Event
Heroes of the Storm
Fee:
Free. Free. All programs are free with a valid park entrance pass. Passes may be purchased at the Phillip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, Michigan, and cost $25 (per vehicle) for seven days, $45 for an annual Sleeping Bear Dunes pass, or $80 (or less) for the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands pass series. Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/fees.htm.Location: LAT/LONG: 44.907435, -86.034479
Program will take place in the green space between the Maritime Museum and the Boathouse.
Repeating Event
Days:
Every week on Thursday
Dates:
June 19, 2025 to July 31, 2025
Time:
3:00 PM
Duration:
1 hour
Type of Event
Cultural/Craft Demonstration
Living History
Description
Step into the boots of a US Life Saving Service surfman! Sleeping Bear Dunes needs you—especially kids—to help practice the Beach Apparatus Drill.
The Beach Apparatus was a land-based rescue method used by the US Life-Saving Service. A small cannon sent ropes out to a sinking ship, creating a zip-line from the ship to the shore. The apparatus saved thousands of lives nationwide, including here in the Manitou Passage.
Join the demonstration to help "fire" a kid-powered Lyle Gun and rescue victims from a "shipwreck". No experience necessary—just a sense of adventure! Perfect for families, kids, and anyone curious about Great Lakes Maritime history. Arrive a few minutes early—drills begin on Thursday at 3 pm sharp.
In past years, after the demonstration, a replica Lyle gun was fired on the beach using a black-powder charge. This firing will not occur in 2025. National Park Service historic weapons demonstrations can only be conducted by a certified Historic Weapons Supervisor. Sleeping Bear Dunes is currently without a Historic Weapons Supervisor.
Reservation or Registration: No
Contact Information
Sleeping Bear Interpretive Team231-326-4700 Ext. 5005
Image Gallery
NPS Photo