Open: 1st/2nd/4th/5th Sundays & 3rd Fridays 1-4 pm
Closed: Holiday weekends and when a GWBHS program is elsewhere.
** Please note: Please check event locations carefully and check this page for the latest updates. **
Open House – Antique Saws Collection
Sunday, September 10, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
See an extensive antique saw collection with a saw dating to 1890. Jerry McManus began collecting in the Tawas area, an area rich in lumbering-history.
Tour Orchard Lake Museum with a Docent
Thursday, September 14, 2023, 1:30-2:30 pm
($5 cash donation at the door)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Meet at the Orchard Lake Museum for a guided small group tour with a Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society docent. See new exhibits about our municipalities, Albert Kahn, our schools, and first responders. West Bloomfield Parks’ Community Transit bus pickup and return is available for current WB Community Transit riders, please call 248-706-2411.
Click here for more information from WB Parks.
Open House
Friday, September 15, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Open House
Sunday, September 24, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Presentation – Where History and Genealogy Meet: The Dash Between the Dates
Monday , September 25, 2023, 7 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
Our ancestors are more than their birth, marriage, and death dates! Family historian and professional genealogist Judy Muhn shares perspectives on ways history, artifacts, stories, and documentation inform the larger stories of our families.
Sponsored by West Bloomfield Library.
Open House
Sunday, October 1, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Open House – Mrs. Butterworth Bottle Collection
Sunday, October 8, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Kyle Staulter shares her collection of unique Mrs. Butterworth syrup bottles and related folk art.
Underground RR “Flight to Freedom” Tour & Lunch
Thursday, October 19, 10 am- 1:45 pm
(Price: $37 for residents / $42 for non-residents)
4640 Walnut Lake Road
Board the bus at Recreation Activities Center to experience The Underground Railroad “Flight to Freedom” tour, a storytelling re-enactment of the passage to freedom at the First Congregational Church of Detroit. Bag lunch following the tour. Choose: turkey or a vegetarian sandwich served with chips, cookie, water or lemonade. West Bloomfield Parks’ Community Transit bus pickup and return is available for this trip (call 248-706-2411 to schedule your ride).
Click here to register through West Bloomfield Parks.
Open House
Friday, October 20, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Autumn Nature Walk
Sunday, October 22, 2023, 2-3 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary, 4700 Pontiac Trail
Join Naturalist Carol Fink for a guided tour. Walk through rolling terrain and explore seasonal autumn beauty.
Sponsored by the City of Orchard Lake Village.
Open House
Sunday, October 29, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Open House
Sunday, November 5, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Heroes Appreciation Breakfast
Wednesday, November 7, 8-10:30 am
West Bloomfield Middle School, 6000 Orchard Lake Road
Come visit our exhibit at this year’s Heroes Breakfast! WB Parks, WB Township, and WB Schools are partnering to create a Heroes breakfast to honor and recognize Veterans. The breakfast will include the West Bloomfield tradition of both Honor Guards (Fire Department and Police Department), as well as a guest speaker and live entertainment.
Click here for more information from WB Parks.
Presentation – The 22nd Michigan Infantry and the Road to Chickamauga
Thursday, November 9, 2023, 7 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
The 22nd Michigan Infantry and the Road to Chickamauga author John Cohassey will share some of our Civil War soldiers’ challenges and experiences, with information about soldiers buried at Pine Lake Cemetery, West Bloomfield.
Sponsored by West Bloomfield Library
Open House – Military Collection
Sunday, November 12, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
See our military gear, newspaper articles, photos, uniforms from WWI, WWII, and Korean War. Share/donate your family military memories and objects.
Open House
Friday, November 17, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Open House
Sunday, December 3, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Volunteers Opportunities Meeting
Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 7 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Are you looking for flexible, interesting volunteer opportunities? Come learn our needs, from one-time to long-term commitments. We need volunteers looking to make a difference in our community and help keep our unique local history alive! Save your seat by emailing snelsen@gwbhs.org!
Open House – Hand-crafted Christmas
Sunday, December 10, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Learn about the history of various handicrafts, from knitting, crocheting, macrame, applique, and more with DuAnne Sonneville. Holiday decorations of each of these crafts will be on display.
Open House
Friday, December 15, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Monthly Open Houses
1st, 2nd, & 4th Sundays and 3rd Fridays, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Enjoy temporary and permanent exhibits interpreting area history and culture. Occasionally guest presenters share their interests.
