Marking the 50th Anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald Shipwreck: Memorial Events & More
Would you like to save this full guide?
We'll email this article to you, so you can come back to it later!
It has been almost 50 years since the SS Edmund Fitzgerald met its tragic end on Lake Superior, taking the lives of all 29 of its crew members. As with every year, there will be anniversary memorial services to commemorate the shipwreck and remember those lives lost on November 10, 1975. However, some of these will be extra special for this golden anniversary in 2025.
See also: 13 Things You Didn’t Know About the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Below, we’ve gathered information about all of the 50-year anniversary memorial services we could find. While many of them are sold out for in-person attendance, you may still be able to view and participate in the events online.
New Fitzgerald Song Cover and Video
If you just can’t wait to honor the tragedy that was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, you can start now with a new cover of the famous song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot. On October 27, 2025, singer-songwriter Jerry Popiel released a new, officially licensed cover and video on YouTube to commemorate the shipwreck and crew members.
Staying true to the original, Popiel performed all of the track instruments — acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, steel guitar, and drums — as well as the vocals, putting it all together at his Cleveland, Ohio, home.
The video, (filmed in Asheville, North Carolina) features rare footage of the search and rescue case file, including “search overlays and damage photos” that were taken by remotely operated marine vehicles.
In a statement accompanying the release, Popiel said:
“I’ve served onboard ships and boats during many storms on the Great Lakes, and Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and I remember the uneasy feeling of the vessels battling green water over the bow, steel shuddering immensely, and taking rolls big enough to throw you out of your bed, all while being seasick. Certainly, whatever the crew of Edmund Fitzgerald faced and felt was far, far worse than that. An impassioned lap steel slide guitar solo, in particular, testifies to that seasick feeling along with moments of heartfelt choir voices that conjure up the men’s collective peril and release from this world.”
Watch and listen to Popiel’s rendition, and let us know what you think in the comments:
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
A special service for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald is always held at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point — the Graveyard of the Great Lakes. For the 50th anniversary, though, the museum will be holding two services: one public and one private.
The public service will be held on November 10 at 2 p.m., and the museum will be closed and the grounds cleared to create parking, which will still be limited. Check the forecast before going and prepare for November’s volatile weather because there won’t be any seating or shelter.
The private service will be held later that night, at 7 p.m., and only the families of the lost Fitzgerald crew members will be allowed to attend. However, members of the public will be able to view the evening ceremony via a livestream link that will be available on the museum website and its social media pages.
Check the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube pages for updates.
Dossin Great Lakes Museum
The Detroit Historical Society has organized a weekend of events at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle to mark the SS Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck. Starting November 7, a discussion will be held with Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On November 8, walk-in tours of the museum’s Fitzgerald will be led by docents and curators, and visitors will be able to learn more and purchase merchandise from the Great Lakes Maritime Institute. A special radio broadcast will be held at DeRoy Hall with the Livonia Amateur Radio Club, alongside a new, pop-up exhibit.
On November 9, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum will host the first Maritime Brunch, which has already sold out. It will include a menu of what was served on the Fitzgerald, and the guests will get to hear from experts about the ship and its demise in a new film premiere.
On November 10, the Detroit Historical Society will host its annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is also sold out already. It will start at 6 p.m. with a lantern vigil and include a performance by Lee Murdock, a Wreath Ceremony, and the screening of the new Fitzgerald film, ending by 8 p.m. with the bell ringing and playing of Gordon Lightfoot’s song.
Mariners’ Church of Detroit
At the Mariners’ Church of Detroit, the public can participate in three separate events over the weekend before November 10. The schedule starts on November 7 with a special evening tribute to the SS Edmund Fitzgerald at 6 p.m.
This tribute will include Gordon Lightfoot’s song performed by Mike Fornes, who will also talk about the time he has spent with the family members of the lost crew and first-hand accounts of the shipwreck. You can purchase tickets ahead of time here.
On November 9, the Mariners’ Church of Detroit will host a Great Lakes Memorial Service at 11 a.m. in remembrance of all the crewmen who have been lost on these waters. A special tribute will be made for the 50th anniversary of the Fitzgerald as well.
On November 10, the church will ring the bell again for a special anniversary eucharist service. Everyone is invited to attend the worship service to reflect on the tragedy.
The Library Network and Great Lakes Historian Fredrick Stonehouse
To memorialize the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck, The Library Network is holding two events: a virtual zoom event on November 5 at 6:30 p.m. and an in-person lecture on November 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan.
Both events will honor the ship’s sinking while delving into the tragic event in a discussion led by Frederick Stonehouse, the author and maritime historian who wrote “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” You can register for the virtual Zoom event or in-person lecture ahead of time.
Fitzgerald Anniversary Memorial Services Outside of Michigan
You don’t have to be in Michigan to join a Fitzgerald memorial service or event. If you happen to be traveling, some other locations on the Great Lakes will be holding ceremonies or special tours to honor the lost souls.
The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, will be providing guided tours of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker to give visitors an idea of the challenges that the Fitzgerald crew members faced. The tours will start every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It will also host:
- Fitzgerald Beer Launch and Dinner at Quenched & Tempered Brewery on November 7
- Booking signing by “The Legend Lives On: S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald” author Christopher Winters on November 8
- Tribute concert by Gordon Lightfoot’s daughter, Meredith Moon, at the Valentine Theater on November 9
- “A Good Ship and Crew Well Seasoned: The Fitzgerald and Her Legacy” screening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 10
- Guest panel with people personally connected to the ship and a ceremony at 6 p.m. on November 10
The Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul will have its Annual Memorial Beacon Lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse on November 10 at 4 p.m. Although tickets to the in-person ceremony are sold out, you can still view it via the livestream, which you can access here.
The historical society has also organized a free panel discussion — The Enduring Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald — with authors and experts. It will be held on November 20 at the Minnesota History Center at 6:30 p.m., and tickets are still available. If you can’t make it in person, though, you can watch the livestream on YouTube.
The University of Wisconsin-Superior will be hosting a special lecture as well. On November 8 at 4 p.m. in the Jim Dan Hill Library, you can listen to renowned shipwreck historian Ric Mixter talk about the shipwreck. The lecture will include a musical tribute and a Q&A session as well.
Learn More About the SS Edmund Fitzgerald
You don’t have to attend or watch a commemoration ceremony to learn more about the tragic fate of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Check out our deep dive on the sinking of the ship, including some things you didn’t know about the wreck and a list of the crew members lost.