Wakefield Michigan Historical Society & Museum

06/20/2026

⛏️ Today at 6 pm! ⛏️

Our museum will be open for extended hours today from 1 pm until 6 pm for Bill Jamerson's performance. We will also be open following the performance to serve refreshments inside our building. Stop by to check out the renovated museum and enjoy this free community event!
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Join us at our museum for an hour-long performance by Bill Jamerson dedicated to the history of iron mining in our area, as well as on the 100th anniversary of the Pabst Mine Disaster in Ironwood.

This performance will blend a mix of folk songs and storytelling to share the history of what was once our area's largest source of revenue and employment. This performance will be on the museum's front lawn, so please bring a folding chair or blanket if needed! Guests will sit on the grass of the front lawn while Bill performs on our secondary front porch.

This event is open to the public and is entirely FREE! Light refreshments will be served inside the museum following the performance. The performance starts at 6 pm. Our museum will be open for extended hours on June 20th from 1 pm until 6 pm, and then for refreshments following the performance.

06/13/2026

⛏️ Coming up on Saturday, June 20th: ⛏️

Join us at our museum for an hour-long performance by Bill Jamerson dedicated to the history of iron mining in our area, as well as on the 100th anniversary of the Pabst Mine Disaster in Ironwood.

This performance will blend a mix of folk songs and storytelling to share the history of what was once our area's largest source of revenue and employment. This performance will be on the museum's front lawn, so please bring a folding chair or blanket if needed! Guests will sit on the grass of the front lawn while Bill performs on our secondary front porch.

This event is open to the public and is entirely FREE! Light refreshments will be served inside the museum following the performance. The performance starts at 6 pm. Our museum will be open for extended hours on June 20th from 1 pm until 6 pm, and then for refreshments following the performance.

06/05/2026

Here's a quick peek at our new and improved gift shop... stop by when we reopen at 1 PM today to take a look!

Just a little of what we have to offer:
- Limited supply of Dennis Rolando books (these sell extremely fast and are rare to find these days. Once they're gone, they're gone!)
- Mugs, trinkets, jewelry, keychains, and pocket knives advertising Wakefield and the Upper Peninsula
- Dishes from the Wakefield Memorial Community Building, ONLY $5 EACH! (We have so many of these in storage. Maybe it's time for a kitchen upgrade to make your dish set Wakefield themed?)
- Wakefield High School / Wakefield-Marenisco School yearbooks for ONLY $5 EACH!
- A variety of books and local publications about the UP
- Pins, bells, and thimbles featuring Nee-Gaw-Nee-Gaw-Bow
- Postcards focusing on Wakefield and the UP
- A giant free shelf full of other historical items and ways to show your patriotism in honor of the USA's 250th 🇺🇸

We will be open 1pm-4pm today and will be returning to our regular hours, Monday through Saturday from 1pm-4pm.

06/05/2026

📣 We reopen TODAY! 📣

Today is the big day: we will be reopening for our regular season today at 1 PM and we'll be open until 4 PM. Stop by to check out our new displays, updated gift shop (photos coming soon!), and see what else we've been up to at the museum building. This is also a great opportunity to kick off your children's summer with the early release at Wakefield-Marenisco.

Going forward, we will be returning to our regular hours of Monday through Saturday, 1 PM - 4 PM.

06/04/2026

It's almost time for us to reopen! We'll be open for the regular summer season starting on Friday from 1pm-4pm. Come stop by to see the updates around our building. We also have an assortment of antique and vintage toys that are available for children to play with - kick off your student's summer after tomorrow's early release at Wakefield-Marenisco!
You can see a live countdown to our reopening here: https://countingdownto.com/?c=7164914

We look forward to seeing you all this summer! 🌞 ⛱️

Instantly create a beautiful, animated countdown clock, to share or embed in your website. Count down to a date with your own unique countdown timer.

06/01/2026

📣 It's official - we're reopening! 📣

Our museum will return from lengthy refurbishments and renovations that have kept our building closed since last December. Our first day of operation will be this Friday (June 5th). We'll also be open Saturday, June 6th and closed on Sunday. Going forward, we will be returning to our usual days and hours: Monday through Saturday from 1 PM until 4 PM. Private tours are also welcome based on availability of our volunteers.

What's new...
- All-new and upgraded displays on our first floor, including new layouts and displays in our General Store, Kitchen, Military, and Doctor's Office rooms.
- A brand new display covering the amenities and history of Wakefield's former City Hall building, founding, city government, and first residents.
- A modernized way to view Lifetime Memberships and plaques on our new Legacy TV.
- An all-new display that covers Wakefield's 2002 flood, the 2016 EF0 tornado, and other major catastrophic events in Wakefield's history.
- A freshly renovated logging display covering history of logging in Wakefield, as well as Connor Lumber.
- Renovated displays on our second floor featuring a turn of the century farmhouse, the Wakefield school system, Esther's Closet, and our Organizations Room, which focuses on churches, volunteer groups, and media types.

Stop by to see the new displays and a better look at what history our town has. Free admission! We are located at 306 Sunday Lake Street in Wakefield.

05/29/2026

In honor of this year being the semiquincentennial, our museum features a patriotic display that will be lit up nightly throughout the summer. The centerpiece is one of Wakefield's former Christmas pole mount stars rethemed for the 4th of July. We will be officially reopening on Friday, June 5th!

05/24/2026

-- Museum Update #2 --

Memorial Day is soon upon us, and we've been using the long weekend to continue rebuilding and updating our museum. The big project - new carpet in the Logging Room - is now finished. Everything is starting to fall right into place! We hope to be open within the next week or two. Thank you to everyone who has supported us! We can't wait to see you this summer.

05/21/2026

📣 Calling All Volunteers! 📣

Our museum will be reopening soon, and it's almost time for the summer rush! We are in search of anyone willing to volunteer at our museum in any way that works best for you - long term, short term, or off and on. This is a great opportunity for those looking for a way to give back to their community, and a great way to learn more about Wakefield's history.

Docents also receive a FREE Wakefield Historical Society Membership which includes free access to NewspaperArchive, one of the leading archives of historic newspapers (including all Gogebic Range newspapers!). Student Volunteers receive a certificate of completion at the end of the summer as well as a record of all volunteered time for your reference.

Questions or interest may be directed to Alex Gustafson, Director, by either emailing [email protected] or by sending a message to our page through Messenger. This position is unpaid, and all applicants are subject to an interview with the Director as well as Board of Trustees approval.