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Historical Attractions in Southeast Michigan
Music, barns, art, cars, arcades and more! Here's the Metro Parent family guide to the best museums and other spots where kids and parents can get a taste of history.
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Wolcott Mill Metropark Historic Center
- Address: 64162 Kunstman Road, Ray Township
- Phone: 586-749-5997
- Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday
- Admission: Fees vary/programs
Ever visited an 1840s mill? The one has ground grains till about 44 years ago. Take a look at the relics over at the barn museum, including a restored Model T dump truck, before you explore the adjoining working farm and hiking trail at this spot that's on the National Register of Historic Places.
City of Wayne Historical Museum
- Address: One Town Square, Wayne
- Phone: 734-722-0113
- Hours: 1-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday; by appointment Monday-Thursday
- Admission: Free
Formerly the Village Hall, this spot also served as a police station, fire station, junior achievement offices and the chamber of commerce before being restored to its original condition. These days, visitors will find more than 100 displays including extensive early maps, documents and photos, as well as display of the Civil War, industry school and early home and village artifacts.
Historic Fort Wayne
- Address: 6325 W. Jefferson Ave., Detroit
- Phone: 313-628-0796
- Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday April through October; otherwise, tours year-round
- Admission: Free when open; guided 1.5 hour walking tours are optional for $3; parking is $5
Visitors can walk through the 83-acre fort that served the U.S. Army for more than 100 years. The reservation was used as an induction center for Michigan men and women serving in America's military for every conflict of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Today, the Detroit Parks and Recreation Department and volunteers of the Historic Ford Wayne Coalition are working to restore the site.
Mill Race Historical Village
- Address: 215 Griswold Ave., Northville
- Phone: 248-348-1845
- Hours: Buildings: 1-4 p.m. Sunday, till Oct. 16. Grounds: dawn-dusk, daily.
- Admission: Free; event prices may vary
These 19th-century Victorian buildings, set on 12.5 acres, preserve the architectural styles popular in the area. Visitors can get an up close look at an inn, blacksmith shop, school church, gazebo, wooden bridge and interurban station giving them a taste of a time gone by.
Witch's Hat Depot Museum and Historic Village
- Address: 300 Dorothy St., South Lyon
- Phone: 248-437-9929
- Hours: 1-4 p.m. Thursday and Sunday. Varies for special events. Tours by arrangement.
- Admission: Free
This historic village is nestled in McHattie Park, featuring six buildings of turn-of-the-century vintage. Explore a decked-out 1926 caboose, 1930s-era chapel and one-room Washburn School, circa 1907.
Saline Depot Museum
- Address: 402 N. Ann Arbor St., Saline
- Phone: 734-944-0442
- Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and by appointment; for group tours, call ahead for reservations
- Admission: Free
Without its railroad depot, Saline may not have prospered as a town. In its heyday, the complex included more structures, but today visitors can see the station agent's room, freight room, furnished caboose and livery barn along with a restored Eclipse Windmill.
