TOLEDO, OH – The National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL), in partnership with the Lake Erie West Regional Council (formerly TMACOG), announces the opening of a new micro exhibit, Lake Erie Starts Here: Northwest Ohio, on view May 1 through June 28, 2026. The exhibit is included with regular museum admission.
This collaborative exhibit highlights the connection between everyday actions in Northwest Ohio and the health of Lake Erie. Focusing on stormwater runoff, Lake Erie Starts Here illustrates how rainwater travels from 
neighborhoods into local streams and rivers before ultimately reaching Lake Erie – often carrying pollutants along the way.
Through accessible messaging and practical examples, visitors will learn how small changes such as proper fertilizer use, picking up pet waste, maintaining septic systems, reducing road salt, planting native vegetation, and keeping trash out of waterways can collectively make a significant impact on water quality.
“We are proud to partner with the Lake Erie West Regional Council to bring this important message to our visitors,” said Carrie Sowden, Director of Archaeology and Research at the National Museum of the Great Lakes. “Lake Erie Starts Here reinforces that the health of the Great Lakes is directly tied to the choices we make every day. This exhibit gives visitors clear, actionable ways to be part of the solution.”
Lake Erie Starts Here: Northwest Ohio offers a focused, timely look at environmental stewardship and complements the museum’s efforts to explore the past, present, and future of the Great Lakes story. It’s also the perfect pair to the museum’s current temporary exhibit, Currents of Change: The Living History of the Great Lakes, which explores the relationship between humans and nature in the region across centuries.
Find more information here.
National Museum of the Great Lakes
