Celebrate maritime history during Glen Haven Days

From staff reports

Time for a day of fun and discovery with park rangers and skilled volunteers at the annual Glen Haven Days. The event will be held Saturday, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Glen Haven Historic Village and U.S. Life-Saving Service (USLSS) Station at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The festivities will include hands-on activities and costumed reenactments. All programs are free with a valid park pass.

Park rangers will help bring the early 1900s to life. You can discover various aspects of village life, learn about shipwrecks, and practice early rescue techniques performed by the USLSS. There will be blacksmith forge demonstrations, visits to the general store, timber-framing, and a hands-on “shipwreck rescue,” just to name a few of the activities.

Glen Haven is considered one of the best surviving examples of an early steamship wooding (fueling) station. Food, fuel, and other services were provided for ships traveling the hazardous Manitou Passage on the route between Chicago and New York. Today, the National Park Service preserves and interprets the blacksmith shop, general store, boat museum (formerly a fruit cannery), and USLSS Station.

After visitors explore Glen Haven, they can share their adventures at FindYourPark.com, or on social media, using the hashtags #FindYourPark and #sleepingbearnps.

For more in-depth information about the National Lakeshore, please visit Nps.gov/slbe.