The Hackley & Hume Historic Site, Fire Barn Museum, and Scolnik House of the Depression Era are now opened for the season. The three historic sites are operated by the Lakeshore Museum Center.

Return visitors will notice some additions and changes to the lumber barons’ mansions. Over thirty items from the museum’s collection have been moved into the houses. The foyer of the Hume House features an ornate secretary and large hall mirror which had previously been displayed at the Torrent House. A number of chairs have also been added.

A pair of Charles Hackley’s glasses and their case are displayed in his library along with a pocket watch that belonged to his son Charles Moore Hackley. Some Victorian decorations, vases, and decanters were also added. A display case on the second floor features Native American items from the museum collection including arrowheads, stone tools and a pair of beaded moccasins that Museum records indicate belonged to Hackley.

Built in the late 1800s, the homes of lumber barons Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume feature lavish wood carvings, stenciling, stained glass windows, and period furnishings. They are two of the finest examples of Queen Anne Style Victorian homes in the country.

A display in the City Barn includes brief biographies of the lumber barons along with a display of photographs and lumbering artifacts on display. The site is located at 484 West Webster Avenue at Sixth Street. Admission is $7 for adults and teens and $5 for seniors 65 and older. Admission is free for 12 and younger.

The Fire Barn Museum and Scolnik House of the Depression Era are located just half a block away. The Fire Barn, 510 West Clay Avenue, is a replica of the C.H. Hackley Hose Co. No. 2 and tells the story of the early days of fire fighting in Muskegon. Photographs and artifacts, including a 1923 American la France Pumper truck, hose carts, alarm systems, and ladders are on display. Next door at the Scolnik House, the story of two ordinary families living during the Depression Era is told. Visitors will find period furnishings, flooring, wall coverings, and appliances. A rotary telephone offers an opportunity to listen in on a party line conversation and popular radio programs from the era educate and amuse visitors.

Admission to the Fire Barn Museum and Scolnik House is free for all visitors. All three historic sites are open Thursday through Monday from 10 am to 4 pm. On Sundays, the three sites are open from 1 pm to 4 pm.

The Lakeshore Museum Center, located at 430 West Clay Avenue at Fourth Street, is open weekdays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is free for Muskegon County residents and $3 for non-residents.

For more information, contact the Lakeshore Museum Center at 231-722-0278 or visit www.lakeshoremuseum.org.