STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – It’s billed as the tallest building in Door County, and it’s really starting to take shape.
The 10-story tall Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower is scheduled to be open to the public next spring.
The tower, located at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, is 118 feet tall and is scheduled to be complete this month.
“It’s been amazing to see this progress to watch the building go up,” said Sam Perlman, Door County Maritime Museum Deputy Director and Development Manager.
Perlman tells FOX 11 the tower will feature state-of-the-art interactive exhibits highlighting the area’s rich maritime industry, and history.
The company Southern Custom Exhibits out of Anniston, Alabama, was hired to get it done. The design crew arrived a few days ago, and started absorbing what Sturgeon Bay has to offer.
“Overall, the first impression was, wow,” said Derrick Palmer, Southern Custom Exhibits Project Manager.
Palmer tells FOX 11 the challenge is prioritizing what goes into the tower.
“When you look at the history, and the surrounding community, and commerce that’s going on here, it’s hard to put that all in one box.”
Museum leaders say the exhibits will be educational, but view from the top of the Baumgartner Observation Tower will be tough to top.
“We cannot be more excited to be able to share those views with everyone in the very near future,” said Perlman.
The project cost about $7.5-8 million.
The tower is scheduled to be open to the public in May of 2021.
