Greenfield Village, Michigan

One of the surprise stops on my vacation this July was the Greenfield Village. Greenfield Village is a large 80 acre park dedicated to America’s history. There are 83 authentic, historic structures including Noah Webster’s home, where he wrote the first American dictionary; Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory; and the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law.

While at Greenfield Village, I stopped by the trade shops around the Stony Creek Mill Pond. This included the pottery shop, the weaving shop, Stony Creek Sawmill, the Spofford Sawmill, the printing office, the tin shop, and the glass shop. I think my favorite, though all the shops and sawmills were wonderful to visit, was the printing office. No big surprise, right? LOL. But, here at Greenfield Village, guests are allowed to create a set up print using the printing press. To the right, you can see me about to pull the leave to apply pressure to the flat plate, creating a print of the Edison’s Menlo Park (picture on the left).

Other attractions to visit are the Detroit Toledo and Milwaukee Roundhouse, and the Edison Illuminating Company’s Station A. The Detroit Toledo and Milwaukee Roundhouse are filled with train engines and you can learn how they work and see the tools used to maintain such heavy machinery.  The Edison Illuminating Company is a ‘bright’ way to see original generators.

One of the coolest activities to do while visiting Greenfield Village is to catch the train at the Firestone Station. The train ride travels around the edge of the park, passing the Ackley Covered Bridge, the Susquehanna Plantation, and through a wetland currently being restored. It’s a great way to start or to end the visit.

There is so much to see at Greenfield Village. Unfortunately, there is far more than I had time for. So, I will be planning another visit to Michigan for a more in depth exploration of America’s history.