Exhibits at the Museum
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Our Feature item is a Corliss Valve Steam Engine built in 1893, with a 10 foot diameter flywheel weighing 6 tons.
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This engine came from the Stewart Hartshorn Roller Shade Co. and was used to power a dynamo to provide electricity in the plant from 1893 until the 30's .
Watch the engine run whenever the museum is open. Originally it was powered by steam, today we use air from a Regenerative Blower. Adam Winters one of our volunteers has spent many hours getting this equipment in working condition. |
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The Heritage Machine shop
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3 part steam whistle from the Stewart Hartshorn factory
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Kids of all ages like to watch the flywheel spin.
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Our 3 part ( Mailbox) whistle under steam, it is loud.
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Heritage Machine Shop
The belts connect the Corliss Valve steam engine to the early 1900's machine shop equipment. This gives our visitors a look at how many industries in the 19th century and early 20th century ran their machinery using these overhead line shafts. We have a 1888 Shepard Lathe, a 1910 South Bend Lathe, a Large Drill press, Band Saw, Grinder and a Punch Press all running from the line shaft. |
Watch the video of the line shaft then come and see it in person. Thanks to C. W. Marsh for the line shaft parts and Norm and Maureen Campbell for the belts. Dick Edstrom, Adam Winters & Allan Dake refurbished all of the machines you see in the Video. |
Dake Square Piston Steam Engine
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This Dake engine was built in 1917 in Grand Haven, Michigan and sold to the Ford Motor Company for their Saw Mill in Pequaming Michigan. It is a model 3 1/2 which is a 7 horsepower engine. |
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Our Print Shop office features two working Letter Press Printing Presses and the related equipment for a print shop. This includes metal TYPE (letters, numbers and other characters) and many other tools, printers would use. During your visit we might be printing with the foot operated Chandler and Price press that came from the Hackley Manual Training Building. You may also see the Kluge Press in operation. |
The Heritage Printing Co.
Be sure to get your book mark printed on this press, free at the print shop. |
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This museum wall features some of Muskegons Historic Homes. These include photos of the inside and details about the original owners of these private residences. Take a Walking tour of Heritage Village All are within walking distance of the museum. Check out the details at the museum then grab a walking tour brochure and stroll the neighborhood to see them up close. The walk should take about 45 minutes. We have added 15 more homes to this exhibit look for a new photo soon. |
Historic Homes in Heritage Village
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This plaque is awarded to homes in the Muskegon area with Historic Significance. To be awarded one of these plaques you must submit a request to the MHA. The Historic Homes Committee reviews the request and will tour the outside of the home to see that is meets the criteria set by the MHA.
If approved by the committee then the MHA board must also approve. We will soon be featuring a list of all these homes as a exhibit in the museum with photos and a map, so you can visit the outside of each one. If you would like a list of the homes that already have a plaque see the Heritage Homes link to the left on this page. |
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The Muskegon Brewery 1877 - 1934 was located on Brewery Hill (present day Coles Bakery). The Grand Rapids Brewery 1935 -1946 bottled beer in that location in Muskegon. Then Goebel bottled beer there from 1946 - 1957. Did you know that Muskegon was one of only two places in the USA that bottled Guinness Beer. We have two Guinness bottles from Muskegon, one still has the beer in it. |
Muskegon Brewing Co.
We know you will enjoy seeing this part of Muskegon's History in person. This exhibit is the work of Allan Dake with donations from Ray Hilt and Elmer Ogg. |
Victorian Parlor exhibit till October 2010.
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This is the Victorian parlor of the Vahart family. Mr. Vahart worked at the Central Paper Mill, come in and read about their daily life in the early 1900's. The Victorian Ladies Organization will be on hand at the museum from time to time to answer questions about the Victorian Period.
The Victorian Ladies group has helped with this exhibit and provided furniture and accessories from the period. |
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VanVoorthuysen Iron Works
This exhibit has photos and other items from the original Iron Works on 3rd street including the anvil, large vise and forge. These were donated by Ray VanVoorthuysen and when you come to the Museum you may be able to meet Ray who owned this shop. He stops in to volunteer from time to time. VanVoorthuysen Iron Works is still in business and they have contributed the sign and other items to this exhibit. |
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We have a large map pf Muskegon Lake showing the location of the 44 Saw Mills that were running at one time. We have added this model of a saw mill, so you can see how the logs were cut into lumber. There are logging tools and log ends with the company logos stamped into them also on exhibit. This exhibit is the work of Dave Dawes a volunteer. |
Lumbering in the Muskegon Area
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| Hand Wood Working
This is exhibit shows many of the hand tools woodworkers use. We have two foot powered tools; a Barnes #2 Velocipede Scoll Saw , and a Shipman Engine Co. lathe / scroll saw that is treadle powered. This is a working exhibit with saw dust and wood chips being made from time to time. |
This exhibit is the work of Allan Dake. |
Arch Miller a volunteer helped with this exhibit and includes donations from Whitehall Products and Century Forge. |
Foundries of Muskegon
In this exhibit you will find photos of 12 of the Foundry Businesses in Muskegon since 1900. Many more are mentioned in the framed foundry list on the wall. To the right you can see a few of the many tools used in a foundry including, drag & cope, sand mold, match plate, final product after being removed from the sand and some wood patterns . We recently added a video of the casting process that runs continuously. It is about 3 minutes long and explains the process from pattern to final product. |
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Pattern Makers made the wood patterns for the castings in the local foundries. A recent donation of Harold LeTarte's Pattern Makers tools in a large wood display case has led us to an exhibit of Pattern Makers, what they did and the tools they used. This enhances our current foundry exhibit as you can't have foundries without pattern makers. Tri Cast, Pyle Pattern, Anderson Global, the Dake an Lundquist familes have all donated items to this Exhibit |
Pattern Makers
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The Occidental Hotel
 There are many interior and exterior photos in this exhibit from the many years the Occidental served visitors and residents of Muskegon. The Display case is the original Candy Shop display case, included inside are a candy box, glassware, straws and other items from the candy shop. We also are displaying dishes and other items from the dining room which are on loan. We just acquired one of the barber chairs from the Occidental Barber shop and have it in a separate display. |
We are looking for room keys and other items from the Occidental Hotel let us know if you have Hotel items you could donate to the museum.
The Genral Store in Whitehall donated the Occidental Barber Chair. |
We hope the photos and descriptions above stimulates your interest to come to the museum and see these Exhibits up close.
