Give your kids a history lesson they don’t know they’re taking. From cannon firings to dressing in soldiers’ clothing to a walk through history, kids will learn as much here as they would in a classroom.

Guided tours of the Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin Great Lakes Museum. StoryLiving presentations by professional storytellers are also available. StoryLiving presentations cover either the Underground Railroad or the Great Fire of 1805.

The Ford House offers a number of programs. The first is a Michigan History Tour which is guided tour of the grounds and an informative lesson on how the land and resources of Michigan were used at different times and by different people.

Another program is Making it Work: The story of the Staff at Gaukler Pointe. In this program students will learn about the staff at Gualker pointe who helped the Ford Family along with the push-pull factors affecting immigrants in the 20th century.

The next program is Detecting Details: Discovering Architecture at Ford House. In this students will explore the design of the Ford house while learning how Edsel and Elanor's vision helped the architect merge modern with traditional architecture.

Another program is Connecting with History: Edsel and Elanor Ford House iTouch Tour. This tour allows students to experience the Ford family and house in a way never before seen.

The final program is Water Qualitative Monitoring Program. The Ford house is offering students the unique opportunity of testing water on their 3,000 feet of coastline and a discussion on what makes a healthy environment in this program.

The mission of the Ella Sharp Museum of Art & History is to promote the understanding and appreciation of art and history through exceptional exhibitions, interpretation of historical buildings and engaging educational programs. The Ella Sharp Museum offers a full slate of educational programming including lectures, school and community out-reach, field trips, tours, gallery walks, and free community events.

The Ella is a great place to bring tour groups! We can adapt your tour to accommodate specific interests, ages, and group sizes. Groups (15 or more) are asked to contact us at least two weeks in advance to set up a tour. There are many ways to create the perfect visit for your group. You will definitely want your visit to include a guided tour of Hillside Farmhouse and time for your group members to visit the historic buildings, galleries, and gift shop on their own. "Add-ons" may include a slide presentation on Ella and the Merriman-Sharp family (for adults) or a "Make & Take" activity (for children).

Depending on your interest, we can also include gallery walks, tours of our other historic buildings, gallery games such as "I Spy," or farmhouse tours geared to a special interest (such as historic textiles or Victorian life).

The Ella offers specific field trips for school children. These programs include Pioneer Living, Early Michigan Festival Days, Interactive Tours for Early Elementary, and Specialized Tours. Please visit our website for more information.

The Discovery Field Trips are self-guided and allows the students and their chaperones to experience the museum at their own pace. Groups are greeted by a field trip facilitator and will provide a short overview of the current exhibits and other important information.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum has numerous programs that use the museum to educate children in history, immigrants and diversity, social studies, and local communities. Also available is a carousel and a planetarium.

Self-guided tours of the Whitefish Point Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters (1861), Shipwreck Museum gallery featuring Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit, Naval Radio Station building with theater and United States Coast Guard Surfboat House (1923). Tower Tours available for the first time in 2011, and an additional fee (directly supports tower restoration) applies.

Once a center for local government, a grand old building in the heart of Harbor Springs is now a center for local history. Welcome to the Harbor Springs History Museum located in the former city hall building on Main Street. Our museum not only serves as the new home to the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society, it also features exhibits documenting the unique history of this area.

Leading a journey beginning with our first residents, the Odawa Indians, our exhibits escort visitors through time stopping to visit with missionaries, homesteaders, loggers, downtown merchants and resorters. With the arrival of each of these groups, whether by foot, horse, canoe, steam ferry, train or automobile, a connection was made with this place. And with each of these connections, another chapter in our history was written.

Heritage Village, operated by the Mackinaw Area Historical Society, portrays life in the Straits area from 1880 - 1917. Half and full day visits are offered. Docents interpret the facilities which include a one-room school, Mackinaw City's original pestilence house, a sawmill, an 1880's church, a wigwam, and a historic farm in the early stages of restoration. Two of the buildings are heated with wood-burning stoves and there are modern outhouses. Electricity can be provided. A covered picnic pavilion can be used for eating a meal or other activities that require tables and benches. There is a nice fire pit if you wish to cook over an open fire. Wide-open spaces for active games and an interpreted nature trail for outdoor studies are also available.

A Detroit-based cultural arts organization, Heritage Works provides programs in cultural enrichment, performance and visual arts, health and wellness, and academic and professional skills development. We start with the child, and reach the whole family. We begin with the ancestral traditions of our primary audiences, and explore the world.

Our mission is to promote youth and community development through cultural arts and traditions. Designed to promote understanding and skill development, our programs use cultural discovery and arts training to encourage personal and artistic excellence.