Overlooking the Black River as it flows into Lake Michigan, South Haven is a historic port city in Michigan’s south-west. In the early 20th century, it became known as “The Catskills of the Midwest”, with scenic hiking and biking trails, beautiful beaches and engaging museums to explore.
Things to do in South Haven
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places is the Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum, which occupies the childhood home of the American Society for Horticultural Science’s cofounder. It was once part of a sprawling farm that boasted one of the finest apple orchards in Michigan and includes a historic smokehouse, blacksmith shop and carriage barn. Surrounded by gorgeous gardens, the museum’s living collections include plants that were significant to Bailey’s life.
In 1951, the South Haven Center for the Arts was established to foster interest in the visual arts and is still thriving today. It occupies a Carnegie Library built in 1905, where changing exhibitions by local artists are held. Coincide your visit with a lecture, a live music concert or one of the centre’s art-oriented classes.
A stone’s throw away is the Scott Club, a stately Queen Anne-style building that was designed by local architect John Cornelius Randall. It has been hosting cultural and community events since 1883, including reading circles and talks. On a guided tour, you can admire the stained glass windows depicting Sir Walter Scott and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and see the club’s 1913 Everett grand piano.
Getting around South Haven
South Haven is around an hour’s drive from Grand Rapids and Gerald R. Ford International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the United States. Buses connect to South Haven from Grand Rapids and travel throughout the city. The centre of South Haven can easily be explored on foot.