(Submitted by the Lakeshore Museum Center)

As a sure sign that spring is here, the three historic sites of the Lakeshore Museum Center are open. Tours will be offered at the Hackley and Hume Historic Site, the Fire Barn Museum and Scolnik House of the Depression Era Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Visitors to the Hackley and Hume Historic Site will begin their visit in the second floor gallery of the City Barn, which was remodeled over the winter. A new introductory video welcomes our visitors and provides them with an overview of the museum sites along with the history of the Hackley and Hume site, the lumber barons, and the lumbering era.

The gallery also features a small replica of the office at the Hackley and Hume Lumber Company. It includes an office chair, a desk we believe was original to the company, and a map of the lumber mills that lined the shores of Muskegon Lake. “The Journey from Forest to the Lumberyard” exhibit uses photographs, labels and artifacts to tell the story of lumbering in Muskegon.

It’s time for tea in the family homes. In the Hackley House, the dining room is ready for a formal tea, and across the courtyard in the second parlor of the Hume House, an early afternoon tea is being served. Tour guides will share information about the popular social custom of serving tea to guests with visitors of the site as part of their tour. Returning visitors will notice that the wallpaper in the parlors in the Hume House is new this season. Period appropriate paper was installed over the winter to replace wallpaper installed in the 1990s.

The site is located at 484 W. Webster Avenue at Sixth Street. Admission is $5 for guests 13 and older; visitors 12 and younger are admitted free. A gift shop is located in the City Barn where tours begin.

The Fire Barn Museum is a replica of the Hackley Hose Company No. 2, which was formed in 1875 after the city experienced several devastating fires. Artifacts on display include a 1923 LaFrance Class B Pumper Truck, hose carts, hooks and ladders, alarm and call box systems, uniforms and photographs of local fires. It is located at 510 W. Clay Avenue near Sixth Street.

Visitors to the Scolnik House of the Depression Era will learn about families living in this important period of history. The house was built in the late 1880s in classic Queen Anne-inspired Folk Victorian Style and features period furnishings, appliances, flooring and wallpaper. The Scolnik House is located next door to the Fire Barn. Admission at both sites is free for all ages. •