Leelanau County’s rich history, as vast as it may be, is thankfully preserved and recorded through various memorabilia like artifacts, documents, photos, and historical items found at a number of museums on the peninsula.
From Northport to Omena, to historic Fishtown and down to Empire, museums in Leelanau County offer people the opportunity to take a closer, more personal look into the past. Whether people are just curious about learning about the history of the area or if they’re working on a project for something bigger, these area museums offer free access to information/ resources that would otherwise not be available to the public and help to shine a light on a different period in time.
The Putnam-Cloud Tower House Museum in Omena is just one of multiple local museums helping to preserve the history of its area within its walls. Open every Thursday morning for Community Coffee Hour, by appointment year-round, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays from late June-September, the museum holds not only a wealth of knowledge about Omena and its early days, but also hosts various programs and new exhibits every year. It was founded 31 years ago, and holds oral histories, photos, and other historical documents collected, archived, and stored previously in the Omena Firehall.
