In 1949, Coloma resident and contractor Cecil Potts opened an amusement park and petting zoo that he envisioned would revitalize tourism to the small community around Paw Paw Lake. In its 65 years of operation, millions of people visited Deer Forest in Coloma to pet and feed animals such as deer, llamas, and peacocks. Although the park closed in 2014, the legacy of Deer Forest lives on.

The North Berrien Historical Museum is now featuring a temporary summer exhibition of Deer Forest souvenirs and memories in its Main Gallery. On Tuesday, July 21, Executive Director Peter Cook will present the unique history of this beloved Southwest Michigan attraction.

No RSVP required. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the North Berrien Historical Museum! Work with family, friends, or on your own to complete this self-guided scavenger hunt through the museum. Learn about Irish-American history as you follow clues to find the hidden pot of gold!

This FREE program is designed for wee folk ages 6 and up, but all ages are welcome! Questions? Call the museum at (269) 468-3330.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a fun, self-guided scavenger hunt around the North Berrien Historical Museum to find the hidden pot of gold and learn about Irish-American history along the way!

This free program is designed for wee folk ages 6+ and their families. It will take place on Saturday, March 15 from 2:00–4:00 p.m. No RSVP required. Contact the Museum with any questions at (269) 468-3330.

The Potawatomi are an Algonquin-speaking people who have lived in the Great Lakes region for at least four centuries. In their language, the word Potawatomi means “Keepers of the Sacred Fire.” The Pokagon band of Potawatomi Indians remains in the area today, preserving cultural traditions and autonomy as a federally recognized Native American nation.

Cecil Wilson from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi will appear at the North Berrien Historical Museum to present “Pokagon Band of Potawatomi History.”

No RSVP is required for this free program.

The Summer Olympics are back in 2024!

To celebrate this, NBHM is offering a Summer Time Traveler program called A Day at the Olympics. Children ages 6–12 will learn the history of the Olympic Games and compete in several events on the Museum grounds with related crafts also available.

This program is in collaboration with Coloma Public Library.

There are two opportunities to participate in this program on Thursday, August 8: 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.   

RSVP required. Call (269) 468-3330.

The 1924 Dodge Truck that is part of the collection at the North Berrien Historical Museum turns 100 years old this year!

To celebrate, the museum  is hosting a time traveler program for kids ages 6–12. Participants will learn what drove Michigan's automotive industry. They will then run their own automotive assembly line, build rubber band cars, and test their vehicles for distance. Kids participating in this free program will take home their handmade toy.

RSVP is required. Please call (269) 468-3330 to reserve your spot today!

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a fun, self-guided scavenger hunt around the North Berrien Historical Museum to find the hidden pot of gold and learn about Irish-American history along the way!

This free program is designed for wee folk ages 6+ and their families. It will take place on Saturday, March 16 from 2:00–4:00 p.m. No RSVP required. Contact the Museum with any questions at (269) 468-3330.

You are invited to join the Bayer family on behalf of the Tri-City Record to celebrate their 40-year anniversary in business.

The Open House will be held on Saturday, February 24 at the North Berrien Historical Museum from 1 p.m.–4 p.m.

A short presentation on the history of the Record will begin at 2 p.m.

Refreshments will be served

Most people take for granted that they have electricity in their house. But what was life like for people who lived over 100 years ago in a time before homes were powered by electricity?

This children’s program will illustrate what life was like in the home during wintertime as the daylight hours grew shorter. Activities will include hand-dipped candle making, writing with a quill by candlelight, and using wax to seal an envelope.

This program is recommended for children ages 6–12. RSVP is required, please call (269) 468-3330 to register your child for the 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. program that will take place on Tuesday, January 2.

Learn what it was like to vacation at Pratt’s-on-the-Lake (Pier Road) during the 1930s and ‘40s in a talk by former Hagar Township resident Bill Corbett. Through photographs, journal entries and letters kept by his father, Bill will describe the daily activities of resort life, and the lifelong friendship his mother developed with Pearl Pratt.  

Bill’s parents, former Chicago residents Cy and Dorothy Corbett, loved Pratt’s and Lake Michigan life so much that in 1944 they purchased their own waterfront property, an abandoned summer retreat near Camp Warren. They developed the property into their own resort, which they ran until Dorothy died in 1981.
     

Cy was a former newspaper man and kept journals and saved correspondence throughout his life. In going through the family archives, Bill has discovered many interesting writings. In April, he released a book of his father’s materials, The Drums of War: An Autobiography by T.C. Corbett (1917-1924) which is a first-hand account of Cy’s WWI Army Air Service, and difficult return to civilian life.

No RSVP is required for this free program.

Learn about the daily life and activities of the French fur traders in this fun and immersive program designed for children ages 6–12.

The program will begin at the North Berrien Historical Museum with a lesson and craft about the canoes used by the voyageurs. The program will then relocate to Paw Paw Lake where a Sarett naturalist will take the group on a trip in a 34-foot voyageur canoe replica!

Personal floatation devices will be required and provided. Due to limited seating, we ask that only one parent accompany the group of children they are overseeing. Children under age 8 may ride along without paddling.

Two times frames are available on August 10: 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. RSVP is required. Call (269) 468-3330 to reserve your child’s place today!

Steam power, which Scotsman James Watt first effectively harnessed to an engine in 1769, would drive the Industrial Revolution and make humanity mobile as never before—pulled by belching locomotives and spanning the seas in ships the size of small cities.

Historian and museum designer Valerie van Heest will take us back to the early 20th century when steam powered industry, drove the economy, and created a growing prosperity that generated demand for recreational travel on luxurious passenger steamers circling the Great Lakes during the golden age of steamships.

No RSVP is required for this free program.

Upon opening its gates in 1949, Deer Forest served as a magical place that would enchant not only the surrounding small community but the entire world around it for over 60 years. Tucked away in a corner of Coloma, Michigan, the petting zoo/amusement park featured animals to pet and feed such as deer, antelope, mountain sheep, llamas, and peacocks, as well as other attractions such as Storybook Lane, a train, and a souvenir building. By 1989, more than 3.5 million people had visited Deer Forest.

Although the park closed in 2014, the legacy of Deer Forest lives on. The North Berrien Historical Museum is excited to unveil a new interactive exhibition of objects and artifacts from Deer Forest. Elephant keys from Storybook Lane will be available to take home as a souvenir for a nominal donation. Please join us for a trip down memory lane. The exhibition will be available to view throughout summer 2023 during regular visiting hours.

No RSVP is required for this free program. Please call (269) 468-3330 with any questions.

Spring is the time to begin preparing your garden for the warm growing season. To celebrate this exciting time of year, the North Berrien Historical Museum is offering Kids’ Spring Break: How Does Your Garden Grow? Participants will learn about the history of gardening in human civilization and receive some pointers for how to maintain their own garden. Before leaving they will plant a small sampling to take home.

This free program is designed for children ages 6–12 and their families. It will take place on Tuesday, March 21 at both 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Call (269) 468-3330 to RSVP your child today!

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a fun, self-guided scavenger hunt around the North Berrien Historical Museum to find the hidden pot of gold and learn about Irish-American history along the way!

This free program is designed for wee folk ages 6+ and their families. It will take place on Saturday, March 11 from 2:00–4:00 p.m. No RSVP required. Contact the Museum with any questions at (269) 468-3330.

Spread your wings and fly on over to the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma for a free midwinter break program about birds!

Learn all about our feathered friends who live in Michigan and what they do for the winter from a Sarett Nature Center naturalist and make a pinecone bird feeder to put out for the birds in your backyard. This activity will include the use of peanut butter.

This free program intended for children ages 6–12 takes place on Thursday, December 29. RSVP is required. There are two opportunities to participate: 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Call (269) 468-3330 to reserve your child’s place today!

Have you ever dreamt of flying?

Become a pilot for a day with Taking Flight: Aviation History for Kids. This summer program, designed for children ages 6–12, will focus on the history of aviation. Before leaving, participants will design their own small aircraft to better understand the principle of lift in flight.

This FREE program is available on Thursday, August 25 at both 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Call (269) 468-3330 to RSVP your child today!

Beginning in 1910, an Interurban railway ran hourly electric trains (trolleys) from Benton Harbor through Millburg to Coloma. In 1913 it was extended east to Watervliet. During the summer months, a spur carried vacationers, many from Chicago, on to Paw Paw Lake resorts. Each evening, the railway carried fruit from the area to Benton Harbor to be shipped to Chicago. The Interurban line ran until 1928.

Peter Cook, Programs Director at the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma, will discuss how the Interurban was established and the influence it had on the culture of local tourism. His presentation will also follow the route the Interurban traveled, illustrated by photographs and stories.

No RSVP is required for this free program. Please call (269) 468-3330 with any questions.

Join us on Saturday, July 16 at the North Berrien Historical Museum for a Civil War Day Open House! Fun for the whole family including live cannon fire, formal presentations, demonstrations, and kids’ activities.

No RSVP is required for this free event. Overflow parking will be available at Coloma High School directly across from the Museum on Red Arrow Highway.

Live Cannon Fire: 10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m.

John Urschel program and book signing: 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m.

Open house activities will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. These include:

Hands-On Kids Craft: Tin Punch and Quill Writing

Reenactors: Joshua & Frances Chamberlain, Abraham Lincoln, Civilians

Demonstrations: Print Shop, Blacksmith

Call (269) 468-3330 with any questions!

In 1922, the world’s largest producer of job printing presses manufactured a rhythmic machine that still enjoys showing off to this day!

On Saturday, June 18, you are invited to this Birthday Party & Open House for the Museum’s 1922 Chandler & Price job press. The celebration will include printing demonstrations, kids activities related to print, sweet treats, and more!

No RSVP required. Call (269) 468-3330 with any questions.

During the colonial era, tin punch was a craft that had both practical and decorative purposes. The doors of cupboards featured tin panels with small holes punched in ornate patterns which allowed for air circulation yet kept out bugs and dust. Lanterns were punched with designs that were illuminated by the candle inside.

The North Berrien Historical Museum is excited to announce The Art of Tin Punch. Participants at this Kids’ Spring Workshop will learn about the use of tin throughout history, the purpose of tin punch, and try their own hand at this colonial craft.

This free program is designed for children ages 6–12. There are two opportunities to participate on Thursday, March 24th: 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Call (269) 468-3330 to reserve your child’s place today!

Brave people from Ireland have been immigrating to the United States to live for hundreds of years. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the North Berrien Historical Museum is offering a kids program about Irish Immigration and the Assembly Line.

Activities will include filling out a simulated historical citizenship document using a quill as well as an interactive assembly line to demonstrate the work done by Irish-American laborers in Michigan’s automotive factories. Participants will leave with their own shamrock-decorated rubber band car and goodie bag.

The free program is designed for wee folk ages 6–12 and takes place on Saturday, March 12. Due to limited space and supplies, RSVP is required. There are two time frames available to participate, beginning at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Please call (269) 468-3330 or email peter@northberrienhistory.org to reserve your child’s place today!

People have long been interested in their dreams. Some try to remember and interpret them. Others forget their dreams as soon as they wake. In some Native American cultures, people try to influence their dreams. How is this done? With a dreamcatcher!

The North Berrien Historical Museum is excited to announce the Dream Weavers: Kids’ Winter Workshop. Participants will learn about the background and purpose of the dreamcatcher and then make their own to take home.

This free program is designed for children ages 6–12 and will take place on Thursday, December 30 at the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma. RSVP is required. There are two opportunities to participate: 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Call (269) 468-3330 to reserve your child’s place today!

Every house has a story and every story has a beginning. Beyond a few basic details, most people know little about the history of their home, but researching the history of a residence can reveal a variety of information and stories. The North Berrien Historical Museum is excited to offer an opportunity for people to learn about the tools which can be utilized to discover the history of a house.

Presented by Lynn Houghton of Western Michigan University's Archives and Regional History Archives, "Researching House Histories" will examine where one can find the materials to research their property history and how to access these materials, either in print or online. In addition, Houghton's presentation will look at other resources one can tap to gather as much information as is available.

This program will be available both online and in person. The online program will be viewable through Facebook Live on the North Berrien Historical Museum’s Facebook page. No RSVP is required to attend in person. However, one person from each party will be asked to provide contact information upon arrival.

For pioneer families, many chores had to be done daily: gathering wood, hauling water, washing clothes, and tending the garden. Because there was so much to be done, every member of the household was expected to earn their keep and children as young as three were doing housework. Although they worked hard, pioneer children liked to have fun just like children today.

The North Berrien Historical Museum is offering a Summer Time Traveler called Pioneer Children Chores & Games. Participants will learn what life was like for pioneer children by trying both their daily chores and the type of games they played.

This program is designed for children ages 6–12 and takes place at the North Berrien Historical Museum on Tuesday, August 24. There are two opportunities to participate: 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.

RSVP is required for this free program. Please call (269) 468-3330 to reserve your child’s spot today!

2020 was the first time the Olympics were postponed due to a pandemic and are taking place this year instead—2021.

To recognize this, the North Berrien Historical Museum and Coloma Public Library have teamed up to offer A Day at the Olympics. Participants in this Summer Time Traveler program will learn the history of the Olympic Games and compete in several events on the Museum grounds. Related crafts will also be available.

This exciting and immersive event is designed for children ages 6–12 and takes place at the North Berrien Historical Museum on Tuesday, July 27. There are two opportunities to participate: 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.

RSVP is required for this free program. Please call (269) 468-3330 to reserve your child’s spot today!

Before the rise of the internet, no invention did more for the spread of knowledge and information than the printing press. The North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma is excited to announce Pressing Through History, a Summer Time Traveler program in which children will learn the significance of this invention and how printing was accomplished prior to the digital age.

Participants will discover the wonders of letterpress printing through several activities, including a tour of the Museum’s newly updated Print Shop exhibit, complete with a demonstration of a 1922 Chandler & Price job press.

Hour-long time slots are available on Tuesday, June 22 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. RSVP is required. Call (269) 468-3330 to reserve your spot today!

Time Traveler programs are FREE and designed for children ages 6–12. A pick-up option is also available for those who cannot attend—call to reserve!

2020 would have marked the 53rd annual Glad-Peach Festival in Coloma. In lieu of this year’s event, the Coloma Public Library and North Berrien Historical Museum are teaming up to present a virtual program on the history of this celebrated local festival that will be viewable via Facebook Live on Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00 p.m.

Although the current committee for the Glad-Peach Festival was first organized in 1967, the origins of the festival date back to the years immediately following World War II. Utilizing artifacts, photographs, and research, staff members from both organizations will present an informative program covering the history of the festival, along with highlights from throughout the years.

This collaborative event can be viewed on the Facebook page of both the North Berrien Historical Museum and the Coloma Public Library. Look for the event Growing History: The Glad-Peach Festival. Please contact peter@northberrienhistory.org with any questions.

The North Berrien Historical Museum invites families to visit us on the afternoon of Saturday, March 14, when we will feature an immersive program for youngsters to learn about the history of Irish immigration to the United States and the roles Irish-Americans played in Michigan. Activities will include filling out a simulated historical citizenship document using a quill as well as an interactive assembly line to demonstrate the work done by Irish-American laborers in Michigan’s automotive factories. Participants will leave with their own shamrock-decorated rubber band car and goodie bag.

This free program is designed for wee folk ages 6–12. Due to limited space and supplies, RSVP is required. There are two time frames available to participate, beginning at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Please call (269) 468-3330 or email peter@northberrienhistory.org to reserve your child’s place today!

Please tell your friends and neighbors about this program. There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about! 

Most people take for granted that they have electricity in their house. But what was life like for people who lived over 100 years ago in a time before homes were powered by electricity?

The North Berrien Historical Museum will feature a children’s program that illustrates what life was like in the home during wintertime as the daylight hours grew shorter. Activities will include hand-dipped candle making, writing with a quill by candlelight, and using wax to seal an envelope.

No RSVP is required for this free program, which is recommended for children ages 6–12. Please contact peter@northberrienhistory.org with any questions.