Added: 12/28/2005 |
The Detroit Museum of History enlivens the history of the Great LakesThey consider in Detroit, that the history is forever. The Detroit Historical Society, is committed to preserving the vibrant history of the people and events that shaped Detroit and southeastern Michigan as a legacy for future generations. The Society is the major source of private funding for the Detroit Historical Museums, which include the Detroit Historical Museum, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Historic Fort Wayne and Historic Moross House. These museums, devoted to the rich history of southeast Michigan and the Great Lakes waterways, comprise one of the largest urban historical museum systems in the country.
Cobblestone streets, 19th Century stores, an auto assembly line, toy trains, a pilot house from a Great Lakes freighter, and a fur trading post from the 1700s are but a few of the wonders to see at the Detroit Historical Museums. For over 70 years, the Museums have chronicled the life and times of the city, safeguarding its rich history.
Each Detroit Museum of History offers something different. The Dossin Great Lakes Museum provides a unique perspective on maritime history and how the Detroit River and Great Lakes commerce contributed to the growth, development and culture of the region. Historic Fort Wayne, while not currently open to the public, has a wealth of history within its walls. Serious efforts are underway to reopen the Fort.
The Detroit Museum of History offers the widest range of exhibits and educational programs, and attracts the greatest number of visitors. At the Museum, visitors walk through time in The Streets of Old Detroit with shops from the 1840s, 1870s and 1900s. They can glimpse the city's role in the Underground Railroad in the Doorway to Freedom exhibit. Children and adults alike delight in The Glancy Trains toy train exhibit, where they can blow whistles, lower crossing gates, and get an engineer's eye view from a TV camera mounted in one of the engines. The Museum of History also hosts a number of traveling and temporary exhibits.
Detroit's maritime history has been captured at the marine branch of the Museum of History over on Belle Isle Park in the Detroit River. The Dossin Great Lakes Museum tells the story of boats, sailors and cargoes on America's inland seas. Dossin visitors can take the helm of a Great Lakes freighter or admire the carved oak and stained glass of an early passenger steamer's grand salon or visit one of the three changing exhibit galleries.
The Museum's educational programs reach thousands of school children annually. One of the most creative museum historical programs is Detroit Storyliving, serving more than 15,000 students each year with an interactive educational experience, using role playing, music, and team based activities to explore local history.
From old museum hisorical exhibit favorites like the Streets of Old Detroit and the Glancy Trains, to the latest short term exhibits, the Detroit Historical Museum's ten exhibit galleries have something of interest for visitors of all ages. The Museum's staff and guest curators believe in their mission to present the fascinating story of Detroit, its people, and its products in a way that both entertains and educates. They are incorporating the newest technology within their exhibits to enhance your museum experience.
In a word, the "highest museum in the world" is always ready to share the story of Detroit with you.
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