michigan historical museum

matts23

Without a scheduled kids' school trip, I never would have known this place existed! This is a great museum, and should be visited by anyone visiting Lansing who has even a passing interest in the history of the state. There are a LOT of displays to see and read about....much more than the typical "Michigan is the automobile" that many equate Michigan history too!!

KathleenB395

amazing building - there is a huge white pine growing in the middle of the building; went once a month when the kids were elementary school aged - always had fun and learned a little bit more about MI history each time. Have also taken out of town guests to visit and they are impressed and a little surprised that there is such a great museum tucked away a few blocks from the Capitol building.

Chosen1_12

Cheap enough but with a crazy internal layout it tells Michigan's story unevenly. There is a heavy emphasis on including native Americans and people of color at each opportunity. The museum is designed for teens/children and adults will be left wanting more exhibits. What is missing is any reference to the railroads which is odd to say the least. They receive no mention. This is misleading to children. The exhibits go from the early times to around the 1950's and then stops abruptly. This too is very odd.

SpartyK

Went back on a fee free day...check their website! I haven't been in years and being back was really great. Lots to read, wonderful, knowledgeable staff...perfect staycation trip!

MrsAnderson41809

I go to this museum often. I always take my family and their small children. Lots of great hands on exhibits. A must see for tourists!!

SherylC941

The standards are high in this museum. It is a beautiful building. The state library is on one side, the state museum on the other side. It was built with great care and is visitor friendly. Peaceful atmosphere. Very informative.

619jareda

Even if you don't like history, you should like this. It's multiple stories covering Michigan history from the beginning of civilization to the present. They also have nice temporary exhibits that change every few months. Definitely worth visiting more than once!

98LizB

The kids enjoyed exploring the museum at their own pace. Our ticket taker challenged the kids to try to find the two or three items that were too big to big to fit in the elevator. It helped keep the students engaged and made sure none of them missed any of the exhibits. Two thumbs up for sure.

RonaldE349

I visited several times during winter months to use Michigan Archives for genealogical research. Very friendly and helpful staff, nice room for research, access to many on-line sources.

MCLansing

Friendly staff, great displays. Liked the through the decades display. It was fun to see things and reminisce1

smithre1972

I was impressed at how abundant Michigan is in lumber, minerals, mining, shipping and manufacturing. I was also impressed with how much Michigan contributed to manufacturing aircraft and military equipment during WW II. There were easy to understand displays of early settlement, geology, weather and animals too. There is a lot to see.

Ahutpub

The museum has a wonderful collection , which is well presented. Would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Lansing Michigan. The museum was empty when we went, most locals have done this museum as a school trip when younger. If you a tourist or travelling through with time to kill would highly recommend spending a few hours here.

272DebbieK

This museum tells a lot about Michigan. Its an interesting place to go and fun too. If you go to Lansing and you like seeing history of the state, this would be a great place for the whole family to visit.

momma_of_kitties

They are doing some renovations in the place right now, but you can still see most of the museum. If you have one of the Michigan park passes on your car, you get a discounted admission of only $4 per person instead of $6. This has a very nice history of Michigan over 3 floors and has been updated since my last visit there as a child in the early 1990s.

cork1959

A three-story museum at a minimal cost ($6 adult). One receives such a diverse exposure to Michigan, which includes music, autos, labor unions, civil rights, lumber, mining, wars, homes, rural life, exploration and settlement, schools, trade, etc. Many of the exhibits are not contained, which means one can enjoy being "up close and personal." Docents are available for any questions.