TCHM is undertaking a renovation of the prominent front window space of the Akeley Building (home to our 13 permanent exhibits) and a parallel renovation of one of those 13: our ‘Barn’ exhibit.In the updated ‘Barn’ exhibit, a giant map will show regional waterways and provide a timeline of important events in the settlement, development, and decline of the region. It will feature a digital touch screen panel where learners can explore the shipwrecks and passenger steamship lines of the Great Lakes, which in their time both benefited the Tri-Cities with commerce and innovation and challenged the Tri-Cities with tragic losses of life and property.

The plan will relocate the 10’-high ‘Michigan Geology’ exhibit that currently takes up the entire front window real estate to a nearby wall, freeing floor space to become a bright, inviting area and build a maritime-themed exploration space featuring a red lighthouse, pier, and fog house, mirroring these iconic waterfront structures of Grand Haven.This Maritime Exploration space will engage toddlers through (about) six-year-olds, who learn through experiencing the world with both their bodies and brains; even the littlest learners will be able to come into the Museum and engage in history at their level.