VASSAR HISTORICAL MUSEUM

VASSAR, MI

May 20, 2023: The "Bavarian Belle" docked at Frankenmuth, Michigan We're in Frankenmuth, Michigan; the <i>Bavarian Belle</i> is boarding passengers for its 6:30 PM tour, and I'm rushing across the bridge toward the dock at the north end of the RiverPlace Shops complex before I get left behind. Built in 1981, this charming Victorian-style paddlewheel steamer plied the Mississippi for nearly 20 years before its purchase and restoration by its present owners. Nowadays, it offers pleasant 45-minute sightseeing cruises along the Cass River to summer-season visitors to Michigan's &quot;Little Bavaria&quot;. — May 20, 2023: The "Bavarian Belle" docked at Frankenmuth, Michigan Credit: Carrotflower Productions International

The Vassar Historical Museum is situated in Vassar, Michigan and is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the town and its surrounding areas. Housed in a beautifully restored Victorian mansion, the museum showcases a vast collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs that provide visitors with a glimpse into the past.

The museum features several exhibits that cover different aspects of the town's history, including its agriculture, industry, and commerce. Visitors can explore the mansion's many rooms, which have been restored to reflect the different time periods and lifestyles of the town's residents.

One of the highlights of the museum is the Genealogy Research Center, which provides visitors with access to a wealth of genealogical resources, including family histories, census records, and vital records. The center is staffed by knowledgeable volunteers who are available to help visitors with their research.

In addition to its exhibits and research center, the Vassar Historical Museum also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including lectures, workshops, and special exhibits. The museum is open to the public on weekends and by appointment during the week, making it a must-visit destination for anyone interested in learning more about the history of Vassar and the surrounding areas.

VASSAR HISTORICAL MUSEUM is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in VASSAR MI. US MID #8402600725

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

May 19, 2023: Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth, Michigan Facing each other across Main Street at the south end of downtown Frankenmuth, Michigan are Zehnder's <i>(left background)</i> and the Bavarian Inn <i>(right foreground)</i>, two longstanding titans of the local hospitality industry that each represent discrete chapters in the storied saga of the Zehnder family, who more than any other was responsible for putting the town on the tourist map as Michigan's &quot;Little Bavaria&quot;. It all started in 1929, when family patriarch William Zehnder, Sr. purchased the erstwhile Exchange Hotel and renamed it after himself - but it was across the street at the Bavarian Inn (our dinner destination for tonight) where the essential ingredients of today's Frankenmuth tourist experience were born. After a few formative years spent working at Zehnder's under the tutelage of his father and his uncle Ernie, it was William, Jr. who struck out on his own in 1950 with his purchase not only of the old Fischer Hotel across the street, but also the secret recipe for golden fried chicken that had earned previous owner Elmer Fischer considerable renown. Although chicken dinners remained Fischer's biggest draw, business was initially slow - the effect, experts said, of two essentially identical competing businesses operating in the same small town - and Zehnder soon found himself deeply in debt. Rather than throw in the towel, however, he took a gamble on the idea that a larger market was out there, and hatched a plan to help remake Frankenmuth as a regional tourist destination, playing up the Bavarian ancestry of the majority of the townsfolk. In 1958, Zehnder enlisted Chicago-based designer Robert Lederer to help remodel the place in an eye-catching mock-Alpine motif, and upon its reopening, the newly rechristened Bavarian Inn successfully set the town on the trend that endures to this day. The operation has since expanded to the scale of a full-fledged resort, but if all you're after is a family-style meal of fried chicken and/or hearty Teutonic comfort food, the original Inn (or, for that matter, the original Zehnder's across the street, with whom it's engaged in a good-natured rivalry) still serves it up in style.

HESR 740-06 - Zilwaukee HESR 3866 enters the North YL of Saginaw under the Zilwaukee Bridge heading south.

Contact VASSAR HISTORICAL MUSEUM

telephone: 9898232651

VASSAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY
450 SOUTH MAIN STREET
VASSAR
MI
48768

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VASSAR HISTORICAL MUSEUM Information

MID #	8402600725
Name	VASSAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Alternate Name	VASSAR HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Classification	Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)	382888867
NTEECC	A82
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)	201307
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	43.366375, -83.588476
CODES	FIPS State Code: 26 FIPS County Code: 157 US Census Tract: 000900 US Census Block: 1034