by Jamie Kramer

The museum took in a donation of small models, built by Mike Janczewski, from the amusement park that never was: Little Michigan. The 20-million-dollar development, conceived by Jamies L. Graham, was unveiled in Detroit in September 1972. The park was to be 250 acres situated at Wilder Road and US23 in Monitor Township. The main part of the park would be in the shape of the state of Michigan with small versions of the Great Lakes surrounding it. The attractions were said to include a monorail, an observation balloon that would be lifted 250 feet into the air, small cruise boats, a hotel, amusement rides, and representation of the biggest Michigan manufacturing names at the time. However, by 1977, the project still had not gotten off the ground. The project’s projected financial burden kept rising and financing was not there. By the early 1980s it was decided that the project would not see actualization. Today, a brick American Flag stands in its place.