Bay City Hall, Michigan, United States

5interceptpubs 5:00 PM Sep 4, 2018

Impressive Local Architectural Landmark
This imposing structure is an active government building - the city hall for Bay City, Michigan. However, it is also a beautifully restored example of late 19th century architecture. We were visiting the county museum next door and just had to take a look. Built mainly of Indiana limestone (same as the Empire State Building in New York City, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., etc.), sandstone, and granite topped with a red tile roof, a walk around the exterior was a treat in itself, but the interior is even more impressive with its very ornate scrolled cast iron central staircase and extensive skylights. If you have the time, be sure to go the City Engineer's office (suite 410 or thereabouts) to see the clock tower. For the asking, they will let you climb up the interior staircase to the observation deck near the top of the 180 tower for some great views of the city. Along with the architectural details, there also are a number of historical displays in various cases, even down to a scale model of one of the last Navy warships built by the now defunct Defoe Shipbuilding Company formerly operating in Bay City. We probably spent over half-an-hour here just looking at the building and displays of artifacts, photos, etc. - definitely worth the time.

5RICART75 5:00 PM Aug 2, 2019

Beautiful architecture, great view.....
The restored architecture here is magnificent (the metal-work is an intricate joy); and the view from the clocktower is wonderful. It's a great way to orient oneself to the city; and to see a fuller perspective of the river. To save time here; see the 9-5-18 TA review, for a nicely detailed explanation of this site.