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Recent and Upcoming Programs & Events
New for 2024! Black History Series on Saturdays in February at the Museum
The Birmingham Museum has been at the forefront of local interest in our previously unknown or overlooked Black history, and has been engaged in ongoing research and collaboration to help understand and tell more of the whole story of our past. This program will offer four topics related to Birmingham's unique Black history each Saturday in February from 11 AM to noon. Tickets are $10 and include a special presentation and access to the current exhibit featuring our fascinating cultural history, "A Tapestry of Birmingham: Exploring Our Diversity." We also offer a package of all four presentations for $35, which includes a free one year membership to the Friends of the Birmingham Museum. Seating is limited; pre-registration is required. Contact the museum at 248-530-1928 or lpielack@bhamgov.org. 
February 3, 2024, 11 AM to Noon: Abolitionist & Freedom Seeker: Birmingham's Story of the Underground Railroad--A previously unknown abolitionist. A recently discovered freedom seeker. Both settled in Birmingham and lived their lives here, and both are buried in Birmingham's Greenwood Cemetery. Justin Koch will explain how their stories were uncovered and how it has changed our understanding of Birmingham's place in Underground Railroad history. 
February 10, 2024, 11 AM to Noon: The Multi-Racial 'Delaware Moors' and Birmingham's Past--Who were the 'Delaware Moors,' and what is their connection to Birmingham? Leslie Pielack will discuss this unique multi-racial group who migrated from the eastern U.S. in the 19th century, and how they became part of Birmingham's history.
February 17, 2024, 11 AM to Noon: The Harris-Jackson Family: A Century of Being Black in Birmingham--They were the longest residing Black family to establish roots in Birmingham and saw the town change from a small village to a vibrant city. Donna Casaceli will explore the family's history and experience as 'the only Black family in Birmingham' in the 20th century.
February 24, 2024, 11 AM to Noon: Creem Magazine and Black Artists of the 1970s--and Beyond--Creem, the in-your-face, bold and brash rock mag that was produced in Birmingham was also one of the earliest to seriously cover Black musicians and songwriters, and to address issues of social justice. Caitlin Donnelly, our resident Creem expert, will present some of its ground-breaking coverage of Black artists.
Our Local History Lectures now our YouTube Channel
Got the local history bug? Satisfy your interest by checking out our many videorecorded local history lectures given at the Baldwin Public Library over the past few years--at your leisure, and at no charge! Topics vary widely, but all involve Birmingham and its story, and include Birmingham's neighborhoods, school history, Martha Baldwin, Creem Magazine, famous families from Birmingham, local Black history, and some of the more famous names associated with Birmingham: Carlos Lopez, Minoru Yamasaki, and others. The lectures are now available on our YouTube channel, with closed captions. Each lecture is approximately 45 min. in length. Thanks to the Baldwin Public Library for providing the videos.
Fall 2023-Spring 2024 Lecture Series at the Baldwin Public Library
Birmingham's 200-year history of diversity is highlighted in our popular Tapestry of Birmingham exhibit, which will be extended to June, 2024. Our lecture series will draw from the exhibit and explore some of the cultural issues that have been experienced in our community in the context of the larger American story. All lectures will be available as video only during the Baldwin Library's planned construction project.
October 12, 2023, 7 PM (Hispanic Heritage Month): (Donna Casaceli)
Carlos Lopez: The Painter Behind the Controversy—Carlos Lopez was a gifted and well-known muralist whose work was highly esteemed when he was commissioned in 1942 to paint a federally funded mural in Birmingham’s new Post Office, and encountered surprising criticism of the final work. Join Donna Casaceli in exploring the life and works of Carlos Lopez and the story of the Birmingham Post Office mural.
November 9, 2023, 7 PM: (Caitlin Donnelly)
Birmingham’s Washington Willits and 19th Century Mental Health Treatment—In 1850, the son of one of the founding families of Birmingham was noted as “deranged” on the census, later dying tragically after discharge from a mental asylum in New York. Caitlin Donnelly will explore what Willits’ story tells us about the understanding and treatment of mental illness at the time.
January 11, 2024, 7 PM: (Justin Koch)
A Shifting Landscape: How Immigration Shaped Birmingham—How was Birmingham affected by the waves of immigration to the U.S. over the last two hundred years? Who were the groups who gravitated toward Birmingham, and why? Justin Koch will give a closer look at how Birmingham was shaped within the larger national context of immigration.
February 8, 2024, 7 PM (Black History Month): (Caitlin Donnelly)
The Civil Rights Movement in the 1970s and Birmingham’s CREEM Magazine—Prison uprisings, drug culture, “porn rock,” moral panic, and “Boy, Howdy!”...The struggle for civil rights influenced the music of the times, and “America’s only Rock’n’Roll Magazine,” CREEM, was there to cover it. Learn more about how the magazine, published here from 1973-1986, examined the intersection of race, class, and music during the period.
March 14, 2024, 7 PM (Women’s History Month): (Donna Casaceli)
The Prindle Sisters: Birmingham's Pioneer Women-- They came as brides to the unknown frontier of Oakland County wilderness after the War of 1812, bringing little else but each other. Join Donna Casaceli us to learn about how these pioneer women faced many hardships to build early Birmingham.
Guided Tours of our Historic Hunter House
With general admission to our changing exhibit at the Allen House, visitors are entitled to a guided tour of the 1822 John West Hunter House-the oldest house in Oakland County, and one of the oldest intact dwellings in all of Michigan. The Hunter House was also the first frame house built in the wilderness of Oakland County using an unusual building style, which visitors can see through an exposure window inside the wall of the house. The interior is furnished with antiques from its occupation periods--from pioneer days through the 1920s when local architect Wallace Frost was hired to renovate the parlor and dining room. Visitors can also see interior painted finishes that were recently changed to reflect a more accurate color scheme based on an analysis of the historic colors, bringing the 200-year old building to life. The image at left shows the orange-pumpkin color that was discovered as the earliest color used on the bedroom trim work.
Birmingham is a walkable city, and visitors and citizens alike enjoy pedestrian activities any time of year, and whether or not there is a public health reason to be outdoors. Check out these local walking (and driving) tours for an immersive experience in one of the great historic themes that makes such an excursion a true delight. Downloadable maps can be printed and taken along, or stop by the museum for printed brochures and additional information. You just might be amazed!Themed Self-Guided Tours of Greenwood Cemetery
Three new printable 2-page walking tours are now available to take with you next time you wander the grounds.
"Birmingham's Pioneers" features the stories of men and women who came to the wilderness of Oakland County to start new lives half way along the Saginaw Trail (now Woodward Avenue) from Detroit to Pontiac, and are among the earliest burials at Greenwood. The tour path is concentrated in the oldest section of the cemetery near the east entrance on Oak Street. "19th Century Community Builders" takes visitors through more of the cemetery as the path meanders past the grave sites of those who helped build the small settlement of Birmingham into a thriving village and humming commercial center. And, for those of you curious about Greenwood's more recent past, "20th Century Notables" highlights an even longer walk through many famous internees, such as American sculptor Marshall Fredericks, noted author Elmore Leonard, early aviators, auto makers and engineers, and the parents of world-famous Twin Towers architect, Minoru Yamasaki. 
Birmingham women have made their mark on the town and actively participated in politics even before the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. From the pioneer period of Birmingham's settlement to the first women rock critics at 1970s Creem Magazine, this tour features twelve amazing women who shaped their worlds and the various buildings associated with their stories. Download the brochure to learn more. (Photo, c.1880s; Gitel Levinson, first Jewish woman resident of Birmingham, courtesy Carl Levin) Marshall Fredericks Walking/Driving Tour
Famous sculptor Marshall Fredericks resided in Birmingham, and his works are among the most important American art of the 20th century. Our community is proud to have so many of his works available for the public to view! Download the four page brochure to see a great downtown walking/driving tour with information on each of the sculptures, provided by Fredericks expert Marcy Heller Fisher. (Shown: Freedom of the Human Spirit, Downtown Birmingham's Shain Park; photo courtesy Hometown Life)Downtown Birmingham Walking Tour
Birmingham has a long and interesting history. Many of the residences and commercial buildings in the downtown area have had fascinating roles to play in the town, and some have been around for more than a century. Take a walking tour and check out some of the more interesting and historic of these structures in this walking tour brochure. (Shown: Birmingham Theater, built 1927. Photo courtesy Ron Gross)Video Tours & Museum App
Can't make it into the museum for an in person tour? We have several video tours available! The Friends of the Birmingham Museum put together a few videos showcasing individuals on their cemetery tours. This playlist was designed for our second grade virtual visitors. This tour was done for Kent Lund's "The Collectors" program, while the video below features Bella, the city's therapy dog, taking a tour of our "Beyond Suffrage" exhibit.
Four Different Greenwood Cemetery Tours Now on Museum App! 
The Underground Railroad Tour features the newly designated National Park Service Network to Freedom historical burial sites of freedom seeker George B. Taylor and abolitionist Elijah S. Fish. Their stories are detailed in the app, which also tells you where to find their final resting places. The app will also offer the three established and popular tours of others who helped shaped Birmingham during three different periods: The Birmingham's Pioneers Tour explains who the key settlers were during the earliest period, especially the murders of Polly Ann and Cynthia Utter in 1825. The 19th Century Community Builders Tour highlights the next generation of families who established Birmingham as a thriving local commercial center and whose names appear all over Birmingham on city streets and many of our historic buildings. And, the 20th Century Notables Tour includes recognizable names from more recent times, including the Booth family of Cranbrook, sculptor Marshall Fields, and novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard.Museum App has Interactive Student Tours
The museum is introducing a fun way to learn more about local history with its new free app, available at the appstore for both Apple and Android devices (search 'The Birmingham Museum').