Leelanau Historical Society Museum

08/28/2026

⚓ A huge thank you to our 2026 Maritime History Festival Sponsors!
Their generous support helps us create a dynamic and exciting festival for our community while furthering our mission to celebrate and share Leelanau’s maritime history, past and present!
Be sure to join the fun!
📅 Saturday, September 12 | 10 AM–3 PM
📍 Along the Leland River | 203 E. Cedar St | Leland, MI
⚓ Classic wooden boats & classic car show by Van’s Garage, live Great Lakes music, history, exhibits, family activities & more
🎟️ Free! All are welcome!

08/19/2026

⚓ The 4th Annual Leelanau Maritime History Festival returns to Leland’s waterfront on Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring the family and celebrate Leelanau’s dynamic maritime history.

Enjoy the 21st annual JIm Wenstrup Wooden Boat show, vintage cars hosted by Van’s Garage, live Great Lakes music by Lee Murdock, a history program about speedboat legend Gar Wood, outdoor exhibits, a scavenger hunt by the Leland Library, meet regional organisation working to preserve water and maritime heritage, also enjoy free museum admission and more.

📍 203 E. Cedar St., Leland
🎟️ Free and open to all ages

Learn more at leelanauhistory.org/maritime-history-festival.

Thank you to our Festival Sponsors:
👨‍✈️ Captain Level: Vans Garage
⚓️ First Mate Level: Lynn & Bruce Dunn, Peninsula Provisions MI, Harmony Estate Wineries of Leelanau, Biggs Construction.
⛴️ Deckhand Level: Leelanau Classics, Duffield Lane, Leland Yacht Club Foundation.

08/06/2026

Join the Leelanau Historical Society Staff down at the Port Oneida Fair this Saturday! 10-4pm

08/06/2026

Join the Leelanau Historical Society at the Port Oneida Fair! This Friday & Saturday | Aug 7th & 8th | 10-4pm | Port Oneida Rural Historic District.

We can be found at one of the 4 farm sites (Kelderhouse Farm). Enjoy live music, historical demonstrations, traveling exhibits, hands on activities and more!

We want to thank the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore & Sleeping Bear Forever for hosting this amazing living history fair. All images in this reel were taken at previous festivals.
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Please note the Leelanau Historical Society staff will be down at the Fair on Saturday so the museum in Leland will be closed. Hope to see you there!

Be sure to visit the link in our bio for the link to our events page for more details.

07/29/2026

Whatever you use as your “coffee table” this summer, be sure to stop in the Museum Gift Shop and stock up on the newest books! 📚 ✨ Shop in person Tuesday-Friday 11-4pm, Saturday 10-2. Or shop online. https://leelanauhistory.square.site/

Featured booked in reel:
📖 Glen Arbor Township, A History to 1920
📖 Leelanau Underwater
📖 Beyond the National Parks, In All 50 States
📖 Frederick W. Dickinson, Sleeping Bear Dunes Pioneer Photographer
📖 Stepping Off The Boat, Stories from North Manitou Island

07/29/2026

Don't miss the next couple concerts at the Save the Poor Farm Barn, a project of Leelanau Co. Historic Preservaton Soc. Next one is tonight!

We have an updated concert lineup. Go North! has been rescheduled for August 29. We look forward to seeing you on July 29 for André Villoch and Friends. Bring a picnic, bring a friend of your own!

07/21/2026

Join us for an evening with one of the nation’s leading historians.

Building a Nation in the Aftermath of Revolution: The Northwest Ordinance and the Creation of New American States. FREE Lecture.

📅 Wednesday, July 22
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Leland Public School Performing Arts Center

As America marks its 250th anniversary, explore the laws that shaped the young nation—and the profound impact they had on Indigenous peoples and the future of the American West. Harvard historian Philip J. Deloria will examine the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and other foundational legislation, revealing both the ambitions and contradictions of the early United States.

Deloria is the Leverett Saltonstall Professor of History at Harvard University and one of the country’s foremost scholars of American Indian history and culture. His acclaimed research and award-winning books have transformed our understanding of the relationships between Indigenous peoples and the United States.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear a nationally recognized scholar right here in Leelanau County.

07/15/2026

Due to an unexpected air conditioning failure at the venue, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Frontier to Freedom film screening. We are exploring options to reschedule the program and will share additional information as it becomes available. Thank you for your understanding. If you have already purchased a ticket, please check your email.

Thursday Screening CANCELED - Due to an unexpected air conditioning failure at the venue, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Frontier to Freedom film screening. We are exploring options to reschedule the program and will share additional information as it becomes available. Thank you for your understanding. If you have already purchased a ticket, please check your email for more information.

07/15/2026

Thursday Screening CANCELED - Due to an unexpected air conditioning failure at the venue, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Frontier to Freedom film screening. We are exploring options to reschedule the program and will share additional information as it becomes available. Thank you for your understanding. If you have already purchased a ticket, please check your email for more information.