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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The education programs below can be presented free to your group at Fayette Historic Townsite, or in your school for a nominal fee.
Guided tours of Fayette - Grades K-12
Guided tours are offered to school groups free of charge and tailored to meet individual group curriculum needs. Visits include site orientation at the modern visitor center, viewing a scale model of Fayette accompanied by a 5-minute audio presentation, followed by a guided walking tour into the historic townsite (20-30 minutes in length).
The tours are interactive with question/answer sessions to promote student involvement, interest and learning.
Offered mid-May through mid-October.
TIME: 40 MINUTES.
Discovering the Townsite Activities - Grades 3-12
A seek-and-find activity is available with a series of questions about Fayette's past that requires students to explore the site, reading exhibit labels and outdoor signs for the answers. The purpose is to engage student thought processes about Fayette's industrial past and the people that lived here.
TIME: 30-45 MINUTES.
The three programs listed below are PowerPoint-based and are given by the site historian. Contact the historian for program fees.
Childhood at Fayette - Grades K-12
Fayette was once a noisy, busy and dirty iron smelting community of nearly 400 residents. In 1880, 40 percent of the people who lived here were children 16 years old or younger. Where did they live? Did they go to school? What did they do for fun? Through slides and reproduction 19th century toys, school children learn what life was like for kids growing up in a company town during Fayette's industrial era. Discussion also includes a comparison of childhood then and now.
TIME: 1 HOUR.
Fayette: Life in a 19th-Century Company Town - Grades 2-12
Fayette was once a noisy, busy and dirty iron smelting community of nearly 400 residents. Who were these people? Where did they come from? Why did they settle here? Through slides, reproduction 19th-century clothing and group discussion, students can learn about Fayette's iron smelting industry, nationality, class, status, company jobs and community life in a 19th-century company town.
TIME: 1 HOUR.
Lumberjacks in the Upper Peninsula - Grades 2-12
This program explores the work and lives of lumberjacks in the Upper Peninsula who logged the old growth pines. How did they live? What did they eat? Why did they typically only work in the lumber camps in the winter? What is a swamper? And what is a turkey or a deadhead?
TIME: 1 HOUR.
To book a Fayette Historic Townsite school tour, contact historian Troy Henderson at 906-475-7857 or email HendersonT7@Michigan.gov.
For questions about camping reservations or other park information, please email DNR-ParksAndRecreation@Michigan.gov.
Please make group reservations at least two weeks in advance to avoid scheduling conflicts. Teachers are encouraged to discuss their lesson plans with museum staff before their visit.
The museum can accommodate any grade level or group size up to 80 students. For lower elementary, please contact the museum to discuss.
Please allow at least one hour for a visit, longer if walking the outdoor trails and shopping in the museum store.
Updated 03/07/2023