Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domainAn iron-hulled steamer lost in Lake Michigan in 1929 with nine dead, now a NRHP-listed dive site linked to Kenosha ghost lore
Lake Michigan (6.5 mi SSE of Kenosha), Kenosha, WI 53140
Research updated June 2026
Age
18+ (scuba diving; ghost tour all ages)
Cost
$$
Scuba charter boats depart from Kenosha Harbor; prices vary by operator. Lakeshore Pedal Tours ghost tour includes the site.
Access
Limited Access
Open water dive site at 90–130 feet depth; not accessible without scuba certification and charter boat
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1881 · National Register of Historic Places · Great Lakes Maritime History · Lake Michigan Shipwreck · Kenosha County History
The SS Wisconsin was built in 1881 as an iron-hulled package freighter working the Great Lakes trade routes. For nearly five decades the vessel carried cargo along the lake routes connecting Wisconsin ports to Chicago and beyond, a workhorse of the inland freshwater shipping system that predated reliable rail connections along the western lakeshore.
On the night of October 29 into October 30, 1929 — the same week as the stock market crash that opened the Great Depression — the Wisconsin was caught in a severe northeasterly gale on Lake Michigan. The storm overwhelmed the vessel approximately 6.5 miles SSE of Kenosha. The ship sank with the loss of nine crew members.
The wreck settled in 90 to 130 feet of water, a depth range accessible to advanced scuba divers but beyond recreational limits. The site remained largely undisturbed through the decades following the sinking, and the combination of depth, cold freshwater, and limited diver traffic preserved the vessel's structural integrity.
In 2009, the SS Wisconsin was added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its historical significance within Great Lakes maritime history. The NRHP designation carries legal protection against artifact removal. Today the wreck is a documented dive destination accessed via charter boats from Kenosha Harbor.
Sources
The nine crew members who died aboard the SS Wisconsin in October 1929 occupy a specific place in Kenosha's ghost lore. The loss happened close to shore — 6.5 miles is visible coastline distance on a clear day — and the event was not an abstraction to the city's residents. Local witnesses watched the storm build and knew the Wisconsin was on the water.
Lakeshore Pedal Tours, which operates a bicycle-based ghost tour through Kenosha's historic district, includes the SS Wisconsin as a named stop. The tour connects the 1929 deaths to broader reports of unexplained phenomena along the city's lakeshore, particularly on nights with weather conditions similar to those at the time of the sinking — northeasterly winds, rough water.
Reported phenomena associated with the site include figures observed near the harbor on clear nights, unexplained sounds during lake storms, and a general unease described by visitors walking the waterfront near the wreck's approximate bearing. The accounts are impressionistic rather than documented by investigators, consistent with a site where direct access requires specialized equipment and open-water conditions.
The SS Wisconsin wreck lies in 90 to 130 feet of water approximately 6.5 miles SSE of Kenosha. Advanced open-water divers can access the wreck via charter boat from Kenosha Harbor. The NRHP designation means the wreck is legally protected; artifact removal is prohibited.
Lakeshore Pedal Tours includes the SS Wisconsin among its ghost tour stops, covering the 1929 sinking and the nine lives lost. The tour departs from downtown Kenosha.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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