Harbor Springs Area Historical Society

08/23/2026

Discover the role Fort Michilimackinac and northern Michigan played in the American Revolution! 🇺🇸 Register for our next Harbor History Talk on Thursday, Aug 27 to hear from Mackinac State Historic Parks Chief Curator Craig Wilson on how the British, French Canadian, and Anishnaabek residents of Michilimackinac navigated and participated in the war, and the lasting legacies of the Revolution in our area.

Advanced registration is appreciated, $15 per person. The talk begins at 5:30 pm on the second floor of the Harbor Springs History Museum. Register at the link below or call 231-526-9771. https://www.harborspringshistory.org/events/calendar/history-talks/northern-michigan-at-250.html

08/21/2026

The Historical Society is proud to once again be a stop on the Art Trail! We have a special photography exhibit on the main floor of the History Museum and quill work demonstrations inside the Andrew J. Blackbird Museum with Odawa artist Jacob Keshick.

Rain or shine, the Tunnel of Trees Art Trail is happening this Saturday!

Join us Saturday, August 22 from 10 AM–5 PM for a day celebrating local artists, creativity, and the beauty of the Tunnel of Trees.

Grab your friends, explore the trail, and come out to support local art! We’ll see you there!

08/13/2026

Curator Beth Wemigwase provides the historical narration for this fun cruise around Little Traverse Bay! Register at the ferry's website.

⚓ Last call for history on Little Traverse Bay!

📍***DEPARTS FROM PETOKSEY CITY MARINA

Don’t miss your final chance this summer to enjoy one of our popular narrated history cruises aboard the Harbor Princess!

This Sunday, local history expert Beth from the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society will take us back in time, sharing fascinating stories, local history, and fun facts about Harbor Springs and the communities along beautiful Little Traverse Bay.

📅 Sunday, August 16
⏰ 1:30–3:15 PM

Come for the views, leave knowing a little more about the people, places, and stories that make this area so special.

🎟️ Space is limited—get your tickets at littletraversebayferry.org!

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08/04/2026

📸 Happening TODAY (August 4)! Don't miss your chance to experience "A Century in Focus: Harbor Springs, 1880–1980."

Join us this afternoon at the Harbor Springs History Museum for an exhibit reception from 2–4 pm, featuring light refreshments and the opportunity to explore more than a century of Harbor Springs heritage through remarkable historic photographs.

Then, at 4 pm, curator Beth Wemigwase will present an illustrated history talk sharing the stories, research, and surprising discoveries behind many of the images and photographers featured in the exhibit.

There's still time to join us! Walk-ins are welcome, or you can register in advance by calling 231-526-9771 or visiting: https://www.harborspringshistory.org/events/calendar/programs/exhibit-reception-and-history-talk-a-century-in-focus-harbor-springs-18801980.html

07/31/2026

📸 What can old photographs tell us...?

Join us next Tuesday, August 4 for an exhibit reception and presentation celebrating our special exhibit, "A Century in Focus: Harbor Springs, 1880–1980" ... and find out!

Enjoy light refreshments during the reception from 2:00–4:00 pm, then stay for the history talk beginning at 4:00 pm. During this fully illustrated presentation, curator Beth Wemigwase will explore how photographs reveal the people, places, businesses, and everyday moments that shaped Harbor Springs over the last century.

$15 per person. Advance registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Whether you're a lifelong resident, a history enthusiast, or simply curious about the stories hidden in old photographs, we'd love to have you join us!

🎟️ Register online or call 231-526-9771: https://www.harborspringshistory.org/events/calendar/programs/exhibit-reception-and-history-talk-a-century-in-focus-harbor-springs-18801980.html

07/29/2026

For more than 50 years, the Little Traverse Sailors has introduced generations of local kids to the joy of sailing. ⛵

Join us tomorrow at 5:30 pm at the Harbor Springs History Museum for "Little Traverse Sailors at 50," a special Harbor History Talk exploring the organization's beginnings, its growth over the decades, and what lies ahead. Hear firsthand stories from longtime board members and sailors who helped shape this beloved community program.

🎟️ Register online or walk in! We'd love to see you there. Call 231-526-9771 to register of visit: https://www.harborspringshistory.org/events/calendar/history-talks/little-traverse-sailors-at-50.html

07/21/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended last weekend's 28th Annual Shay Days! 🚂

We were particularly thrilled to have visitors of the extended Shay family attend. Pictured next to the Shay Locomotive with their cousin Ephraim Shay (portrayed by Jim Russell) these Shay descendants visited Harbor Springs from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Montana and Minnesota.

A big thank you to our sponsors as well: Between the Covers, .bakery.hs, The Corner Grocer - Petoskey, Flowers From Sky's The Limit, Gurney's, HANNI gallery, Harbor Springs Market, , , Marianne Moffatt, The Outfitter, Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau and .

07/17/2026

🚂 Shay Days 2026 is underway! While we have moved many of the usually outdoor activities inside, we still have activities across all three of our sites - the Ephraim Shay Works Museum, Harbor Springs History Museum and Shay Park.

🗓 Stop by today and tomorrow (July 17-18) from 10 am - 3 pm to celebrate the life and work of Ephraim Shay.

Featuring: wood carving demonstrations, electric model train layouts, crafts, games, a change to meet Ephraim Shay himself and climb into the cab of our Shay Locomotive, live steam model trains and more!

07/11/2026

Mark your calendar for Shay Days, the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society's longest running event, celebrating its 28th anniversary in 2026.

This two-day family-friendly event focuses on STEAM education, highlighting the ingenuity, innovation and history of inventor Ephraim Shay. Shay lived in Harbor Springs from 1888 until his death in 1916. Famous for his patented, geared locomotive, Shay also designed Harbor Springs’ first city water works system, constructed a logging railway and built his iconic Hexagon House, now open as the Ephraim Shay Works Museum.

📍July 17 & 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ephraim Shay Works Museum, Harbor Springs History Museum and Shay Park in downtown Harbor Springs.