Father Marquette National Memorial
Explore Fayette Historic Townsite, a former iron-making town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Explore Fort Wilkins and the Copper Harbor Lighthouses in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to learn about people and events that shaped this region.
Explore the state’s 19th-century logging era at Hartwick Pines Logging Museum.
The museum has exhibits on everything from the CCC's role in planting trees and building roads to its impact on the environment.
The Mann House and its contents illustrate typical family life in the 1880s.
The house is under extensive renovation and is closed to the public. Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant, lived in this Detroit house from 1849 to 1850.
The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is a great place to learn about the history of Michigan's iron industry.
Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park protects and interprets Michigan’s largest known collection of early Native American teachings carved in stone.
The Tawas Point Lighthouse is a fascinating attraction for maritime buffs and an exciting destination for birdwatchers.
This secret network aided thousands of people on their journey to freedom.
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Volunteer in Lansing at the Michigan History Museum or the Archives of Michigan! Share your time and expertise as a tour guide, docent, greeter and more.
Join one of our museum and historic sites friends groups to support programs. Groups include Fayette, Hartwick Pines, Tawas Point and Walker Tavern.
Become a member and get free admission to the Michigan History Museum, 10% off items purchased at the museum store or on Michiganology.com, plus more!
Immerse yourself in history and become a Tawas Point Lighthouse Keeper. For just $250 per person, you can spend two weeks in a historic lighthouse keeper's dwelling. Applications go live Jan. 8, 2024.
Hartwick Pines State Park, located just northeast of Grayling, is seeking volunteer hosts for the historic Memorial Building. In exchange for free camping, volunteers present programs and lead tours.
The Michigan History Museum collects artifacts that relate to the history, culture and people of Michigan - things that are important to telling our stories. Our collections include more than 100,000 artifacts ranging from farm tools to elegant 19th-century textiles and streamlined 20th-century automobiles. We display the artifacts in our collection at the Michigan History Museum in Lansing and at our other museums and historic sites across the state. But our goal is not just to display the objects that tell Michigan’s story, we also seek to preserve them for future generations.
The museum relies primarily on individual donations from private citizens. If you have artifacts that were made in Michigan, used and loved by Michigan people, then we would like to hear from you!
Interested in donating an artifact? Download the Artifact Donation Information form - fillable PDF.
Complete the form electronically and then send to DNR-MHC-MuseumCollections@michigan.gov.
-OR-
Print and then mail the completed form to:
Museum Collections Unit,
Attn: Registrar Michigan History Center
702 W. Kalamazoo Street
P.O. Box 30740
Lansing, MI 48909-8240
All forms, whether submitted electronically or by mail, must be accompanied by photographs of the offered artifact(s) and any known history or stories. Please do not send or bring items to the museum until instructed by a staff member to do so.
Due to the volume of donation offers the museum receives, please allow six to eight weeks for your request to be processed.
We are always seeking donations of original materials documenting Michigan history and culture. Here are examples of the types of materials we collect:
Our collections cover many aspects of Michigan history. Subjects prominently represented include lumbering, mining, politics, the military and women and minorities. We continually works to strengthen our holdings in these traditional areas, while also branching out into new ones, such as architecture and popular culture. We'll neglect no part of our state's heritage.
If you're interested in donating items - or know of any possible donations - please email us at Archives@Michigan.gov or telephone 517-335-2576.