Museum Adventure Pass May 2010

Summer is upon us and it is the perfect time to start thinking about activities to do with the family to make this summer a fun, educational and enriching experience for all. While taking the family out for a summer drive, why not stop into the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, located on Detroit's beautiful and historic Belle Isle. Not only will you see the boats as they sail across the Detroit River, but you and your family can also take in the sites of boats and ships of the past at the museum!

Begin your adventure by clicking here for the list and learn more about how it works below. The passes are at your local library.

See a complete list at our website: www.detroitadventurepass.org

The participating organizations listed are kindly donating all of the free admissions and are not reimbursed, so please be sure to thank them for their generosity when you visit!

Adventure of the Month
Troy Museum & Historic Village
60 W. Wattles Road at Livernois Road
Troy, Michigan 48098
Visit their website

Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m.- 3p.m.

The Troy Museum & Historic Village offers all of the joys of summer wrapped into one package! Take a drive to Troy, Michigan with the family and enjoy the sites and sounds of yesteryear, along with an authentic petting farm experience. It's well worth the trip!

The Troy Museum & Historic Village preserves and interprets the history and heritage of Troy and the region for our diverse community and provides a unique setting for life-long learning.

The museum includes 10 historic structures in a charming two-acre village located in the heart of Troy Michigan. Visitors of all ages can explore the lifestyles of the pioneers who established homes and farms in rural Troy Township during the 1800s. The carefully restored and fully furnished buildings include:

An 1840s Log Cabin and adjacent herb garden
The Caswell House, a lovely Greek Revival Home built in 1832 by pioneer Solomon Caswell. This home is on the national Register of Historic Places
Poppleton School, a brick one room school built in 1877
Print Shop, a functioning "job shop' with three period presses
Wagon Shop with a functioning blacksmith forge
General Store appointed to 1910
Town Hall, furnished as a hands on activity center for young children. Boys and girls are welcome to play with games, puzzles, wooden toys, craft materials, and period clothing
The old Troy Church built in 1837 and
Parsonage, which served as a residence for 23 different ministers who served the church between 1880 and 1968

Special days at the museum this summer:

Grandparents Day: Monday, June 21, 10 am-3:30 pm

History is sweeter-and more personal-when it is shared. Grandparents and grandchildren who visit together will receive a small treat.

Plein Air Art: Tuesday, June 29, 10 am-3:30 pm

Do you like painting outdoors? Bring your supplies and tools to the Village Green and be inspired by the colors, gardens, and historic architecture.

Civil War Soldier: Tuesday, July 6, 10 am-2 pm

Have you ever visited a Civil War campsite? Meet a soldier and see a tent, equipment, food, and learn about the Civil War life.

Garden Club Walk "Artful Gardens" Boutique, Wed, July 14, 9 am-7:30 pm

The Village Green is transformed into an elegant boutique featuring art, nature-related, and vintage goods. No ticket required to go shopping!

Meet an Explorer: Tuesday, July 20, 10 am-2 pm

Before pioneers came, Michigan was open for exploration. Hear stories of a British man's life paddling the waterways in the 1770s, and see his campsite and canoe.

Musical Picnic: Wednesday, July 28, 11:30 am-12:30 pm

Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the Village Green (or indoors in case of rain). Listen to well-loved family-friendly songs performed while you munch!

Blacksmithing Demo: Thursday, August 5, 10 am-2 pm

Marvel at the power of fire and the trained hand to transform iron into useful and beautiful objects. The blacksmiths will be working in the shop.

Fire Department Fun: Thursday August 12, 10 am - 2 pm

Learn fire safety from a Troy fire fighter (10-11:30am). Try wearing real fire gear! Look over a restored 1940 vintage fire truck, too.

Photography Day: Wednesday August 18, 10 am - 2 pm

With shapes, colors, textures, and charm, the Historic Village is a dream set. Amateur photographers are especially welcome to come capture great shots today.

Hands-on History: Tuesday August 24, 10 am - 2 pm

Find out why school kids love visiting the Museum! Try making butter, combing wool, dipping candles, printing a page, and playing with old-time toys.

Summer Treats

The Museum & Historic Village is a cool place to play and visit this summer! All activities free with admission.

. Enjoy a docent-guided tour

. Bring children and play "school."

. Eat your picnic lunch on the Green.

. Find the ABCs of pioneer life in the log cabin.

. Win a prize when you complete the Artifact Hunt.

. Match up items in a 1900s Sears catalog with the exhibits.

. Enjoy a quiet stroll through the past.

. Piece together a jigsaw puzzle.

. Learn about the lives and lifestyles of the people who created our communities.

. Shop in our gift shop

For further information, call the museum at 248.524.3570

Museum Spotlight

Dossin Great Lakes Museum

100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle
Detroit, Michigan 48207

313-833-5538

Visit their website

Open Saturdays and Sundays - 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is celebrating its 50th Anniversary! For years, the Museum has provided the metro Detroit community with exhibits and programs dedicated to the history of the Great Lakes and the Detroit River.

Join the museum as they celebrate throughout the year! They're planning a variety of maritime-themed programs and events that will give you, your family and your friends the opportunity to visit the Museum and participate in this very special celebration.

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum, a flagship of the Midwest's inland lakes maritime heritage museums, stands on the shore of Detroit's historic Belle Isle, one of America's grandest city parks.

It offers visitors a comprehensive look at life on the Great Lakes and along the Detroit River. The Dossin is a "must see" cultural location for those who love maritime history and enjoy being near the water.

Greeting visitors as they enter, The Gothic Room exhibit makes one feel like they are stepping back to a time when Great Lakes luxury liners like the City of Detroit III took travelers up and down the river.

The Dossin is known for its extensive collection of ship models and several are on display and rotate annually.

An impressive array of signal flags hangs in DeRoy Hall with information about how they are used on the Great Lakes.

Outside the walls of the Museum are treasures such as the Miss Pepsi, which has its own building constructed just for the hydroplane, as well as the anchor from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

Current Exhibits the Dossin Great Lakes Museum include:

City on the Straits
For more than three centuries, Detroit's development has been intertwined with the Detroit River and the Great Lakes and, in this exhibit, visitors will learn more about the economic and social development that these waterways brought to the region.

Gothic Room

Step back in time as you experience the Gothic Room at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. You'll enter the restored smoking lounge of the City of Detroit III.

S.S. William Clay Ford Pilot House
The SS. William Clay Ford, a Great Lakes freighter, was scrapped in 1987 and its pilot house was brought to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and became part of the Museum.

Dossin Great Lakes Museum: Celebrating 50 Years!

This exhibit will focus on the early years of the Dossin, when it replaced the Maritime Museum of Detroit that opened aboard the J.T. Wing, the last working schooner on the Great Lakes

Life on a Long Ship: Great Lakes Sailors
See what life is really like for the men and women who have sailed on the Great Lakes - perhaps less romantic than expected... and definitely a lot of hard work!

The Dossin Great Lake Museum is one of the country's finest maritime museums, offering an array of fun, educational and innovative programs and exhibits, so be sure to stop by to enjoy all that the museum has to offer.

In addition, the Museum also features a variety of changing exhibits and attractions, as well as films, lectures and other programs.

Do you have a Museum Adventure Pass experience that you would like to share, or are you a MAP organization that would like to get the word out about new or limited engagement exhibitions, programs or activities? Please contact Pamela Rhoades Todd at pam@culturalalliancesemi.org, we would love to add your information to the next e-newsletter! Visit our website at www.detroitadventurepass.org!

If you would like to send this email message to your mailing list, we can customize it for your audience and send it for you! Contact Cyndee Harrison at Cyndee@culturalalliancesemi.org to learn more.

Here is how it works:

You MUST visit your local library to obtain a Museum Adventure Pass
Ask your librarian to direct you to the Museum Adventure Pass rack
Select from 28 museums and cultural institutions which organization you would like to visit
Take the card stating the museum or cultural institution of your choice to the librarian at the check out desk
The librarian will give you between 2-4 free passes, depending on the museum or cultural institution that you select.
You have 7 days from the time of check out to enjoy your Museum Adventure Pass!
Lastly, come back the following week to select a new museum adventure!