Save the Date Ladies' Night
Out: Shopping and a Sneak Peek at Christmas at Crossroads Holiday Magic
Monday, November 15, 2010 Come and
experience Ladies' Night Out for a shopping experience that cannot be
duplicated in a mall or big box store! (Click
here for more info)
Save the Date
7th
Annual, Huckleberry Hustle 5k Trail Run and Walk
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Enjoy a rustic run through Crossroads Village's
maintained backwoods trails. The trail run ends at the
historic 1912 Parker Carousel where you can hear the
"happiest music on earth" as you take your free spin on
the carousel, enjoy a cup of delicious berry lemonade
and munch on a
tasty berry muffin. (more
info)
Save the Date Country Tea November 27, December
4, 11, and
18, 2010. A Country Tea is something of a cross between a formal sit-down
function and a buffet because you are offering hors d’oeuvres-type
finger foods in an elegant, seated environment. Crossroads Village’s
Country Tea experience is filled with old village charm and is a true,
historic Country Tea. Time: 1:30 pm. Reservations must be made by the Wednesday prior to the tea date.
Kids love the Huckleberry candies they can purchase at the
Attica Hotel Gift Shop. Collectors enjoy the large selection
of turn-of-the-century reproductions and village
memorabilia.
Hand-crafted
Treasures from the Trades
From grinding grain to making brooms, printing signs to
building toys, Crossroads Village is buzzing with skilled
men and women who demonstrate the trades that were so
essential to village life one hundred years ago.
Many sell their wares right in the workshop, like the iron
fireplace tools and dinner bells crafted by the village
blacksmith, and the brooms and brushes for purchase at the
Fenton Carriage Barn and Broom Shop.
You’ll find toy trains and puzzles made by our toy craftsmen
at the Durant Toy Shop. And you can select original designs
printed by our 1860s printing press in the Manwaring
Building and Print Shop.
Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry
Railroad are located just North of Flint. Follow I-475 North off I-75 or
I-69 to Saginaw Street – Exit 13.
If you are coming from the I-475 exit 13, please go north on Saginaw
Road to the
corner of Saginaw and Stanley Road, turn right.
Take Stanley Road 2 miles to Bray Road. Turn right
on Bray Road; Village is 1/2 mile south on left-hand
(east)side
at 6140 Bray Road, Flint. FREE PARKING!
Like
the small towns of the last century, visitors to Crossroads
Village will find a well-stocked general store and post
office, plus shops that specialize in everything from candy
and kitchen towels to pretty dishes and flour ground at the
Village mill.
Shop at the General Store
and Village Post Office
The shelves of the General Store reach nearly to its 12 ˝-foot
ceiling, and they’re filled with many of the same kinds of goods
that families purchased in this very store 100 years ago. You’ll
find three kinds of flour ground right in the Village at the
Atlas Gristmill, plus jams and jellies, candles, kitchen towels
and pretty dishes. There’s also a big selection of toys and
gifts for every budget, so you can bring a bit of Crossroads
Need postcards, stamps or disposable cameras? Stop next door at
the post office and stock up on supplies. Cards and letters sent
from here will be stamped with the Village’s own postmark!
Especially for Train Fans
The Train Station Gift Shop is a train-lover’s dream with its bins of train whistles, engineer caps, books and games!
Daily Programs
May 29 – September 6 ~ Step Back into Time at
Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad,
Step back into time and participate in an active village where you can
help with chores, learn traditional crafting skills and trades, and play
the old fashioned way! There is so much for the entire family to
do!
Registration is not required. Time: 10 am to 5 pm.
Cost: Village admission. Contact Kathi Whitcomb with
inquiries: 810-736-7100 ext. 856.
May 29 – September 6 ~ Daily Chores,Lend a hand with the following chores: butter churning, sewing,
gardening, clothes washing, and more! Registration is not
required. Time: 10 am to 5 pm. Cost: Village
admission. Contact Kathi Whitcomb with inquiries:
810-736-7100 ext. 856.
May 29 – September 6 ~ Stanley School Program,
Join us for some old
fashioned classroom learning! Take part in letterwriting for
the pony express, participate in one of two classes throughout the day,
or join in for some recess fun!
Registration is not required. Time: various times throughout
the day. Cost: Village admission. Contact Kathi
Whitcomb with inquiries: 810-736-7100 ext. 856.
May 29 – September 6 ~ Farm Life,
See how the farm life was in the 1800’s
by visiting Crossroads Village farm house. Watch the farmers milk
the cow, feed the chickens, wash clothes, help with the gardening, and
learn about butterflies and hummingbirds. Registration is not
required. Time: 10 am to 5 pm. Cost: Village
admission. Contact Kathi Whitcomb with inquiries:
810-736-7100 ext. 856.
May 29 – September 6 ~ Children’s Crafts,
Children of all ages are invited to join us at the Stanley School to participate and enjoy crafts. Stop in and see what we are up to this week. All yours to take home! Registration is not
required. Time: 10 am to 5 pm. Cost: Village
admission. Contact Kathi Whitcomb with inquiries:
810-736-7100 ext. 856.
May 29 – September 6 ~ Pony Express,
”The mail must go through” is the
motto of the original pony express. Come to Crossroads Village and
see our pony express travel through the village. Write letters at the school house to any one in the village; drop it off at the General store, and everyday at 3:30 pm, watch for River or Rain, our miniature horses deliver mail, the Crossroads Village Pony Express way. Delivery of Village mail is subject to change. Registration is not required. Time: 10 am to 5 pm. Cost:
Village admission. Contact Kathi Whitcomb with inquiries:
810-736-7100 ext. 856.
Always Family Friendly! 2010 Summer Season May 29-September
6, 2010
Wednesday
thru Sunday & Holidays
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
6140 Bray Rd., Flint, MI 48505 One
Hundred Acres, One Hundred
Years of History!
Imagine a village
where the air smells like fresh pressed-apples and wheat straw
and where a rocking chair on a porch seems the perfect place to
linger on a warm summer morning.
Close your eyes and
feel the smooth-worn wooden sidewalks that lead past Mrs. Eldridge’s
house where cookies cool in the open window. Hear the hammer of the
blacksmith making fireplace tools. Listen for the music of the C.W.
Parker Carousel and the laughter of children playing outside the
school house.
This is life as it was
a century ago in the small towns scattered across Michigan, a time
of ice cream socials, general stores and checkers at the barber
shop. And this is Crossroads Village today — 35 historic homes,
barns, shops and trades buildings moved from around Genesee County
to this quiet clearing at the edge of Mott Lake where, once again,
they play a vital role in village activities.
Sit a spell and listen
to the musicians gathered on the porch of the Attica Hotel. Catch a
live variety show at the opera house. Enjoy the view from the
amazing C.W. Parker Superior Wheel, and celebrate its 100th
birthday!
Come spend the day at
Crossroads Village and discover why our grandparents loved to talk
about the good old days!
It is Morning in
Crossroads Village
Tiny plumes of smoke rise from the
boiler at the Master Cider Mill and drift silently over the wooden
walks and dewy grass. Down the street, a woman walks among her
gardens gathering flowers in her apron and waves to the gentlemen at
the sawmill, who are turning huge logs into planks. There’s a game
of checkers just starting at the barbershop, and musicians backstage
at the opera house are tuning up their voices for the first show of
the day.
The century-old grinding stones at the
Atlas Mill are turning wheat into flour for the day’s bread, while a
little girl learns to crochet and her mother admires a hand-made
quilt. Eager passengers slide onto their seats in the wooden coaches
of the Huckleberry Railroad as the conductor calls out, “All
aboard!”
Most of the 35 buildings here were
moved – brick, board and stone – to this magical
place at the edge of Mott Lake. Many came from just a few miles
away. In this peaceful setting, they have been preserved, furnished
and put back into use, so you can experience first-hand what life
was like in a small village in Michigan in the late 1800
All Aboard!
Climb aboard the
Huckleberry Railroad
for a scenic 40-minute ride through woods and meadows and
alongside beautiful Mott Lake, and experience the "modern" way
travelers crossed the country one hundred years ago!
The narrow-gauge railroad's collection of
cars includes 11 original and replica wooden coaches plus a
classic red wooden caboose. And its all pulled by two restored
coal-fired locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works.
Engine #464 was nicknamed the Mud Hen and originally
carried miners to Colorado on their quest for gold and silver.
Old Timers love to tell the story of the huckleberries that grew
alongside the track and how passengers could jump off the
slowly-moving train, pick a handful of berries and hop back
aboard.
Around and Around
You Go! Wheeeee...
Pick your pony and hold on tight! This herd of handsome
hand-painted wooden horses and exotic dragon chariot will carry you
back to a time when small-town audiences eagerly awaited the arrival
of traveling shows, and the familiar tunes of a band organ filled
the air on warm summer nights. Come experience the same exciting
ride on this Charles W. Parker carousel that has been delighting
families since 1912.
This is the only place in the world
where you’ll find two side-by-side Charles W. Parker amusement rides
restored and ready for you to enjoy! Step onto the 1912 carousel and
hold on tight! Its herd of handsome hand-painted wooden horses will
carry you back to a time when the familiar tunes of a band organ
were carried into town on the slightest breeze and signaled one of
the most exciting events of the summer…the traveling show had
arrived! Just next door, step into a gondola on Parker’s 1910
“Superior Wheel” for a breathtaking treetops view of Mott Lake and
Crossroads Village.
Your little ones will enjoy old fashioned fun when they ride the
Mott Lake Flyer, Venetian swings and pony carts. These colorful
vintage amusements offer plenty of pint-sized pleasure!
Spend a whole day in the Village
Talk with the villagers who run the shops,
make the brooms, grind the grains, tend the gardens, sweep the
porches, press the apples and do scores of daily chores that
were all part of village life in the 1800s. Lend a hand and
learn new skills. Turn cream into butter and help plant a 19th
century garden.
Theater buffs, you'll enjoy the 20-minute
magic show presented several times daily at the Colwell Opera
House and included with your admission!
Work Alongside the Tradespeople
Try your hand at
turning cream into butter. Draw water from a hand pump so it can be
used to wash clothes and water flowers. Be aprinter’s apprentice and set type on the hand press. Work
with wood that was cut at the Village lumber mill.
Kids Love Our History Programs
The Village offers daily summer
programs just for kids so they can see, touch and taste history and
learn about the lives of pioneer children.
The Genesee Belle
There’s a surprise waiting for you at
the Village dock…the beautiful Genesee
Belle! She’s a replica of the paddlewheel riverboats so popular
during Mark Twain’s time, and you’re invited on board for a 45-
minute excursion around Mott Lake throughout the summer and on
weekends during Ghosts and Goodies in
October.
You’ll enjoy cool breezes and scenic views of Bluebell Beach and the
wooded shoreline. It’s likely you’ll spot great blue herons and
other wildlife that call this area home. The Belle also offers lunch
and evening cruises in the summer, and she can be chartered for
meetings and special occasions. Many a happy couple has been married
on the Belle! The lower level is enclosed and climate controlled for
your comfort. For more informationcall
the reservation office at 800-648-PARK , ext. 6.
orclick here.
Summer
Train Departures:
May 29 -
31 and from June 5 - September 6, 2010:
Weekdays (Wed, Thurs, Fri): 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00
Weekends (Sat & Sun): 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00
On selected
and busy days additional trains may be added.
Genesee
Belle Village Departures:
Not available until May 29.
Departure times from May 29 to September
6, 2010:
1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 Departure times exclude Wednesdays in
July:
Every Wednesday in July
departures are: 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00. July 4th there will not be a 1:00 departure due to the parade.
During out Day Out With Thomas Event there will be an additional
departures at 11:00and
12 noon.
The
Genesee Belle does not depart from Crossroads Village on Mondays and
Tuesdays since the Village is closed on these days.
It’s time to make plans to
visit Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad,
and we have so much to share with you!
This summer, help us
celebrate the 100-year anniversary of C.W. Parker’s
Superior Wheel. Take a ride on this historic treasure,
then enjoy a spin on Parker’s colorful Carousel. I
guarantee that both generate plenty of laughter and
happiness. Many people visit the Village several times a
year to take part in all the programs and activities
that are offered. You’ll find a schedule of events in
our brochure and more details
here on our website. If you
plan to visit more than once, take advantage of big
savings by purchasing an Annual Pass. We think it’s
the best value in history!
If you have young children
or consider yourself young at heart, you’ll be happy to
know that Thomas the Tank Engine™ will return to
Crossroads Village this August for the Celebration Tour.
After a brief break at the
end of summer, we will welcome you back in October for a
month of Halloween festivities, and we’ll close out the
year surrounding you with thousands of sparkling lights
as the Village celebrates Christmas at Crossroads
Holiday Magic.
Take time to step back and
experience Genesee County history. Enjoy the beauty, the
peacefulness and the traditions of life in the 1800s. We
look forward to seeing you at Crossroads Village!
Joe
Krapohl President,
Genesee County Parksand
Recreation Commission
The Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission has taken great care
to enhance the accessibility of Crossroads Village and Huckleberry
Railroad with its dirt roads and uneven boardwalks by offering free of
charge, on a first come, first serve bases, a limited supply of
conventional (non-electric) wheelchairs. If a wheelchair is needed it is
recommended that you bring your own especially on busy weekends.
Flint, Michigan 48506