Jan. 16, 2008

If you've ever stopped to see Big John, the World's Largest Miner, near Iron Mountain or the Twin Towers in the Irish Hills - or one of the many other fun and interesting places to stop and rest along Michigan's highways - the Michigan Historical Museum needs your help. 

The museum is planning an exhibit called Michigan's Roadside Attractions, set to run from January to June of 2009, and is looking for stories, pictures and artifacts of the unique places - some of which no longer exist - that travelers have visited on their way to other destinations.

"We want to hear what made you stop at these roadside attractions - places like the Mystery Spot in St. Ignace, Deer Forest in Coloma, Windmill Island in Holland and the multiple locations where Paul Bunyan has been spotted - and to see the photos you took and the souvenirs that you kept," said Phillip C. Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum System.  "Our biggest need is your treasured mementoes, from miniature Paul Bunyan statues and plastic purses to dinosaurs, seashells and even ceramic doll dish sets."

Kwiatkowski said that business owners who have operated roadside attractions and tourism promotional organizations are also encouraged to share items that will support the business and marketing aspects of this "Pure Michigan" story.

If you can help, please contact Eve Weipert, curator of collections, at (517) 373-1509 or weiperte@michigan.gov.  Most artifacts used in the exhibit will be considered on loan and will be returned after the exhibit ends.  The museum has an established review process that is utilized prior to acceptance of loans or permanent donations.  Artifacts are needed by April 1 to allow time to complete the exhibit storyline around the available artifacts.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing.  The main entrance and visitor parking are located off of Kalamazoo Street, just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.  Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.  Admission and weekend parking are free.  The Michigan Historical Museum, the flagship of the Michigan Historical Museum System, is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/museum or call (517) 373-3559, TDD (517) 373-1592.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.  For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).