The Detroit Historical Society is kicking off a yearlong observance of the 50th anniversary of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum this weekend.

The events begin Saturday with a symposium for maritime enthusiasts at the museum on Belle Isle featuring author Robert Schultz. His books include "We Were Pirates," and he'll talk about the submarine USS Tambor.

Other highlights of the celebration include a museum birthday party July 24.

The museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting the legacy of the Great Lakes. It opened July 24, 1960 on the former site of the Maritime Museum of Detroit, which for seven years was aboard a wood schooner.

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Detroit Historical Society: http://www.detroithistorical.org