The Victorian style house, built in 1891, was donated to the Charlevoix Historical Society in 1978.

The museum includes: 3 Victorian period rooms, 10,000 historic photos, local history artifacts, 1917 working player piano, local oral history collection, local family history collection, local history research materials, U.S. Census on CD's, Sanborn Fire maps on micro film, and Gray's Reef Lighthouse Third and One-half Order Fresnel Lens.

Museum Hours:
Mid June to Labor Day, Monday - Saturday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Fall, Winter, Spring, Tuesday - Saturday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The train depot, located across from Depot Beach, was donated to the Charlevoix Historical Society in June 1992 on the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first passenger train in Charlevoix..

The Charlevoix Area Garden Clubs are developing a Heritage Garden on the grounds based on historic garden principles and utilizing local cuttings wherever possible.

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Some call them "Fairy Houses" because they possess storybook whimsy; others call them "Mushroom Houses" because of their irregular shapes. By any name, the stone houses of Charlevoix are an amazing legacy of one of Michigan's most fascinating builders. Born in 1889, Earl Young grew up in Charlevoix, walking the shorelines collecting interesting rocks.  It was a pastime that grew into a passion.

He saw these things in his mind, would make a sketch, and his wife, often did the precision drawings from which the houses were built. The construction of the buildings, utilizing the boulders left behind by the great glacier, are a unique architectural accomplishment.  Included are the turreted Weathervane and Lodge motels, the rustic Weathervane Restaurant, and story-book homes on Round Lake, Park Avenue, and in Boulder Park.

Earl Young left a lasting legacy on Charlevoix. The houses and buildings he created continue to fascinate visitors when they see the wave-like rooflines and inimitable stonework that have become his trademarks.

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Castle Farms is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Michigan Register of Historic Buildings.  It was originally part of a 1600 acre farm built by Albert and Anna Loeb in 1918.  During WW1, Mr. Loeb was the acting president of Sears, Roebuck, and Company.  The buildings are based on the stone barns in Normandy and are open for guided tours May through October at $5.00 per person.  

The Family Activity Center is open Sunday through Thursday from Memorial Day through Labor Day with lawn bowling, shuffleboard, croquet, badminton, large chessboards, horseshoes, tetherball, and a putting green.

Castle Farms

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Raven Hill Discovery Center is a hands-on learning environment in science, history, and the arts for children and adults.

It is open year round on Saturday 12 to 4:00 p.m., Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Memorial Day through Labor Day:  Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Admission price is $6.00 per person, except for babies in backpacks or strollers and includes time in the hands-on museum, a visit with the animals, access to the one room schoolhouse and outdoor exhibits, such as Beyond Jurassic Park and the Stone Labyrinth.  The average visit is one and a half to two hours.  Exhibits are appropriate for all ages.  Gift shop and picnic area available.

Raven Hill Discovery Center

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The Crooked Tree Arts Center, located at 461 East Mitchell, Petoskey, MI, is an ornate Victorian style edifice built in 1890.  The Center houses two art galleries; a 260 seat thrust stage theatre; studios for dance, pottery, painting, and music lessons, offices and meeting rooms.

Hours:
Monday through Friday - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays - 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Crooked Tree Arts Center

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The Ironton Ferry, established in 1876, crosses Lake Charlevoix's South Arm, five miles south of Charlevoix.  People from all over have made it a point to ride the unique and quaint ferry, operated by a cable, as part of their Charlevoix experience.  The ferry operates late spring through early fall, 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.  The cost is $3.00 per car, .50 per person without a vehicle or bicycle, $1.00 per person with a bicycle.

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The most remote inhabited island in the Great Lakes, located in the upper part of Lake Michigan, about 32 miles north of Charlevoix, with a year-round population of 550 - a large percentage, of Irish descent.  Beaver Island offers a serene, relaxed life-style, many visitors have become vacationers, property owners and permanent residents.

For information regarding Beaver Island and transportation to the Island contact:

Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce
Beaver Island Boat Company
Island Airways