Michigan History Center

Michigan History Center Explore stories of Michigan people from the time of ancient inhabitants to the late 20th century. Discovery never ends at the Michigan History Center!
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Enjoy a variety of exhibits, programs for teachers and students, and activities and events for all ages. The Michigan History Center includes the Archives of Michigan and the Michigan History Museum, the flagship of our 12-site Michigan History Museum System. Located in downtown Lansing, the museum features more than 25 galleries of permanent exhibits, special exhibits and a three-story-high topog

raphical map of the state. The Michigan History Center fosters curiosity, enjoyment and inspiration rooted in Michigan's stories. We constantly seek new ways to provide opportunities for experiences that spark curiosity. We are as enthusiastic about the as-yet-untold stories of Michigan as we are about tales of Father Marquette of 19th-century lumberjacks. We are committed to providing opportunities for all people to see themselves as they experience our exhibits, our collections and our programs.

Calling all homeschool families! Our fall program is all about the history of mining for copper and iron in Michigan's U...
09/03/2026

Calling all homeschool families! Our fall program is all about the history of mining for copper and iron in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Join us on Tuesday, Oct. 6, or Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Michigan History Museum. Enjoy hands-on history with interactive activities geared towards grades K-5. This program is specially designed to be engaging and educational across a wide age range.

Each program costs $5 per student aged 3 and up. One adult per family group is free to attend. Registration is required. More information, including registration links, can be found on our 'field trip' page under the homeschool programs tab: https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/museums/mhm/school-programs/

Heads up! The Michigan History Museum (Lansing) and the Michigan Iron Industry Museum (Negaunee) will be closed from Sat...
08/31/2026

Heads up! The Michigan History Museum (Lansing) and the Michigan Iron Industry Museum (Negaunee) will be closed from Saturday, September 5, through Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day. We hope everyone has a safe holiday weekend!

LAST DAY to register for the 2026 Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering on Saturday, September 12! The Michigan Histor...
08/27/2026

LAST DAY to register for the 2026 Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering on Saturday, September 12! The Michigan History Center and Michigan Freedom Trail Commission's annual gathering is on the road again - join us at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek.

With the theme of "Battle Creek and Beyond", the all-day event will feature presentations about the prominent Underground Railroad network in Battle Creek, as well as stories of freedom seekers, rescues and liberation. From 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., participants will have plenty of opportunities for learning and networking. Visit our website to learn more about the presentation topics!

Registration is required and costs $15. Lunch will be provided. Register before it's too late at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-heritage-gathering-tickets-1993866263668?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwY2xjawT8G6FwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMVF2OUhaUllOcXJwejIxVFdzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeV5DFf4eDh7uwvcWtwWMsMRDUjwVEhStHuthDjXdW90GDTIRgXTA_lJegKLg_aem_RucbeT-4ubfcjeCizxUk9Q.

Are you interested in becoming a part of a dazzling group that helps share the stories of Michigan's rich past? Become a...
08/25/2026

Are you interested in becoming a part of a dazzling group that helps share the stories of Michigan's rich past? Become a volunteer docent at the Michigan History Museum! Our volunteer docents enhance the visitor experience by sharing their love of history.

We are hosting a Volunteer Informational Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. here at the museum. This meeting will allow you to ask our volunteer coordinators questions and learn more about the opportunities we have. If you are interested in joining after the meeting, you can register for the New Docent Training on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, please visit our website at https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/about/volunteer.

Save the date! Michigan Archaeology Day returns to the Michigan History Center on Saturday, October 24, 2026. This excit...
08/24/2026

Save the date! Michigan Archaeology Day returns to the Michigan History Center on Saturday, October 24, 2026. This exciting annual event is your chance to talk with archaeologists about investigations and artifacts that tell the story of 14,000 years of Michigan history!

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., archaeologists and experts in related fields will be stationed throughout the first and second floors of the museum where they will tell you about their research, show you some artifacts they have found and answer your questions. Plus, there will be many hands-on activities. More itinerary details to come on October 1!

This all-ages annual event is free, and parking is too.

This event is sponsored by the Michigan History Center-DNR and is hosted in partnership with the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office and Colonial Michilimackinac.

When freedom seekers traveled through Kalamazoo County, they knew they could count on Dr. Nathan and Pamela Thomas for h...
08/20/2026

When freedom seekers traveled through Kalamazoo County, they knew they could count on Dr. Nathan and Pamela Thomas for help — their antislavery reputation was widely known.

Dr. Thomas was the county’s first physician and one of Michigan’s most active participants in the Underground Railroad. Originally from the abolitionist-founded Quaker town of Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, Dr. Thomas assisted fugitives even before he built a home at this site in 1835. Pamela Brown Thomas married Dr. Thomas in 1840 and was an equally strong contributor to the antislavery cause.

Learn more about this couple's story at the 2026 Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering! Register today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-heritage-gathering-tickets-1993866263668?aff=oddtdtcreator .

Have you registered for the 2026 Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering yet? The annual gathering is on the road again ...
08/14/2026

Have you registered for the 2026 Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering yet? The annual gathering is on the road again this year, hosted at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek on Saturday, September 12.

Many people may know the story of Erastus and Sarah Hussey of Battle Creek, abolitionists known for their aid of freedom seekers, just as they may have heard the case of Adam and Sarah Crosswhite in Marshall, a well-known success story of escape. One of the sessions, "Beyond the Crosswhite Case: Reframing Underground Railroad Narratives in Marshall and Battle Creek," will examine the Underground Railroad histories in both Battle Creek and Marshall—two nearby communities that, despite their proximity, developed very different Underground Railroad narratives. Sarah Desmet, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in history, history of art and museum studies, will present the session.

A special shoutout to Sarah, who worked as intern for the Michigan History Center and the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission in 2024! During her internship, she wrote and submitted the National Park Service Network to Freedom nomination for Erastus and Sarah Hussey. The nomination was successful and the site of the couple's former home and store is now listed on both the Network to Freedom and the Michigan Freedom Trail.

Register for the gathering today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-heritage-gathering-tickets-1993866263668?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwY2xjawTsCNFwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWcyTk5Td3paMzJCWHYwd1dzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeTd3Z76mXmOxwJwNvPufxeRzFSKPOVxk7r7CohBsYMJpWZVsI40OsM6ePA4c_aem_CLKqh-b3WdNhxz6rVSuPzw.

Have you visited the Michigan History Museum's 2026 special exhibit, Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic, yet? Don't wai...
08/13/2026

Have you visited the Michigan History Museum's 2026 special exhibit, Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic, yet? Don't wait too much longer, it's only available through November!

Art meets history in this new exhibit. It showcases more than 100 black velvet paintings, on loan from Diana Rivera, Elena Herrada and Minerva Martinez, that were hand painted in Mexico or by Michigan artists. These paintings tell the story of a thriving community making do with what is available. For many Michigan Latinos, they evoke feelings of beauty, nostalgia and family.

These paintings use velvet instead of canvases or paper as a painting surface. While the paintings vary, their hallmark is the dark background that helps the colors pop.

The unique pieces, made in workshops throughout Mexico, hit their height of popularity in the 1960s and 70s as tourist souvenirs. As a result, many of them share subject matter that appealed to tourists, such as bull fights, American celebrities and southwest landscapes.

Plan your visit to the museum today at https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/museums/mhm.

08/07/2026

Did you know that Tawas Point Lighthouse turns 150 years old this year? Kick off this anniversary with us by visiting the lighthouse this weekend! Plus, check out a free Lee Murdock concert here at Tawas Point State Park tomorrow, August 8, from 7-9 p.m. Happy National Lighthouse Day!

08/07/2026

Thanks to our friends at the United States Coast Guard Air Station in Traverse City for the flyover! Our National Lighthouse Day celebration continues until 5 today. Come check it out!

Address

702 W Kalamazoo Street
Lansing, MI
48915

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+15173352573

Website

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