South Haven Lighthouse

05/23/2026

Today’s the day! Join us at 6 p.m. for a great evening as we host our annual Open House and membership drive kick-off from 6:00-9:00 at Forest House in downtown South Haven.

Our open house begins at 6:00 with themed cocktails and light
hors d’oeuvres, followed by a special program at 7:30 presented by Keith Howard — “Prohibition Era Brewing in Southwest Michigan” — an exploration of the rich history of pre-prohibition brewing in Michigan. Keith will reveal newly discovered facts about some of the first brewers in the area nearly 200 years ago and we will learn how “local option” brought an end to the era in 1915.

Keith Howard is a digital preservation specialist at the Kalamazoo Public Library and a former instructor of business communication and information technology at Western Michigan University. He is a two-time WMU graduate with a passion for exploring and documenting local history, as well as a postcard collector and writer.

05/22/2026

Come hang out with us at the Forest House tomorrow from 6-9. Hors d’oeuvres, special drinks , great new Chez D speakeasy merch and an interesting program!

05/20/2026

Just a couple more days until the big weekend! Make sure to stop by!

05/18/2026

Yay! The official start of summer in South Haven is this Memorial Day Weekend. You won’t want to miss the festivities in Saturday evening at the Forest House. Make plans to participate now!

05/16/2026

05/13/2026

Join the Historical Association of South Haven as we host our annual Open House and membership drive kick-off on Saturday, May 23rd from 6:00-9:00 at Forest House in downtown South Haven.

Our program this year features Keith Howard, who will present “Prohibition Era Brewing in Southwest Michigan”. This will be an exploration of the rich history of pre-prohibition brewing in our corner of Michigan. Keith will reveal newly discovered facts about some of the first brewers in the area nearly 200 years ago and we will learn how “local option” brought an end to the era in 1915.

Keith Howard is a digital preservation specialist at the Kalamazoo Public Library and a former instructor of business communication and information technology at Western Michigan University. He is a two-time WMU graduate with a passion for exploring and documenting local history, as well as a postcard collector and writer.

Our open house begins at 6:00 with themed cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres. The program will start at 7:30. Please plan to join us at Forest House - 313 Center St. - for an evening of entertainment!

04/21/2026

Today’s the day! See you at the hoosegow, or should we say Hartman School at 7 pm!

04/19/2026

Tuesday’s the day…get all the info on the historic slammers, coolers, joints, and pens in Michigan with this fascinating program!

04/17/2026

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Tuesday night!

04/15/2026

Join the Historical Association of South Haven on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00P for a fascinating evening of true crime with local author, Tobin T. Buhk as he presents, “The Clink: Inside Michigan’s Historic Jails”.

This program will be a deep dive into Buhk’s latest book which details the historic buildings that housed Michigan’s prisoners. From the front, they resembled fashionable estates, complete with ornate facades and turrets – but behind the stately doors were cell blocks crowded with prisoners, ranging from chicken thieves to serial killers. The sheriffs’ deputies who guarded them were an equally colorful cast. Using archival photographs and diagrams, Buhk will lead a guided tour of these forbidden places and introduce the characters who populated these intriguing buildings.

A native of Grand Rapids, Tobin Buhk received his master’s degree in English from
Michigan State University and a master’s degree in education from Western Michigan. The program is free and open to the public.

04/12/2026

Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader, it was discovered that we made a fairly important mistake in the newsletter.

HarborFest will be celebrated on not on June 13th and 14th at Forest House as written, but on June 20th and 21st. The “Sneak Peek” inside the South Haven Lighthouse on June 20th from 11:00 a.m 3:00 p.m.

Please make a note so as not to miss all the activities and accept our apology for the error!