Big changes coming to Dowagiac History Museum

The Dowagiac Area History Museum is planning a $100,000 restoration to the third floor of their building to create additional space for the museum.

Two years ago the museum moved from its location at Southwestern Michigan University to its present location in downtown Dowagiac.

Since then overall visitation has increased by 10 percent and the museum membership has doubled.

The museum director Steve Arseneau hopes this is something that will continue.

“We're going to be able to offer more permanent exhibits and I really think people will enjoy the new exhibit that we're putting in as a permanent exhibit in Dowagiac. Half of the floor space is going to be dedicated to an exhibit on through-telling of the Dowagiac from 1848 when the railroad arrived up to the present,” Arseneau said.

The museum will also feature a new temporary gallery.

"I think the temporary gallery is going to help bring us repeat visitors, making it more of a destination rather than something people say 'Well I've seen that and I don't have to see it again,'" he added.

Arseneau says renovations will hopefully be completed sometime in the summer and the new third floor will open in September or October.

The museum is open Tuesday through Friday, as well as Sunday.

Admission is free.