Little Traverse History Museum

09/01/2026

St. Francis church had an interesting talk about their stained glass windows on Monday night. The design was done by Emil Frei & Associates, Inc. and the windows were paid for by the McManus family, Margaret Bontecou, and several of the various church societies. The windows were installed in August 1913 by William Kerwin.

08/31/2026

If you are interested in art or the Civil War, you won't want to miss our program Tuesday, September 1 at 4:00. We'll be talking to experts at the Smithsonian American Art Museum about paintings, photographs, and sculptures that depict the war. Can't make it in person? Let us know and we'll send a link!

08/30/2026

Did you go to the fair this year? We have some interesting items from fairs over 100 years ago in our collection. Did you know you can make an appointment to visit our research library and see what's in our archives? We'd love to show you our fair collection, or anything else that interests you!

08/29/2026

This snapping turtle tried to visit Big Sam today, but now it's headed back to the river. Big Sam is actually only ⅓ of the original rock, which was found near the public boat ramp near the Bear River in 1970 by Howard Dow. Big Sam weighs 94 pounds and was donated to the museum in May, 1978.

08/28/2026

New on the Director’s Blog: Welcome to LTHS - whether you’re a visitor, a family researcher, or just fascinated by Victorian clothing, extinct birds, or steamships, there’s something here for you. We’re digitizing photos and print materials (including a gorgeous 1902 Emmet County plat map) so you can explore our collections online.

Read more and plan your visit: https://wix.to/loHMP3Y

What would you like us to digitize next? Tell us below! 👇🗺️📷

08/28/2026

We have free admission today! Thank you to our sponsors, the Petoskey High School Class of 1961, who would like to wish a very happy birthday to Lynnet Johnson!

08/26/2026

Did you know that today is Women's Equality Day? It commemorates the certification of the 19th amendment. Sisters Minnie Rosenthal and Zilla Goldstein were leaders in the Emmet County Woman Suffrage movement. You can learn more about them here: https://www.petoskeymuseum.org/historicalpeople

08/26/2026

We're excited about our upcoming virtual program with the Smithsonian American Art Museum. We'll be learning about art from the Civil War era. For this free program, you can join in person at the museum or let us know you'd like to join from home and we'll share a link. This is an exclusive program just for us! Tuesday, September 1 at 4:00.

Zoom to the Smithsonian American Art Museum to explore Civil War art.

08/25/2026

Our website is down for a short time while we transition to our new site, but the museum is open and ready for visitors!