while learning the missions of the US Coast Guard. There are mix-and-match blocks for identifying existing uniforms or creating your own zany combinations of wearables complete with a key to help recognize rank insignia. A weather wall allows guests to control the interior weather, cause a blizzard (sound only), a thunderstorm (complete with lightning), and even make a rainbow. Above the weather wall, guests will find a representative cross-section of the Grand Traverse Bay taken approximately at the 45th parallel. Check out how deep the water is and how tall the peninsula is, and then move on to the water tank to experiment with waves. For those who want to know more about the watercraft seen on the Great Lakes, there are mix-and-match boat-building blocks complete with sails and smoke stacks. And… who wouldn’t want to try their hand at flying a Coast Guard helicopter (even if it’s only imaginary).