Grice House Museum

Step through time into Grice House, which has been furnished entirely by donated items from numerous area families to depict life in this part of Michigan in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The property was purchased by James G. Grice in August 1874 and the wooden portion of the home was constructed shortly thereafter.  The home has been added to the national Registry of Historical Places.

Your tour will include a mid-19th century kitchen, parlor, sewing room and bedroom.  In addition, rooms have been set aside for our maritime history, history of the Great lakes, early industry in harbor Beach, and one room is a display of military items.  Our picture room has many fascinating photographs on display and there are order forms available to request photographic copies of our prints.  Farm implements and other unique items used in the olden days are displayed in our farm shed.

Family donations throughout time have stocked the lakeside museum in Harbor Beach with a cross section of artifacts and lifestyle.  The living conditions were sparse by today’s standards.  However, the Grice House was the beginning of a strong settlement of Great Lakes peoples.  Review their lives here at the Grice House.

A circa 1920 one room school house was moved to the Museum grounds in 1988.  The school is furnished with desks, books and the stove so common in one room country schools of yesteryear.  There are local school yearbooks that bring a nostalgic smile to many who grew up in these parts.  The school building can be used by school groups for a living history experience.  There are a collection of newspaper clippings and obituaries for the family historian and treasure seeker alike.

In 2015 the pavilion at North Park Campground was moved across the road to become the newest addition to the museum. It now holds a large selection of vintage farm machinery from the the time period.