Fred Riggin Sr. prepares to cut the ribbon on May 3, 1968, to open the new Museum of Arts and History. With him from left to right are Ervin L. Kreutziger, co-chair of the building restoration committee; Mrs. Gerald W. Edson, chair of the arts committee; Mrs. Sidney C. Walker, president of the museum; and John L. Stewart, museum treasurer.

The Museum is the only year-round, multi-disciplinary cultural institution in Michigan's Thumb Area, a five-county area. The Museum began as a completely volunteer-operated organization, and now employs a staff of eight full-time and two part-time personnel, and seasonal part-time staff during the summer months. Volunteers are the backbone of the institution. Over 44,000 volunteer hours were logged in 2003 for a wide variety of special events, classes, programs, exhibitions, and outreach services. In addition to serving our own community, the Museum is recognized throughout the State of Michigan and nationally as a center for research in folk arts, archeology, and Great Lakes maritime history.

In 1990, the Museum opened its first off-site facility at the Huron Lightship, a National Historic Landmark now located in our nearby waterfront park. In 2001, the Museum opened its second satellite facility, the Thomas Edison Depot Museum, to interpret the early life of Thomas Edison in Port Huron. The new museum is housed in the historic railroad station where Edison was employed, and it is based on some 19 years of archeological research sponsored by our institution. In 2004, the Museum opened its third satellite, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Bramble. The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, which is celebrating its 180th anniversary this year, is soon to officially become the Museum's fourth satellite site.