Scolnik House of the Depression Era, Michigan, United States

5MidwestKathM 5:00 PM Aug 21, 2020

Interesting look at life during the Great Depression!
Set inside one of the houses in a historic neighborhood, this museum shows what life was like during the Great Depression. Originally a single-family house, it had been adapted by its owner to rent out the upstairs, so the original spiral staircase and other features no longer exist. The house is furnished in the period, with magazines and music and games. You can see how food was handled in the kitchen, how laundry was done (we had quite the discussion about the washboard as we still used one in our house some 30 years after the Depression), and how the bedrooms were furnished. Quite interesting! We were the only two in the house during our time there. It's a self-guided tour, but the docent took us around. Masks required.

4copperdragon66 5:00 PM Sep 17, 2017

See first hand what life was like in Muskegon during the Great Depression.
You've heard about the Great Depression of the 1930's. But what was it really like? This unique museum is a "soft touch" hands on museum for all ages to give you a flavor of what it was like to live through that period. Parking and admission are free. There is typically an attendant, but tours are mostly self guiding. Activities range from the era appropriate vegetable garden to trying on the simple and plain clothing that was what the average middle class family could afford. LIke most depression era families, the Scolnik's had to rent out the second floor of their house to have enough money to make ends meet. You'll see how they modified their house to make the upstairs into an apartment, and see how it crowded the family in the few remaining rooms. Furnishings, flooring, wallpaper and even the paint colors are all reproductions of what would have been in place during the 1930's. The activities are simple but thoughtful and your teens will leave with a new appreciation of how good they have it now. Maybe. Well worth a visit.