What a cool experience! I like these small yet interesting museums and the Michigan Firehouse…read moreMuseum fit in my wheelhouse. This one was recommended by a firemen in the City I work and I'm glad he suggested it. If you are intrigued by loud and screaming mostly red but sometimes yellow fire trucks like I am coming here was pretty good. The building is a mix of new and old. The new part of the building is a modern looking building and contains most of the apparatus. The older portion is an old fire house that has everything from the pole the firemen came down on to the horse drawn carriages used in the beginning. There are quite a few apparatuses to look at as well as badges and patches of Michigan fire departments. Back in the corner there is a portion of the wall dedicated to the manufacturers of fire trucks (name plates) that I thought took some time and effort. Definitely worth a visit, cost was cheap.

Can I gush, just a little bit, about how well my adopted hometown does with its historical museums?…read moreIn the last few weeks, I have been bowled over by first the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Collection, followed by the Ypsilanti Historical Museum in the Asa Dow house, and now the Firehouse Museum. All three are fan-freaking-tastic, at least if you're geeky in that way, which I am. The Michigan Firehouse Museum is housed partially in what was once an Ypsilanti Firehouse, though there's a larger expansion attached to it now. The main showroom contains fire trucks from a variety of eras from all over Michigan. Most of the examples are from southeast Michigan, but I was also enchanted to find an example of a 1950s or 1960s-era firetruck that was originally used in the Upper Peninsula town of Escanaba where I was born and raised. In addition to the firetrucks, there are displays of fire men's caps, badges, and other paraphernalia. The main room also contains a collection of firehouse bells, both full sized and smaller salesmen models. You or your kids can ring them with a wooden mallet so you can hear the different tones. This brings me to the coolest aspect of the museum- there are a variety of hands-on displays. Most museums have a "Look but don't touch" policy, and while that's understandable, it's really fun to be able to touch at least some of the exhibits. The Firehouse Museum has at least four exhibits that I noticed with a hands-on component. In addition to the bells, there are a couple of places where adults or kids can try on firemen's gear, and in the basement, there's an area where kids are invited to learn to tie knots. In addition, the basement also houses one firetruck that's available for touching. You can climb right into the driver's seat if you like. Upstairs in the larger building, there are several auxiliary displays featuring firefighter kitsch, a tribute to firehouse dogs, and a small Smokey the Bear display. There's also a video on a loop and chairs if you want to see a guy explaining the various parts of the fire engines and how they work. The part of the museum that was once an old firehouse holds really old gear, including horse-drawn hose carts. Upstairs, you can see how the firefighters of old lived. There's a restored kitchen and a sleeping quarters, in addition to the firepole. Almost the entire museum is handicapped accessible. The sleeping quarters at the very top of the museum is up a short flight of stairs, but the rest of the building is accessible by elevator. As if all that wasn't enough, there's an extensive collection of firefighter and Dalmatian merchandise that can be purchased, and there's even a Brave Fireman videogame and a firefighter-themed pinball machine in the lobby. This place would be absolutely fabulous for kids. The next time I have my nieces and nephews for a day, I plan to suggest an outing here.

From the South Lyon, Michigan website:…read more Witch's Hat Depot HOME RESIDENTS COMMUNITY WITCH'S HAT DEPOT Sub Menu About the Witch's Hat Depot Museum and Historic Village The Witch's Hat Depot Museum and Historic Village represents the joint efforts of the City of South Lyon, the South Lyon Area Historical Society, the South Lyon Historical Commission, local service clubs and a great number of volunteers. This community effort has resulted in a fine museum and charming, historic village that attracts many visitors, weddings and events. The Museum is open Saturday and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Special tours can be arranged by contacting the Historical Society at (248) 437-9929. The Witch's Hat Depot in Historic Village Depot The Witch's Hat Depot functions as a museum and the gathering place for the South Lyon Historical Society. It's distinctive roof line gives the building it's name: The Witch's Hat. The building was moved from the original location on East Lake Street to McHattie Park in 1976 as a bicentennial project and it now serves as the focal point for the historic village. The interior of the depot has been preserved to show what a turn-of-the-century train depot would look like. The Historical Society uses the Depot and the nearby Freight Building to store historic documents. The Depot is an excellent resource for railroad buffs or those who simply want to know more about the history of South Lyon. This website gives a more comprehensive history of the building, including its role in the state railroad system and a photo of the depot under construction in 1909 as well as a photograph of the depot in the 1970s before it was moved to its current location in McHattie Park. Historic Village Depot Caboose The caboose is fun for all, railroad buffs, children and the simply curious. It is a Chesapeake & Ohio caboose dating from 1926. The interior is furnished as much as it might have been when in daily use by the rail road workers. The caboose was moved to the museum site in 1982. Freight House Historic Village The freight house was built in 1984 to provide a much needed community meeting area as well as additional museum display areas. The basement is the museum's archive. The building design compliments the Depot. Funding for the freight house was provided by the City and the Historical Commission. In addition, all of the interior finish work was done by volunteers both amateurs and professional, making this truly a community building. It is an attractive, comfortable place to hold meetings and special events. Historic Village Washburn School Washburn School District #5 in Green Oak Township, Livingston County, was built in 1907 to replace a log school building. It served the families in the area until 1953 when the district consolidated with South Lyon Schools. The building was donated to the City of South Lyon in 1984 by the Gordon Wood Family. In the interim, it was used as a church and for a short time as a home. The City, in conjunction with the South Lyon Area Historical Society moved the schoolhouse to its present site in McHattie Park where is serves the community as part of the museum and the historic village. School children hold day-long classes in the building giving them a "one room school house" experience. The school is open for tours as part of the museum complex and is available for meetings and other community needs. Little Village Chapel in the Historic Village The Little Village Chapel is the most recent addition the Historic Village. This 1930's era "kit building" was donated to the City by the congregation of the Immanuel Lutheran Church. The building was moved in 2001 from East Liberty Street to its current site. Historic Village Gazebo The gazebo in the McHattie Park Historic Village was built in 1991 to compliment the circa 1900 village. It is used by the community for band concerts and other entertainment. It is a welcome shelter for these wanting some shade or just a comfortable place to sit while visiting the Historic Village. Recognized as a lovely setting, many wedding ceremonies have been held there. The gazebo provides a pleasant interlude on a summer afternoon. © 2016South Lyon, MI335 S. Warren Street, South Lyon, MI Telephone: (248) 437-1735 / Fax: (248) 486-0049 Site use and Linking Policy, Title VI Non-discrimination Plan munetrix logo1logo2 Powered By Revize LOGIN

Still being up at 5:20 am, after watching Westworld and browsing the internet and diving into…read morewriting a Yelp review about a place I've been to exactly once four months ago... welcome to week three of quarantine. But enough about me, right? The Roush Automotive Retail Store and Museum is a hidden gem in Livonia, a large square shaped Detroit suburb that isn't known for too much. I've lived in the Detroit Metro area my whole life, over 40 years, and never even knew this impressive place was here until maybe five years ago when a friend who works in the industry and I were having a discussion about motorsports that led to him regaling me with the tale of how awesome this little known Roush museum is. I never sought it out then, but stored that nugget in a little recess in the back of my head, and when I found myself on the west side of town with some time to spare I put the ol' Googler on my phone to use and tracked it down. This museum is housed in a plain looking cavernous warehouse on a non-descript industrial drive. Look for the little blue awnings. The street is dotted with other Roush buildings. Roush, by the way, is named after Jack Roush aka The Cat in the Hat, known for the Panama hat he habitually sports at NASCAR races and other motorsports events. It's a performance and racing division of Ford. Now, this is a big building, but it's no Henry Ford Museum. You could probably make your way through the array of autos in half an hour if you wanna breeze through, or more like an hour or so if you wanna gawk over them and take too many photos like me. Fortunately, you won't find the hefty admission price of the Henry Ford here. In fact, it's absolutely free! (That might have been one reason why Todd's tale remained lodged in my noggin after several years.) Plenty of Mustangs of all sorts rest in here, along with Thunderbirds, GTs and concept cars and racecars from way back in the day to modern times. You'll find NASCARs, NASTrucks, pace cars, old school open wheel racers and GTs from touring series like you might have seen in Ford v Ferrari. It's fun seeing how some have grease, grime, marred paint jobs from rubbing alongside competitors and even occasionally confetti from victory lane and Sharpied signatures from the driver and crew right on them. There's even a Sharpie sponsored ride in this massive garage. The staff was nothing but friendly on the cold winter weekday I paid my visit with one employee giving me his blessing to ignore how the stairs on an overhead catwalk were roped off so I could get a nice pictorial overview. I didn't ask him either; he saw me snapping away and thought I might like some shots from up there. They even have a pinball and a video game in there. I forget what the video game was, as I didn't play but naturally the pinball was stock car themed. You enter and exit through the gift shop, but it was a soft sell and I didn't buy anything. They could use something cheap like refrigerator magnets for sightseers like me who don't have too deep of pockets. This House of Blue Oval was a nice little adventure for me to end 2019 on, and more people should definitely know about it. Here's hoping all of us get out to have more adventures this year...

What an amazing place and it's absolutely free. So many great cars. If you're a NASCAR fan, this is…read morethe place for you. There are so many different cars and trucks from different NASCAR eras. Cool gift shop. Did I mention it's free?

What an absolutely amazing Museum! If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, I definitely…read morerecommend that you do so! There are so many displays that you can look at and get up close to. And if you are a very in town for thunder Michigan that is an amazing weekend for the family.

Great collection. Educational exhibits. Learn about the Willow Run wartime factory experience and…read morethe real Rosie the riveter. Friendly staff are very helpful. Up close with great aircraft. Well worth a visit. Air show in June with flying demos of aircraft in collection and opportunity to ride.

Throughout the year, the Plymouth Historical Museum puts on some amazing events. My kids' favorites…read moreare their Christmas events. All the volunteers are so invested in their characters! The museum itself is quaint but we'll thought out. They have a large exhibit and information on Abraham Lincoln as well as the Daisy Air Rifle Factor. When we visited during the holidays, the exhibit was all about old toys. The staff is friendly and kind. They also have an archive section that you're able to set up a time to peruse. We live in an older home in the area and I'll be back one of these days to set up a time to look into my house and it's former inhabitants. Additionally, there is a strain caboose in the back the museum purchased not long ago. You can explore it with museum admission and during the holidays, Santa takes visitors there. It's a wonderful place to support and learn about Plymouth's history.

Wonderful way to spend an hour or so. Large enough to cover all aspects of their current decade but…read moresmall enough to make your tour feel intimate. Enjoyed it with two of our grandchildren.

What a cool area to visit. I attended the Motor City Irish Festival with a friend of mine. We…read morewere out and about for the day and made our way to the festival to watch a band he wanted to see. I've never heard of this festival before but we had a good time. There was a huge beer tent set up with a band and a few other tents for whiskey tasting and Irish dancing. We walked around to shop a little and enjoyed some food. Of course we had to try a burger, but the cornbeef sandwiches looked delicious. We had a great time and look forward to returning possibly next year.

motor city Irish fest 2022 June 10,11,12 gates open at 1130 this event is not to be missed! Weather…read moreyou are Irish or just trying to be, your welcome here! Take a blast from the past with amazing heritage, traditions, archery, aerial silks, bag pipes playing in the background and the smell of fresh corned beef and craft beer!

This shop is incredibly unique, with several backgrounds and setting to…read moretake amazing selfies. Our group of three had a ball taking photos. You really get into the mood of each background that you pose in front of. The lighting and the music really help create a vibe, that makes you giggle and have a good time. What a great place for family photos, parties, couples or showers. I loved the 360 videos that they provide, you really feel like a star! Can't wait to go back with my entire family. When you walk in the door, you are treated so special. The owners really know how to help you feel relaxed and have fun. It felt very clean and well kept, too. Tip: Book online to save time. We signed up for selfies and videos, and it was worth it. The prices are great too!

From the owner: We are a fun interactive Selfie Museum with over 20 photo exhibits. You are your own photographer,…read moreto capture that perfect Selfie. You can also rent Our Selfie Museum for your private event, with up to 30 guest.

This year, I have had the pleasure of coming to two of the high teas. The Witches one in October…read moreand Christmas one earlier this month. Finding the Wayne Historical Museum is fairly easy as long as you make sure you are heading to Wayne. Parking is very easy to find and it's free. Both times I was there, the museum was decorated in line with the theme. The Witches Tea was more gothic in decoration rather then the traditional creepy witchy. The food at that tea was great and kept with the theme. The Christmas decorations were all classy and didn't feel like Christmas threw up all over the museum. The food was different at this tea. More along a festive Christmas feel. If you were only going to go to one of the teas, I wouldn't be able to chose as both were awesome in different ways. The jokes and trivia that occurred during the teas were fun and not too campy. I will definitely come back for another tea.

My partner, my mom and I went to the Halloween tea this year and then my partner and I went to the…read moreChristmas tea this year as well. The Halloween tea was 10/10 amazing!!! The decoration, low lighting with candles, friendly people and all ages spooky atmosphere was so cool!!! I would say this was the best Halloween theming I've seen for a meal, especially considering it was put on at a museum which is something you don't normally expect to have gone all out at. The Christmas decor was also very nice overall but since it was brand new, from what others told me, it was less intense and less heavily decorated. They did up a lot of lovely trees. I think they could've taken it to the next level if they invested in tons of Christmas lights (and some candlelight works too for this) and turn off the bright regular lights so it has more of a magical feel like the candlelight at the Halloween event did! They also, with time, will likely get more decor and be even more fabulous! They also had the main guy doing different costumes and a friend of his played buddy the elf who was a very nice guy. That was fun and cute. I would still give it an 8/10! The tea itself was good, I actually thought the Christmas tea food-wise was slightly better though. Both teas were very solid with at least one herbal and one black tea options. They both had about 4 sandwiches (vegetarian options available but need to request prior to arrival at tea so keep an eye on your email or be proactive and email first), at least one scone and several desserts. You will definitely leave pleasantly or very full depending on your appetite. The tea itself is catered by the company seen in the papers in the photos. They also do trivia for each event and give you some Wayne County/city history. You can also check out the museum and they recommend walking around and taking photos so it's very much an open style of explore and hang out at your table and experience the tea. The seating arrangements were more cramped in the Halloween tea as I'm assuming it's more popular as it was more established having done it for some years. Additionally, they may have had the Christmas tea a little late in the season for some people (Sat 12/17). Overall, I would say at least 30 people were at Halloween and at least 20 at Christmas. It was a mix of group tables and a few smaller couple tables at the Halloween event and then three group tables of varying sizes at the Christmas event. We sat with 5 strangers at Halloween and 2 strangers at Christmas. All of them were very nice people and it was fun talking to new people. I will warn though, you don't need to feel like you have to talk to people, but it certainly is something to consider. If you're very shy, definitely call and ask about doing a table for your group alone and if you do a big enough group, you'll probably get your own table but to be sure call and talk to them about it. I will 100% return to all of their teas going forward. My partner and I have had a lovely time at each one and people really dress up and get into it which is fun!

Our tour guide, Cheryl gave us a lot of interesting information. We enjoyed our time with her.read more

I have lived in Ypsilanti since January of 1999 and just now got around to exploring the Historical…read moreMuseum. These can be very dry and educational (in the bad, boring way), but Ypsi's museum does a great job. Part of it, I think, was the enthusiasm of our tour guide. She told us something cool about each room and pointed out a few nifty artifacts in each as well. However, the home, which was originally built by Asa Dow in the 1860s, would probably be fun to explore without a guide as well. Downstairs, you can view the formal parlor or the less formal family parlor, the dining room, and the kitchen. Upstairs, rooms are dedicated to a variety of displays, from musical instruments, to the tool room, to the children's room, full of porcelain-headed dolls and toys. Some of my favorite bits of the museum included the elaborately built and tricked out traveling carpenter's kit and a huge stainglass window that actually originally was at the city's "Ladies Library." The tour guide told us they had trouble protecting the stained glass from vandals and so moved it into the Dow house. The best thing about the museum is that it's free, though donations are accepted. I spent an hour there getting the tour, but would love to go back with a friend and explore it for another hour or two some time.