Arts and Culture

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Arts and CultureWyandotte Museums

General Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Museum Offices are
closed on holidays and when other city offices are closed.

The Wyandotte Museum is dedicated to inspiring and fostering public awareness, interest, understanding and appreciation of the unique history of the city of Wyandotte and its relationship to the Downriver region. The Museum preserves our mutual heritage through its historic buildings, collections, archives, publications, exhibits, programs and special events using our shared past as a foundation of the future.

The Wyandotte Museum serves primarily to house the hallowed history of our city. The Campus offers tours of the Ford-MacNichol Home, houses archives, makes research materials available to the public, generates education outreach programming, and offers a year round myriad of special programs appealing to a wide audience range. More information about the Museum buildings, archives, tours and special programs can be found on their website.

Contact

Jody Egen, Museum Director
Phone: 734-324-7284
Fax: 734-324-7283
Email: museum@wyan.org
Website: www.wyandottemuseums.org

Address

The Historic Burns Home, 2624 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte, Michigan 48192

Heritage Event Series

The Wyandotte Museum is proud to sponsor the Heritage Event Series. The Museum and Cultural and Historical Commission works in conjunction with the Wyandotte Historical Society and other organizations to make these events possible. Click here to view the Heritage Event Series.

Home and Garden Trolley Tour

The Wyandotte Museums Home and Garden Trolley tour is held in July and highlights distinctive homes and gardens throughout the city. We typically offer three Trolley tours which showcase several homes, gardens and historic features of our city. If you would like to showcase your home or garden in this event, or would like information about attending the event, you may contact us at 734-324-7298 or nrankine@wyan.org.  Click here for more information about the tour.

The Wyandotte Museums Campus

The Campus itself is comprised of a total of three buildings: The Ford MacNichol Home, the Marx Home, and the Albert Burns Home. The campus is located along Biddle Avenue just south of Vinewood.

Ford-MacNichol Home Museum

This elegant Queen Anne style mansion is located at 2610 Biddle Avenue. It built in 1896 as a wedding gift for Laura Ford and her husband, Dr. George P. MacNichol, from Edward Ford, Laura's father. Capt. J.B. Ford, Laura’s grandfather, was the founder of the J.B. Ford Company, a chemical manufacturer specializing in cleaning products whose factory was in the north end of town (site of the current BASF facilities).The second family to own this stately home was the Drennan Family. Jeremiah Drennan was a lawyer and leading citizen of Wyandotte. The family lived in the home for 60 years, from 1903 to 1963.

The home was purchased in 1977 from Yvonne Latta, a local preservationist, by the city with a grant from the Michigan History Division of the Department of State, along with funds provided by the Wyandotte Historical Society, local businesses, civic organizations, and individuals. The historic residence is completely furnished to complement its Victorian-era splendor and show cases much of Wyandotte's colorful past. The Ford-MacNichol Home is listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The Museums is available to rent for weddings and other special events. More information about rental of this historic home can be found on the museum website.

Museum General Rental Contract
Museum Wedding Rental Contract

Marx Home Museum

This Italianate style brick home is located at 2630 Biddle Avenue. The then fashionable home was built in 1862 by Warren Isham. In 1921 John Marx purchased the residence. He was the son of George Marx, founder of the Marx Brewery Company, a well known local business in operation from 1863 to 1936. In 1974, Leo Marx and Mary T. Polley, son and daughter of John Marx, bequeathed the building to the City of Wyandotte. The Marx Home is listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places. A part of the Museums Campus, the building is now used for meetings and special event programs. The Marx Home is available to rent for weddings or other special events. More information about rental of this historic home can be found on the museum website.

Museum General Rental Contract
Museum Wedding Rental Contract

Burn’s Home

Built in 1908 by the Alfred Burns family, this building’s architectural type is known as a Foursquare, characterized by four rooms on the first floor with 4 rooms on the second floor. A basic block, it can be embellished with a variety of architectural detail giving each a unique character. This building has evidence of the classical revival influence which was very popular at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Mr. Alfred Burns was a clerk at the Wyandotte Savings Bank, and built the house to replace an earlier homestead on the same site. In addition to the neighboring National Register properties of the Ford-MacNichol and Marx Home, the Burns home aides the campus in representing an architectural timeline in the development of the City of Wyandotte. You will see many variations of these styles across the city today. Currently, the building houses the Wyandotte Museums office, the Office of the Wyandotte Historical Society, and a public reading room where the Museums’ collection of local history archives are made available to the public.

Old Timer’s Log Cabin

The Wyandotte Museums also oversees the Old Timers Log Cabin located on Van Alstyne in Bishop Park: The rustic cabin standing in Wyandotte's historic Bishop Park was built in 1942 to serve as a meeting place for the city's senior citizens. This building was the Headquarters for the Wyandotte Centennial in 1954. In 1991, following a petition drive to save the historic structure, the city turned the building over to the Cultural and Historical Commission. Completely renovated and outfitted for use, the Log Cabin is available for future generations to enjoy. The Old Timers Log Cabin is available to rent for special events. More information about rental of the cabin home can be found on the museum website.

Log Cabin Rental Application

Museum Tours

The Wyandotte Museum is open for tours from the second week of April to the first week of January. Tour hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm (last tour begins at 3:30 pm). Group tours may be arranged by contacting the museum at 734-324-7284 or museum@wyan.org. More information about tours may be found on the museum website.