Shoen Log Cabin
Built in 1860 west of Crystal and given to the village by the Shoen family. Every log was numbered so the cabin could be taken down and raised again here in 1987.
The Buildings
Most were moved here from towns and farms around Montcalm County. Others are replicas built by volunteers. Each has a story.
The Doctor's House
Moved from Stanton in 2000 and furnished by volunteers as a doctor's home office. In pioneer days, doctors saw patients at home or made house calls.
Sidney General Store
Built around 1908 by Lem and Charles Fish, who ran the store and lived in the apartment upstairs. Moved to the village in 1989.
Dell's Barbershop
Once an annex to the Entrican Rural School. Moved to the village in 2001 and furnished by volunteers the next year.
Belle's Hat Shoppe
Another former Entrican school annex, moved in 1998 and renovated and furnished by volunteers in 2001.
The Print Shop
A replica small-town newspaper office, built by volunteers in 2003. Early papers carried news, ads, and notices such as auction sales.
The Blacksmith Shop
Rebuilt in 2002 from salvaged lumber from a Howard City building. It has a forge, an anvil, and a full set of smithy tools.
Rush Dairy
Built by volunteers in 1995 with milk-bottling equipment from the original Rush Dairy in Sheridan. Milk was once bottled and delivered by horse and wagon.
The Gift Shop
T-shirts, hats, and souvenirs from the village.
The Gaffield School
A one-room school built in 1904 south of Amble and moved here in 1986. One teacher taught every grade from beginners through eighth, and a wood or coal stove heated the room.
The Sidney Town Hall
Built in the late 1800s and moved here in 1989. Town halls hosted elections, political meetings, weddings, and community gatherings.
The Edmore Jail
Used in the late 1800s in Edmore, mostly to hold rowdy drinkers from the lumbering days. Moved to the village in 1992.
The Village Church
A replica of the area's early churches, finished in 2005 with volunteer labor. Today it hosts weddings and special events.
The Bandstand
Built in 2000 with a gift from the Montcalm Area Master Gardener Association. The village's stage for traditional music at the festival, and the setting for an occasional wedding.
The Village Cemetery
Created in 1994 as a memorial to the pioneers. The markers are footstones, and there are no burials here.
The Children's Playhouse
Built in 2011 with a Greenville Community Foundation grant. Old-fashioned games and crafts happen here during the festival.
The Pavilion
Built in 1998 as a covered picnic area. Tour groups can use it at no charge.
The McBride Depot
The railroad reached McBride in 1877, and this depot stood near McBride's Mill on the Detroit, Lansing and Northern line. Moved to the village in 1995.
The Caboose
A Chesapeake & Ohio caboose, probably built around 1915, passed from the railroad to the Montcalm Intermediate School District and then to the village in 1995.
The Water Tower
Rebuilt in 1995 by welding students from the Montcalm Area Career Center. Water towers stood beside the tracks to fill steam engines.
Steam Switch Engine #7456
A 0-6-0 switcher built in 1920, weighing 174,000 pounds. It made its last run in 1950 and came to the village in 2000.
The Maintenance of Way
The section shed where track crews kept handcars, speeders, rail trailers, and tools. Built by volunteers in 2003.
The Sap House
Opened in 2024 to support the college's Sugar Bush, a hands-on project used in courses from history and chemistry to agriculture and marketing.
The Ehle Barn
A mortise-and-tenon barn from Sheridan, donated by the Ehle family and rebuilt here in late 2006.
The Thorland Ice House
Built between 1923 and 1928 near Greenville and moved here in 1992. Ice cut from lakes was packed in sawdust to keep through summer.
The Stumping Machine
A steelyard stump-puller given to the village in 1992. A team of horses or oxen drove the pulleys and cable.
The Tool Shed
A replica farm storage shed built in 1992, holding a collection of old farming tools.
The Storage Barn
A three-sided barn built in 2011 that shelters some of the village's antique machinery.
The Trebian Orchard
Planted in 1993 with vintage trees. Settlers put in apple trees, lilacs, and gardens as soon as they arrived.