General Info

Our mission is to inspire people to explore the past! The Benzie Area Historical Society seeks to educate and entertain the public about Benzie County and many of communities that boarder it, through exhibits at the museum and programs held throughout the area. The Benzie Area Historical Society and Museum celebrate the people, industries, and organizations that made Benzie County’s History and Heritage an important factor in Northwest Michigan. The BAHS Museum is housed in a 1887 built Congregational Church building in Benzonia and is listed on the Michigan State Register of Historic Sites. Our museum holds historical treasures beginning with Americas “First People, Native Americans before the arrival of the first white settlers. Industries beginning with the timber rush, logging and sawmills, charcoal and early chemical works, iron foundry’s, maritime history including commercial shipping from various Lake Michigan ports, commercial and recreational fishing, agriculture and food processing and of course, the Ann Arbor Railroad and Car Ferry days. The Benzie Area Historical Society is a Michigan non-profit and IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.Our mission is to inspire people to explore the past! The Benzie Area Historical Society seeks to educate and entertain the public about Benzie County and many of communities that boarder it, through exhibits at the museum and programs held throughout the area. The Benzie Area Historical Society and Museum celebrate the people, industries, and organizations that made Benzie County’s History and Heritage an important factor in Northwest Michigan. The BAHS Museum is housed in a 1887 built Congregational Church building in Benzonia and is listed on the Michigan State Register of Historic Sites. Our museum holds historical treasures beginning with Americas “First People, Native Americans before the arrival of the first white settlers. Industries beginning with the timber rush, logging and sawmills, charcoal and early chemical works, iron foundry’s, maritime history including commercial shipping from various Lake Michigan ports, commercial and recreational fishing, agriculture and food processing and of course, the Ann Arbor Railroad and Car Ferry days. The Benzie Area Historical Society is a Michigan non-profit and IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.