Carnegie Center: Maritime Museum and More in a Beautiful Historical Building
The Carnegie Center is part of the Port Huron Museum. The Historical Port Huron Public Library became what is now the Carnegie Center. Andrew Carnegie helped fund the library, built in 1904. This building remained the city’s library until 1967. A year later, the old library reopened as a Port Huron Museum.
Port Huron Museum has many parts
The Carnegie Center, the Huron Lightship Museum, the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, and the Thomas Edison Depot Museum make up the Port Huron Museum. Each of these museums is unique and offers remarkable insights into the history of Port Huron.
Kammer Cabin and Trolley
Outside the entrance in the parking lot sits the Port Huron Museum Trolley. The Trolley is available for hire for events, but the museum also has events going on during different seasons on the Trolley. There is one for the Halloween/Fall season and one for the Holiday season leading up to Christmas. Check their website for more information. Next to the parking lot is an old cabin, the Kammer Cabin, from 1850, which is used as a living history exhibit in the summertime.
Details
The main entrance of the Carnegie Center is no longer the wide, inviting stairs on the front. The main entrance is in the new addition on the north side of the building. Plan to spend an hour or two at the Carnegie Center to explore all four levels of local history. The young man staffing the desk suggested we begin on the top floor and work our way down. We took the stairs up, but you can take the elevator, which is right next to the stairs. Starting on the top floor was a terrific pointer. The top floor is the heart and soul of the museum and requires the most time to wander through.
Top Level-Music and Maritime Exhibits
When you reach the topmost floor, you enter a small Music Room. Here, you will find many different types of historical musical instruments and a replica workshop of a musical instrument maker. The Musical instruments ranged from harps, pianos, and guitars to a hand saw. There was also the most ornate conductor’s baton we’ve ever seen.
On the other side of the small music display, you enter the beginning of the maritime exhibits. These exhibits fill the remainder of the entire third floor. There are many artifacts to see and stories to learn about. The central story on display is the record number of shipwrecks on the Great Lakes during a storm on November 7-10, 1913. It is a sobering exhibit. The story and the artifacts give you pause to consider the lives lost on those fateful days.
At the far back end is a full-sized replica of the pilot house of a large freighter. You can go into this replica and explore. Stand in front of the big wheel and look out the windows. Don’t forget to hang on to the rope over your head to keep your footing. The exhibit brings to life all the innovations at the time and a realization of how far we have come since then. If you stand at the wheel to steer, you realize that everything else is out of your reach-there must be other sailors up there to help. You get the impression that it was a busy and bustling place at sea, especially in bad weather.
Middle Levels – life in Port Huron
The middle floor and the mezzanine level have various historical artifacts and portraits. Some of these exhibits are rotating or special exhibits and change over time. Interesting vignettes from inside homes of earlier times in the Port Huron area are set up here. You can also see many different artifacts from some of the area’s earliest inhabitants in protective cases. I’m not convinced the armadillo basket was local, but it was a fascinating piece of handiwork.
lower level-artifacts galore
Rows of glass cases filled with all sorts of exhibit items filled the small area in the basement, the fourth and final level. You could spend a lot of time down there just examining all these objects. It is incredible how many things survive for us to see. These old objects give us glimpses into the past. They activate the imagination and help us visualize how they were used. We can see how new ideas have changed the everyday objects that we use now compared with what you find in museums and antique shops. Innovation and change bring us new advances all the time. Museums and exhibits bring history to life and help you to place yourself in the incredible story of us as you compare the past with the present and look ahead to the future.
Historical Carnegie Center Building
The Carnegie Center doesn’t just house historical exhibits; the building itself is a historical exhibit. Architecture has changed over time, just like all those objects inside the museum. We love to see the old styles and the timeless beauty of well-made buildings. The grand staircase, foyers, and entrance halls on each floor are handsomely restored. They are just as worthy of observation and reflection as all the displayed exhibits.
Looking back – Looking ahead
Take your time and stroll through history at the Carnegie Center and the other sites of the Port Huron Museums. Peruse the history that we celebrate and the history we mourn. It is all part of our Michigan history. All the artifacts are a part of our past, pointing to the future, which for us is now. Someday, we, too, will be part of someone else’s history.
Plan Your Trip
Make sure to add this stop to your Port Huron daytrip itinerary. If you enjoy coffee like we do, also add one of the several coffee shops in the city to your list. Make sure to stop at Nicky D’s Burgerz for a tasty meal in a retro diner!