May 7, 2008

MotorCities National Heritage Area, an affiliate of the National Park Service, is developing a series of Wayside Exhibit signs that highlight Michigan's auto heritage in several communities, including Lansing. As part of this unique program, the Lansing Stewardship Community, a group that works with MotorCities to promote the area's auto heritage, has developed a group of signs for local installation that are now available for public review.

The proposed heritage signs will be on display in the 2^nd floor Atrium of the Michigan Historical Museum now through Friday, May 16. The museum is located at 702 W. Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the Capitol in downtown Lansing. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Visit the Michigan Historical Museum online at www.michigan.gov/museum.

This is the first in a series of up to 30 outdoor interpretive signs that will tell the story of the Greater Lansing area and the automobile. Visitors will be asked to comment on the signs and suggest topics for future signs.

MotorCities is the recipient of a grant from the Federal Highway Administration, through the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. The grant is for the creation of a Wayside exhibit program in the MotorCities region. Over the course of three years (2008-2010), the Wayside Exhibit program will create a comprehensive system of approximately 300 outdoor signs.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

For additional information about MotorCities National Heritage Area visit www.motorcities.org.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).