Muskegon's fortunes were built on water long before they moved by road or rail. On Saturday, September 5, the Muskegon Heritage Museum of Business and Industry dedicates its next free Community Day to the harbors, vessels, and shipping routes that carried Muskegon's lumber, furniture, and manufactured goods out onto Lake Michigan and beyond.
Admission is free from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the museum's downtown location, 561 W. Western Ave. Ships & Ports marks the fifth installment of the museum's 2026 Community Days series, presented by Verplank. This year’s Community Days have been a season-long exploration of the transportation networks that shaped Muskegon County, held one Saturday each month from May through October.
September's celebration is made possible by Verplank, RENK, and Automated Industrial Motion (AIM). Verplank continues its role as presenting sponsor of the full Community Days series, while RENK, a Muskegon-based manufacturer of mobility systems for military vehicles, and AIM, a West Michigan producer of spring coiling and wire-forming machinery, lend their support to this month's program.
“Muskegon's lake access is the reason this city exists as an industrial center in the first place,” said Site Manager Kirk Bunke. “When people can walk up to the artifacts and see how goods actually moved across the water, it changes how they think about the lakeshore.”
There is one more remaining Community Day in the 2026 schedule:
October 3 – Air Travel
Community Days are free and open to the public; no registration is required. This year's series is additionally supported by the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Freedom 250.
More information is available at muskegonheritage.org.
