Upcoming Events

September 19, 2020

Bay City Architecture Tour

with Sam Fitzpatrick

Tickets on sale August 31st: $10/Adults--$5/Children under 12

*Tickets may be purchased in the Museum Store*

Tickets are cash only on day of tour-Museum will be closed

1:00 - 2:00pm

* Tour will leave from the front steps of the Museum.

* Tour is limited to the first 50 persons

* Parking is available in the lot behind the Museum on Saginaw Street.

*Rain or Shine*

Today, just like in Bay City's past we have a booming downtown. Old buildings filled with charm dot the main streets of Washington, Madison and Center Avenues. Everything that a successful "heart" of a city needed could be found here: drug stores, markets, clothiers, restaurants, government offices, entertainment venues and more. Local architects Pratt and Koeppe were famous for constructing most of the sites seen on this tour. Albert Kahn of Detroit (the Fisher Building, Cadillac Place, the Belle Isle Conservatory among others) even had a hand here.

Besides beauty and splendor, these buildings also hold stories that helped shape our city and county's histories. Join Sam Fitzpatrick for a walking tour of Downtown Bay City and learn more about the grandeur and importance of these structures.

COVID RESTRICTIONS: Due to state and local COVID restrictions we ask that everyone taking part in the tour wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines.

September 25, 2020

Hell's Half Mile Walking Tour

with Sam Fitzpatrick

Tickets on sale August 31st: $10/Adults--$5/Children under 12

*Tickets now on sale in the Museum Store*

1:00 - 2:00pm

Special Weekday Tour

* Tour will leave from the Museum lobby

* Tour is limited to the first 50 persons

* Parking is available in the lot behind the Museum on Saginaw Street.

*Rain or Shine*

In the late 1800s at the end of the lumbering season, as many as 5000 lumberjacks (“shanty boys”) would collect their hard-earned pay and head for a six-block strip along Bay City’s waterfront called “Hell’s Half Mile.” There they would find a variety of gambling houses, theaters, raucous saloons and brothels, as well as tunnels and catacombs under the city streets---perfect for passage or brawls (or maybe to drag a body out for disposal!)

Join Sam Fitzpatrick for a walking tour down Water Street and the surrounding area, as he shares the history of this notorious district and stories of persons who helped give Hell’s Half Mile its fame.

COVID RESTRICTIONS: Due to state and local COVID restrictions we ask that everyone taking part in the tour wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines

SPECIAL NOTE: The tour will include historical references containing graphic violence and adult subject matter. Discretion is recommended for those taking part in the tour, particularly if children may be included.

NOTE: Due to health concerns associated with COVID-19 our Second Saturday program has been suspended until January, 2021

January 9, 2021

Second Saturday

"The Most Famous Shipwrecks in History"

with Ric Mixter

1:00pm

Join us as award-winning videographer Ric Mixter presents: "The Most Famous Shipwrecks in History." Ric will explore the "truth from myth" of famous wrecks from Noah's Ark to the Titanic, and will provide insight into what makes a ship noteworthy. He'll share the oldest wrecks discovered as well as the most treasure, and include infamous losses on the Great Lakes.