Michigan History Center

Leave the present behind and join our Future Historians youth as costumed interpreters from the summer of 1870 at Fort Wilkins!

The Future Historians, made up of students from the Upper Peninsula, will tell visitors about life at Fort Wilkins, play games and demonstrate typical tasks that kids may have done while living there.

This summer, you'll have multiple opportunities to see these extraordinary kids in action: July 27-29, Aug. 4-7 and Aug. 11-14.

Learn more about the program: https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/museums/miim/school-programs.

Our friends at the Archives of Michigan are hosting a full-day, hands-on workshop series designed for staff and volunteers at local government offices, local history organizations, museums and libraries that care for archival records. Learn more below ⬇️

Does your office maintain historical public records? Does your library, museum, or historical society care for archival collections? Do you care about Michigan’s history and want to help protect it when natural disasters put these records a risk? Join us to Save Michigan History!

Registration is now open for a full-day, hands-on workshop series designed for staff and volunteers at local government offices, local history organizations, museums, and libraries that care for archival records. With instructors from the Northeast Document Conservation Center leading the workshops, attendees will learn valuable strategies on disaster preparedness, mitigation, and salvage recovery.

Upon completion, attendees may also join a cohort of “cultural heritage emergency responders.” The Archives of Michigan will oversee and manage this volunteer cohort, fostering communications and maintaining a network that can be “activated” in times of need.

Seats are limited, so register soon! For more information, visit: https://www.michigan.gov/archivesofmichigan/events.

Looking for an indoor activity to do with family and friends this summer? Beat the heat with a visit to the Michigan History Museum!

Take a step back in time and learn about the rich history of our state. The museum offers a chronological journey through Michigan's past, starting with Michigan's first people, the Anishinaabe, and ending in the mid-20th century. Exhibit highlights include a walk-through mine, 1920s street scene and one room schoolhouse. Plus, visit the museum's 2026 special exhibit on the first floor, Black Velvet: A Rasquache Aesthetic, which explores the history of Black Velvet paintings.

Plan your visit today at https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/museums/mhm!