The Michigan Historical Museum's Summer Sizzles day camp, now in its 10th season, offers children an opportunity to take an exciting journey into the past as they participate in crafts, discussions, activities and tours of the museum's world-class facility.

"We still have openings for day campers to enjoy interacting with artifacts, listening to stories of real people and discovering their own connection to history, " said Phillip C. Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum System.

A special half-day session - at a cost of $15 - will be offered for children ages 9-12 on Wednesday, Aug. 5 from 1 to 4 p.m.: Discover the Life of a World War II Soldier.

For children ages 6 through 8, the Michigan Historical Museum offers the Small Fry Summer Sizzles day camp on Tuesday, Aug. 11 through Thursday, Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon.  To get acquainted with Michigan's past, younger children will step back in time and learn how people worked and played in Michigan during the early 20th century. Campers will discover why people left their farms to work in factories, the excitement of city life in the 1920s and 1930s, and what kids did for fun in the 1940s. The fee is $36 for three half-day sessions.  Campers should bring a snack each day.

For more information and a registration form, visit http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17447_18595_18596-89848--,00.html.  If you have questions about any of the Michigan Historical Museum's day camps, call (517) 373-1905 or e-mail ArasimJ@michigan.gov.

The Michigan Historical Museum's summer day camps are sponsored by the Michigan History Foundation and the Friends of Michigan History. Join the Friends of Michigan History for only $40 and receive a number of valuable benefits, including a 10-percent discount on the museum's day camps.

When camp has become a fond memory, the Michigan Historical Museum invites children to continue exploring Michigan's past as part of the Future Historians, a group that meets at the museum during the school year.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. The main entrance and visitor parking are located off of Kalamazoo Street, just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission and weekend parking are free. The Michigan Historical Museum, the flagship of the Michigan Historical Museum System, is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/museum or call (517) 373-3559, TDD (517) 373-1592.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.