Dec. 26, 2008

The Michigan Historical Museum invites you to relive your special Michigan travel memories - and learn about some unique tourist spots along roadways you may not have traveled - with a visit to its latest special exhibit, Michigan's Roadside Attractions, opening Saturday, Jan. 10.

Michigan's Roadside Attractions, set to run through Sept. 14, 2009, features more than 50 roadside attractions that grew up as Michigan expanded its highway system from the 1930s through the 1970s. Many of these attractions still provide fun and excitement for millions of tourists each year.

"Deer parks and dinosaur gardens are just a couple travel experiences that take center stage again in this exhibit. Places like Castle Rock in St. Ignace, the Soo Locks Boat Tours and the multiple locations where Paul Bunyan has been spotted are also featured through photos, artifacts and souvenirs," said Phillip C. Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum System. "Michigan's Roadside Attractions is about 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 small tourism businesses have supported the effort to develop the exhibit by sharing their heritage as part of this "Pure Michigan" story.

Michigan's Roadside Attractions is sponsored by American Road magazine, in cooperation with the Friends of Michigan History and Booth Michigan newspapers.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center at 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 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).