Open House
Friday, December 20, 2024, 1-4 pm
Volunteer Opportunities Meeting
Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 7 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Are you looking for flexible, interesting volunteer opportunities? Come learn our needs, from one-time to long-term commitments. We need volunteers looking to make a difference in our community and help keep our unique local history alive!
Open House: Vintage Wooden Toys
Sunday, December 8, 2024, 1-4 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Enjoy our vintage wooden toy collection, along with other vintage toys, this holiday season! Hands-on activities. Engaging permanent exhibits interpret local area culture and history.
Open House
Friday, November 15, 2024, 1-4 pm
Presentation: 50 Years of GWBHS History
Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 7 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
Join us for a look back at the timeline of 50 years of collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of our communities.
Sponsored with West Bloomfield Library.
Open House: Military Collection
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 1-4 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
See our military gear, newspaper articles, photos, uniforms from WWI, WWII, and Korean War. Share or donate your family military memories and objects.
Autumn Nature Walk
Sunday, October 20, 2024, 2-3 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary 4700 Pontiac Trail
Join naturalist Carol Fink for a walk through rolling terrain and explore seasonal autumn beauty. Sponsored with Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary.
Open House
Friday, October 18, 2024, 1-4 p
Open House: Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Sunday, October 13, 2024, 1-4 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Indigenous people are known to have lived in West Bloomfield at the time of the first official survey in 1817. Come learn more about the history of Indigenous people in the area! Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Pine Lake Cemetery Tour
Saturday, October 5, 2024, 11 am-1 pm
Pine Lake Cemetery, 4351 Middlebelt Road
East side of Middlebelt Road, north of Lone Pine Road
Take part in a self-paced walking tour of Pine Lake Cemetery and learn the history of founding residents, prominent people, sports figures, and others with sexton Mari Bem and docents. Optional restaurant gathering afterward. Rain or shine. $5 cash donation, paid on-site, at the tour.
Sponsored with WB Parks.
Open House
Friday, September 20, 2024, 1-4 pm
Presentation: Mapping Local History
Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 7 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
Learn about the project to update our 49 year old map of area historic sites. Receive free copies of the 1975 and 2024 maps!
Sponsored with West Bloomfield Library.
Open House: Celebrating 50 Years
Sunday, September 8, 2024, 1-4 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Enjoy soda and cupcakes, 1974 fun facts and music, and old-fashioned fun for all ages! Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Open House
Sunday, August 25, 2024, 1-4 pm
Open House
Friday, August 16, 2024, 1-4 pm
Pine Lake Marina Tour
Thursday, August 15, 2024, 7-8 pm
Pine Lake Marina, 3599 Orchard Lake Road
($8 for residents / $10 for non-residents)
Gather at Pine Lake Marina for historical information about the longtime marina, water taxis, the camp on Pine Lake, and trolley transportation with Ron Hodess and Gina Gregory. We’ll walk to the nearby Interurban railway bed. Register through www.wbparks.org.
Car Show & Poker Rally: Things You Auto Know About Local History
Sunday, August 11, 2024, 9 am-3 pm
Start and end at West Bloomfield High School, 4925 Orchard Lake Road
Car Show: 9 am-12 pm, free to attend, $20 to compete, presented by WBHS Robotics Club. Poker Rally: 12-3 pm, $5 for vehicles with a GWBHS membership or $30 per non-member vehicle. Drive to historic locations and get a playing card. Best poker hand wins an awesome trophy! Details at www.gwbhs.org/pokerrally/.
Open House
Friday, July 19, 2024, 1-4 pm
Celebration Appreciation Reception
Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 6-8 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Members, supporters, and volunteers are invited for refreshments with one complimentary ticket per person for a raffle with terrific prizes. A celebratory toast for 50 years of volunteers!
RSVP appreciated but not required by July 10 to anna@gwbhs.org or (248) 757-2451.
E. LeRoy Pelletier Open House
Sunday, July 14, 2024, 1-4 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Rick Bartus, former subdivision resident, shares facets of E. LeRoy Pelletier’s life, 1868-1939. Pelletier was Henry Ford’s first “PR man” and a West Bloomfield resident.
Open House
Friday, July 5, 2024, 1-4 pm
Open House
Sunday, June 30, 2024, 1-4 pm
Apple Island Tours Return
Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9, 2024, 10 am-3:30 pm
(Boat/bus driver break from 12:30-1 pm)
Self-paced guided tours of Apple Island 3:30 pm is last departure. Ticket donations: $25 adult, $15 child (ages 5-12), no kids under 5. Online reservations for members only. Details at www.gwbhs.org/apple-island-tours/.
National Trails Day Walk
Saturday, June 1, 2024
Orchard Lake Museum open from 9 am-12 pm
Visit the Orchard Lake Museum as you celebrate National Trails Day on the West Bloomfield Trail! Details at www.wbparks.org.
Keego Harbor Memorial Day Parade
Monday, May 27, 2024, 9 am-12 pm
GWBHS is looking for volunteers to join them in the Memorial Day Parade on May 27. Volunteers are invited to walk (and potentially carry a large flag), bike, or drive their classic car. Check this page for updates.
Open House
Friday, May 17, 2024, 1-4 pm
Greater West Bloomfield Michigan Week Community Awards Breakfast
Friday, May 10, 2024, 7 am
Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road
Attend the Greater West Bloomfield Michigan Week Community Awards Breakfast alongside GWBHS and celebrate individuals and organizations serving our community. Details at www.michiganweek.org.
Apple Island Docent Training
Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 7 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Would you like to lead a tour on Apple Island or guide a 2nd-grade class at the Orchard Lake Museum? Come see what it’s all about. No charge.
Open House
Friday, May 3, 2024, 1-4 pm
Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary Spring Walk
Sunday, April 28, 2024, 2-3 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary, 4700 Pontiac Trail
Join Naturalist Carol Fink and a West Bloomfield Parks Naturalist for a guided tour. Walk through rolling terrain and explore the breathtaking spring flowers.
Sponsored with Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary & West Bloomfield Parks.
Holiday House Panel Dedication
Thursday, April 25, 2024, 1 pm
Park at the end of Pine Estates Drive
Celebrate this new historical marker at Pine Lake. Ron Gay shares the history resulting in this outdoor exhibit panel. Learn about the MotorCities Markers program with Brian Yopp, Deputy Director at MotorCities. Parking on the street.
Sponsored with West Bloomfield Parks.
Open House
Friday, April 19, 2024, 1-4 pm
1914 & 1954 Tax Books Open House
Sunday, April 14, 2024, 1-4 pm
Come see 1914 and 1954 West Bloomfield tax record books. To learn more about your property, know your Township section number, property description and, if known, subdivision. Engaging permanent exhibits interpret local area culture and history.
Open House
Sunday, April 7, 2024, 1-4 pm
Open House
Sunday, March 24, 2024, 1-4 pm
Presentation — History Through Maps
Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 7 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
What can we learn about local history from historic maps? We’ll share what we’ve learned. Three newly reproduced maps are available for purchase.
Sponsored with West Bloomfield Library.
Open House
Friday, March 15, 2024, 1-4 pm
“The Church in the Wildwood” — A 150-Year Legacy
Sunday, March 10, 2024, 1-4 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Orchard Lake Community Church, Presbyterian, the oldest church in greater West Bloomfield, marks the chapel’s completion 150 years ago. Learn about the Scottish immigrants who founded the church and their connection to Apple Island.
**EVENT CANCELED** Orchard Lake Museum Tour
Thursday, March 7, 2024, 1:30 pm
($5 cash donation at the door)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Meet at the Orchard Lake Museum for a small group docent-led tour. Trip is in collaboration with WB Parks: pre-registration required. West Bloomfield Parks’ Community Transit is available for current riders – for home pick-up and return only.
Open House
Sunday, March 3, 2024, 1-4 pm
Open House
Sunday, February 25, 2024, 1-4 pm
Volunteer Orientation (“Our School History” Project – Data Entry)
Saturday, February 24, 2024, 12-1 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
This orientation is for a paid volunteering opportunity. You will learn how to upload pictures and enter data into our digital collections database. If you are interested in volunteering, please email anna@gwbhs.org or call (248) 757-2451.
Open House
Friday, February 16, 2024, 1-4 pm
Open House — Recreation
Sunday, February 11, 2024, 1-4 pm
Outdoor recreation opportunities are plentiful! See early fishing, Friends of Apple Island memorabilia, sailing, skiing, and more! Engaging permanent exhibits interpret local area culture and history.
Presentation — Chaldeans in Southeast Michigan, Past and Present
Sunday, February 4, 2024, 2 pm
(Free admission, donations appreciated)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
This presentation gives an overview and understanding of the Chaldean community of Southeast Michigan, with West Bloomfield expansion plans.
Sponsored with West Bloomfield Library & West Bloomfield Diversity Task Force.
50th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Galeria/Campus Tour
Saturday, January 27, 2024, 10 am-12 pm
Orchard Lake Schools Dining Hall (enter from Commerce Road)
Attend the 50th Annual meeting with special features! Door prizes for 2024 members. Dr. John Radzilowski, Polish Institute of Culture & Research at Orchard Lake Director, will give a Galeria and campus update. Then tour the 1880s and 2022 classroom buildings.
$15 brunch reservations, due January 23 at anna@gwbhs.org or (248) 757-2451.
Partnered with The Polish Institute for Culture & Research.
Open House
Friday, January 19, 2024, 1-4 pm
Open House Docent Training
Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 1-2 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Interested in welcoming people to the Museum and sharing our history? Come learn what it’s all about.
Curling Open House
Sunday, January 14, 2024, 1-4 pm
Curling premiered in the United States on Orchard Lake in the winter of 1831-32 by Scottish settlers. See modern equipment with a Detroit Curling Club representative. See memorabilia of a West Bloomfield Olympian who was on the 1932 demonstration curling team!
Open House
Sunday, January 7, 2024, 1-4 pm
Open House
Friday, December 15, 2023, 1-4 pm
Volunteers Opportunities Meeting
Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 7 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Are you looking for flexible, interesting volunteer opportunities? Come learn our needs, from one-time to long-term commitments. We need volunteers looking to make a difference in our community and help keep our unique local history alive! Save your seat by emailing anna@gwbhs.org!
Open House – Hand-crafted Christmas
Sunday, December 3, 2023, 1-4 pm
Learn about the history of various handicrafts, from knitting, crocheting, macrame, applique, and more with DuAnne Sonneville. Holiday decorations of each of these crafts will be on display.
Open House
Friday, November 17, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House – Military Collection
Sunday, November 12, 2023, 1-4 pm
See our military gear, newspaper articles, photos, uniforms from WWI, WWII, and Korean War. Share/donate your family military memories and objects.
Presentation – The 22nd Michigan Infantry and the Road to Chickamauga
Thursday, November 9, 2023, 7 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
The 22nd Michigan Infantry and the Road to Chickamauga author John Cohassey will share some of our Civil War soldiers’ challenges and experiences, with information about soldiers buried at Pine Lake Cemetery, West Bloomfield.
Sponsored by West Bloomfield Library
Heroes Appreciation Breakfast
Wednesday, November 7, 9-10:30 am
West Bloomfield Middle School, 6000 Orchard Lake Road
Come visit our exhibit at this year’s Heroes Breakfast! WB Parks, WB Township, and WB Schools are partnering to create a Heroes breakfast to honor and recognize Veterans. The breakfast will include the West Bloomfield tradition of both Honor Guards (Fire Department and Police Department), as well as a guest speaker and live entertainment.
Click here for more information from WB Parks.
Open House
Sunday, November 5, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House
Sunday, October 29, 2023, 1-4 pm
Autumn Nature Walk
Sunday, October 22, 2023, 2-3 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary, 4700 Pontiac Trail
Join Naturalist Carol Fink for a guided tour. Walk through rolling terrain and explore seasonal autumn beauty.
Sponsored by the City of Orchard Lake Village.
Open House
Friday, October 20, 2023, 1-4 pm
Underground RR “Flight to Freedom” Tour & Lunch
Thursday, October 19, 10 am- 1:45 pm
(Price: $37 for residents / $42 for non-residents)
4640 Walnut Lake Road
Board the bus at Recreation Activities Center to experience The Underground Railroad “Flight to Freedom” tour, a storytelling re-enactment of the passage to freedom at the First Congregational Church of Detroit. Bag lunch following the tour. Choose: turkey or a vegetarian sandwich served with chips, cookie, water or lemonade. West Bloomfield Parks’ Community Transit bus pickup and return is available for this trip (call 248-706-2411 to schedule your ride).
Open House – Mrs. Butterworth Bottle Collection
Sunday, October 8, 2023, 1-4 pm
Kyle Staulter shares her collection of unique Mrs. Butterworth syrup bottles and related folk art.
Open House
Sunday, October 1, 2023, 1-4 pm
Presentation – Where History and Genealogy Meet: The Dash Between the Dates
Monday , September 25, 2023, 7 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
Our ancestors are more than their birth, marriage, and death dates! Family historian and professional genealogist Judy Muhn shares perspectives on ways history, artifacts, stories, and documentation inform the larger stories of our families.
Sponsored by West Bloomfield Library.
Open House
Sunday, September 24, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House
Friday, September 15, 2023, 1-4 pm
Tour Orchard Lake Museum with a Docent
Thursday, September 14, 2023, 1:30-2:30 pm
($5 cash donation at the door)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Meet at the Orchard Lake Museum for a guided small group tour with a Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society docent. See new exhibits about our municipalities, Albert Kahn, our schools, and first responders. West Bloomfield Parks’ Community Transit bus pickup and return is available for current WB Community Transit riders, please call 248-706-2411.
Open House – Antique Saws Collection
Sunday, September 10, 2023, 1-4 pm
See an extensive antique saw collection with a saw dating to 1890. Jerry McManus began collecting in the Tawas area, an area rich in lumbering-history.
Open House
Sunday, August 27, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House
Friday, August 18, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House – Classic Cars
Sunday, August 13, 2023, 1-4 pm
All are welcome to showcase their classic cars in the parking lot. “Voters Choice winner receives “West Bloomfield & the Tri-Cities.” Significant Buildings of Auto Pioneers in Greater West Bloomfield Presentation” by Tim Pawl at 2 pm & 3 pm.
Pine Lake Marina Tour
Wednesday, August 9, 2023, 7 -8 pm
(Price: $8 for residents / $10 for non-residents)
Pine Lake Marina, 3599 Orchard Lake Road. (Allow for road work detours/Park on Seminary Road.)
Gather at Pine Lake Marina for historical information about the longtime marina, water taxis, the camp on Pine Lake, and trolley transportation with Ron Hodess, Ron Gay, and Brian Golden. We’ll walk to the nearby Interurban railway bed.
Click here to register through West Bloomfield Parks.
Open House
Sunday, August 6, 2023, 1-4 pm
Orchard Lake Fine Art Show
Saturday & Sunday, July 29 & 30, 2023
Come visit us at this year’s Orchard Lake Fine Art Show!
Click here to learn more.
Open House
Sunday, July 23, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House
Friday, July 21, 2023, 1-4 pm
Appreciation Reception
Wednesday, July 12, 2023, 6-8 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Members, supporters, and volunteers are invited for refreshments with one complimentary ticket per person for a raffle with terrific prizes.
RSVP appreciated by not required by July 7 to snelsen@gwbhs.org.
Open House – Resorts
Sunday, July 9, 2023, 1-4 pm
Resorts, summer cottages, and camps were plentiful here! Come learn more about them and see postcards from that era.
Open House
Sunday, July 2, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House Docent Training
Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 1:30 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
New docents are needed! See if this is for you. New and current docents are invited for training with the Docent Open House Manual including our updated Gift Shop, how to open the museum, interact with guests, provide information, and answer questions. Contact snelsen@gwbhs.org if interested but unable to attend.
Juneteenth in the WB
Saturday, June 17, 2023, 10 am-2 pm
WB High School, 4925 Orchard Lake Road
Come visit the GWBHS table at this community event! A free, fun, family-friendly event. All are welcome to celebrate our community’s diversity & strength and honor the day the final enslaved people were emancipated in June 1865. Juneteenth in the WB celebrates the countless contributions of African Americans to our nation and our community. Learn more at www.JuneteenthWB.org
Open House
Friday, June 16, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House – Apple Island
Sunday, June 11, 2023, 1-4 pm
Apple Island Tours have been postponed due to logistic issues, so we will holding on Open House highlighting the Island’s history! Presentation at 2 pm and 3 pm. Newly loaned Island artifacts from Cranbrook Institute of Science will on display.
Open House
Sunday, June 4, 2023, 1-4 pm
Open House – National Trails Day
Saturday, June 3, 2023, 9 am-12 pm
The Museum will be open during the trail walk in partnership with West Bloomfield Parks & Recreation Commission.
Volunteer Orientation (“Our School History” Project – Data Entry)
Thursday, June 1, 2023, 6-7 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
This orientation is for a paid volunteering opportunity. Help us enter data for photographs related to local school history! You will learn how to upload pictures and enter data into our digital collections database (stipend provided). Time commitment includes attending the orientation and a minimum of 5 hours monthly until September 2023.
If you are interested in volunteering, please email snelsen@gwbhs.org or call (248) 757-2451.
Join GWBHS in Memorial Day Parades
Monday, May 29, 2023 9 am-12 pm
Join the parades! Walk, bike, or drive your classic car in the Memorial Day parades! Do you have a golf cart, with a hitch, to pull the GWBHS carriage? To volunteer or for more information contact duannesonneville@hotmail.com.
Open House
Friday, May 19, 2023, 1-4 pm
50th Anniversary Celebration Committee Meeting
Wednesday, May 17, 2023, 1:30-2:30 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of GWBHS! Help us decide how will we mark the occasion honoring our past! We are looking for volunteers to make and carry out plans for the GWBHS 50th Anniversary Celebration. Contact snelsen@gwbhs.org for more information.
Open House – Food & Farming
Sunday, May 14, 2023, 1-4 pm
This area was a farming community until the 1940s! Try hand farming tools and activities. Explore engaging exhibits interpret local area culture and history.
51st Greater West Bloomfield Michigan Week Community Awards Breakfast
Friday, May 12, 2023, 7 am
(Registration is $30 per person)
Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield
Greater West Bloomfield volunteers give their time, talent, and personal resources on a daily basis without regard for recognition or promotion. We invite you to help us celebrate and recognize these individuals and organizations that serve our community year-round. Register for the Awards Breakfast beginning Friday, March 10, until Friday, April 21, 2023. GWBHS is a proud sponsor of this event!
For more details go to MichiganWeek.org
Planning Meeting: 2024 Automotive History Tour
Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 7-8 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Volunteers needed! It takes many volunteers to support a program bringing our local automotive connections to the community. We are looking for more tour sites and hope to welcome at least four people to share their connections. We are also looking for volunteers to support the event in various ways, with no automotive knowledge needed.
Contact snelsen@gwbhs.org if you can’t attend, but wish to help.
Open House
Sunday, May 7, 2023, 1-4 pm
Grand Open House: Exhibit Opening
Sunday, April 23, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
We are excited to announce the completion of our “Four Communities” exhibit! Please join us for light refreshments to celebrate the opening of the Frances Gadd Gallery. The “Four Communities” exhibit features the City of Keego Harbor, City of Sylvan Lake, City of Orchard Lake Village, and West Bloomfield Township. Visitors can also learn about the Herschede Tubular Chime Clock and Keego Theater within the exhibit. There are also six new exhibits in the museum highlighting West Bloomfield transitions, European settlers, schools, local first responders, and other notable people such as the Ellenwood Family and Albert Kahn.
Open House
Friday, April 21, 2023, 1-4 pm
Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary Spring Walk
Sunday, April 16, 2023, 2-3 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary, 4700 Pontiac Trail
Join Naturalist David Anthony for a guided tour. Walk through rolling terrain and explore the breathtaking spring flowers. This nature walk will happen rain or shine! For safety, the Naturalist may cancel the walk at the time of the event.
Sponsored with Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary.
Planning Meeting: 2024 Automotive History Tour
Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 7-8 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Volunteers needed! It takes many volunteers to support a program bringing our local automotive connections to the community. We are looking for more tour sites and hope to welcome at least four people to share their connections. We are also looking for volunteers to support the event in various ways, with no automotive knowledge needed.
Contact snelsen@gwbhs.org if you can’t attend, but wish to help.
Tour the Birmingham Museum
Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 12:30 – 3:30 pm
WB Parks, Recreational Activities Center, 4640 Walnut Lake Rd.
Board the bus for a trip back in time with a docent led tour of The Birmingham Museum. See a new exhibit A Tapestry of Birmingham, which includes early Black settlement, abolitionists, the Underground Railroad. Also tour the oldest house in Oakland County – the 1822 John West Hunter House. See the WB Parks 2023 Winter Guide for details and registration.
Click here to register online.
Open House – 1913 & 1953 Tax Record Books
Sunday, April 2, 2023, 1-4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Come see 1913 and 1953 West Bloomfield tax record books. To learn more about your property, know your Township section number, property description and, if known, subdivision. Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Open House
Sunday, March 26, 2023, 1-4 pm
Restoring 2690 Pine Lake Road
Sunday, March 19, 2023, 2 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
West Bloomfield Library – Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
This memorable blue-shake roof home has an interesting story. Join Paul B. Wilbur as he returns to the time of Henry Ford and the development of the Pine Lake area. Learn about the home’s architecture and first owners.
Sponsored by West Bloomfield Library. 50-person attendance limit.
Open House
Friday, March 17, 2023, 1-4 pm
Neil Hepburn will be sharing his new “OKEMOS – I AM 76” presentation 2 PM & 3PM. This presentation focuses on the words from his court deposition. Runs about 20 minutes.
Open House – Interurban Trolley
Sunday, March 12, 2023, 1-4 pm
Learn about – the interurban, a light-rail system, which ran from downtown Detroit to Pontiac, that shortened travel time to the “up north” getaway that was West Bloomfield. This was a marvelous mass transit system here over 100 years ago! “Farmington Junction, A Trolley History” author Brian Golden gives a presentation at 2 pm and 3 pm.
Open House
Sunday, March 5, 2023, 1-4 pm
2nd Volunteer Planning Meeting (“Greater West Bloomfield Home & Garage Tour”)
Thursday, March 2, 2023, 7-8 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
“Greater West Bloomfield Home & Garage Tour” is currently planned for Saturday, July 20, 2024. Join us on Thursday, March 2, 7 pm at the Orchard Lake Museum to see what is possible. How can you help make this 50th anniversary event a success? Can we organize this now for best success later? New volunteers are welcome to attend and help out!
Volunteer Orientation (“Our School History” Project – Data Entry)
Thursday, March 2, 2023, 6-7 pm
Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road
This orientation is for a paid volunteering opportunity. You will learn how to upload pictures and enter data into our digital collections database. Click here to learn more about this volunteer opportunity. If you are interested in volunteering, please email snelsen@gwbhs.org or call (248) 757-2451.
Open House
Sunday, February 26, 2023, 1-4 pm
The Gift of Fire: Stories That Warm the Coldest Hearts!
Sunday, February 19, 2023, 2 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated – 50 person attendance limit)
WB Library Main Meeting Room, 4600 Walnut Lake Road
Join Mikwahndahn “Mike” Jewell as he shares Anishinaabe “Gift of Fire” stories. In Winter, elders taught their People these stories and the lessons they reinforce. More than ever, all people need to hear and learn these lessons told in the form of stories, which entertain and subtly teach us acceptance. Sponsored with WB Parks!
Open House
Friday, February 17, 2023, 1-4 pm
Eli Crockett: 1870 African-American Family Open House
Sunday, February 12, 2023 4 pm
(Free Admission, Donations Appreciated)
Orchard Lake Museum 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Learn about the Eli Crockett family, one of West Bloomfield Township’s first African-American households and their life here in the 1870s. Presentations at 2 & 3 pm by Neil Hepburn. Permanent exhibits interpret local area history and culture.
Open House
Sunday, February 5, 2023 1 – 4 pm
(Free Admission, Donation Appreciated)
Living With History: Car Connections – Home & Garage Tour 2024 Initial Planning Meeting
Saturday, February 4, 2023 10 am
Orchard Lake Museum 3951 Orchard Lake Road
Let’s celebrate our auto heritage and GWBHS 50th anniversary with a tour, while fundraising! New volunteers are needed to organize and chair this event. Tour stop help is provided.
Open House
Sunday, January 29, 2023 1 – 4 pm
(Free Admission, Donation Appreciated)
Annual Meeting & Presentation “Where History and Genealogy Meeting: The Dash Between the Dates”
Saturday, January 28, 2023 10 am- 2 pm
(Annual Meeting is FREE)
Orchard Lake Schools Dining Hall (enter from Commerce Road)
Our ancestors are more than their birth, marriage, and death dates! Family historian and professional genealogist, Judy Muhn, shares perspectives with history, artifacts, stories, and documentation inform the larger stories of our families. Thank you to Orchard Lake Schools for partnering with us!
*RSVP for brunch to contact@gwbhs.org or (248) 518-0871. Make brunch reservations by January 20 and remember there is a $15 brunch ticket donation.
Open House
Sunday, January 22, 2023 1 – 4 pm
Open House
Friday, January 20, 2023 1 – 4 pm
Open House: Traditional Ice Harvesting
Sunday, January 8, 1 – 4 pm
See traditional ice harvesting methods and tools. Come make an ice cone and see our permanent exhibits that interpret local area history and culture!
Want to see more Past Events? Click here!