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Rotary member Joette Woodard-Yauk was one of many members who contributed suggestions for a from their club to the city in honor of the upcoming celebration of Lansing's 150th birthday. Her idea to create a clock was selected from many others. Rotary members raised the $150,000 needed to create the clock which was dedicated on&nbsp;September 19, 1997. The clock tower is 31-feet tall and features five steam-powered whistles and a carillon which was installed in 2010 to replace the previous carillon after it no longer operated following a two year period when it was not connected to power owing to construction in the area.&nbsp;The clock's whistles power chimes that sound&nbsp;on the hour and the half-hour while the carillon plays songs five minutes after noon and five minutes after five in the evening.&nbsp;

This clock tower was dedicated in 1997 in honor of the city's 150th birthday. The clock and its chimes are powered by a restored steam engine. 

More information about the clock from the Lansing Rotary Club

More Info

Given to the city by the local Rotary club in honor of Lansing's 150th birthday, this steam-powered clock is powered by a steam engine that was built in 1927, seventy years prior to the construction and dedication of the clock. Visitors can see the steam engine operate by peering through clear windows. The engine came from a former clock that was built by the Seth Thomas Clock Company. While steam powers the clock and the hourly chimes, the carillon is powered by electricity and plays two songs a day form a computer library of thousands of songs. The tower stands at the corner of Wentworth Park that was previously home to Hotel Kerns until it was destroyed in a tragic fire in 1934 that resulted in the death of thirty-four people. 

Lansing's Rotary Steam Clock

This tour includes several museums, galleries, monuments, and historic buildings as it makes its way from the Michigan Hall of Justice and state capitol towards the Grand River. The tour concludes with the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum and Union Depot.

Capped by a glass dome and clad in limestone, the six-story Hall of Justice faces the State Capitol, independent yet in relation to the locations of the executive and legislative branches of government – symbolic of how Michigan’s government works. Although the exterior is postmodern, the interior design is reminiscent of the Capitol, home of the Supreme Court, 1879-1970. Central rotundas feature marble and granite flooring, and portraits of former Supreme Court Justices adorn the walls. The Supreme Court courtroom (6th floor) and the Court of Appeals courtroom (2nd floor) are appointed with mahogany paneling, silk wall coverings, and reproduction Victorian carpeting. The Learning Center gallery (1st floor) educates the public about the judicial branch of government and is filled with hands-on activities for visitors from elementary-age to adult. It features exhibits on many topics, including the history and role of courts in Michigan, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Lady Justice stands at the entrance, and a model trial court courtroom lets visitors play different roles. The Hall of Justice is the first building dedicated solely to the state’s judicial branch. After the Supreme Court reluctantly left the State Capitol in 1970 for temporary quarters in the G. Mennen Williams Building, it took many years and various plans before both the political will and the funds came together. Located at the west end of the Capitol Complex, the Hall of Justice completes a plan for downtown Lansing suggested in the 1920s by city planning pioneer Harland Bartholomew. He believed a capitol mall similar to that of Washington, D.C., would not only accommodate the functions of state government and its employees, the arrangement would give government its due place of honor, instead of inserting it around existing structures and infrastructure. The change in the city’s core has been so great that visitors from earlier eras would hardly recognize the area from one time period to the next. Once forest and then farmland at the edge of the city, in the 20th century the Hall of Justice’s eight acres featured single- and multi-family houses, a neighborhood school (at Michigan Ave. and Logan St., now Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.), and small businesses such as a grocery store (at Allegan St. and Logan St.) and a pharmacy with soda fountain, a dry cleaners, and an insurance agency (at Ottawa St. and Butler Blvd.) Beginning in the late 1960s, state government acquired and removed all of these properties to eventually construct the Hall of Justice. At the building’s groundbreaking in 1999 and at its dedication in 2002 the Michigan Supreme Court acknowledged the former neighborhood and what citizens gave up in order for the judicial branch of government to do justice. Staff and visitors alike appreciate the stately structure and its role as the headquarters of the state’s courts.

The Michigan Hall of Justice, dedicated in 2002, is headquarters of the state’s judicial branch of government. It houses the Michigan Supreme Court, Court of Appeals (District IV), the State Court Administrative Office, and a museum-style Learning Center gallery. 

Court sessions are open to the public, and free, guided tours of the Learning Center can be scheduled on weekdays, except court holidays. 

All visitors must enter through the east doors (facing the State Capitol) and pass through a security check. Government ID is required; no weapons are permitted in the building. 


Michigan Hall of Justice and Learning Center

The surrounding park is open to the public and various
private events with permission. The park and memorial were established in 1988.
It was designed by architect Alan Gordon. It is an arc-shaped steel wall that
is 120 feet long and 10 feet high. A steel tension cable keeps the monument
suspended three feet above the ground. 

A plaque on the monument describes its purpose, and a book
with the engraved names is located nearby.

Located between Ottowa and Allegan streets, just east of the Hall of Justice, the Michigan Vietnam Veterans Memorial is inside the Michigan Veterans’ Memorial Park. It serves to recognize Michigan residents who served and died during the Vietnam War. The names are listed by county on lighted plaques made of brushed steel. 

Michigan Vietnam Veteran's Memorial

The Michigan Historical Museum encompasses the highlights of
the state's entire history. The first floor atrium features Michigan's official
state tree,&nbsp;a live white pine, which was also the main draw for European
settlement in Michigan. A three-story topographical map of the state overlooks
the main gallery, which tells the story of Michigan's Native Americans, the
lumbering era, and its strong agricultural history. The third floor takes the
visitor through Michigan in the 21st century, leading into manufacturing
(particularly the auto industry), Michigan's role in WWI and WWII, and tourism
and recreation based around the state's fantastic natural resources. 
 
With documents dating back to 1792, the Archives of Michigan houses much of
Michigan's record heritage. More than 80 million state and local government
records and private papers, 300,000 photographs and 500,000 maps, plus films
and audio tapes are available for research. 
 
The Center also offers tours to the public of its facilities as well as
educational field trip opportunities for students, and it hosts ongoing special
events. Check out the online calendar for more information!

The Michigan History Center is the state's main repository for local and state historical records and the flagship of the Michigan Historical Museum System. The museum features 25 galleries whose exhibits tell the story of Michigan's history, from prehistoric times to today. Some staff members even dress in period costume at various points of the year for special events as part of their effort to provide an authentic and engaging experience. Highlights include a white pine, the state's official tree, and a three-story-tall topographical map of Michigan. The Center also houses the state archives, which holds 80 million state and local records, 300,000 photographs, 500,000 books, and also films and audiotapes. The earliest records in the archives date back to 1792.

Michigan History Center and Michigan History Museum

Michigan’s third state capitol was dedicated on January 1, 1879. This magnificent building was built to replace a simpler wooden structure that served as the first capitol building in Lansing after the state capital was moved from Detroit. Designed by architect Elijah E. Myers, the final cost totaled $1,427,738.78.1The capitol is 267 feet tall, to the top of its cast iron dome. It was originally lit by gas chandeliers, with hand-painted interiors and Victorian-era furnishings. It was extensively restored and rededicated in 1992.Originally, the Capitol housed all branches of the state government, including the Supreme Court, the legislature, the governor, and various state administrators. The ground floor was originally intended for store rooms and an armory, but the main entrance was later relocated here. The first floor features a rotunda, with astounding views of the inner part of the Capitol's dome, made up of 976 pieces of glass, as well as checkerboard tile floors of marble and limestone. The second floor holds the Governor's Office and the Governor's Gallery, which showcases a portrait of each of Michigan's past governors. The House and Senate Chambers, with public viewing galleries, are on the third floor.2

Michigan's State Capitol was dedicated in 1879. It originally housed all branches of the state government, and today serves as the home of the Governor's Office, the Michigan Senate, and the Michigan House of Representatives. The Capitol is nationally recognized for its architectural importance and Victorian interior design, and was completely renovated in 1992. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.

Michigan State Capitol

The church got its start shortly after Lansing was developed. A couple locations later, construction for the current building began in 1911. The initial church cost was $138,000. Multiple renovations and redecorations have taken place through the years, including the addition of the stained glass windows in the 1920s.&nbsp;In 2016, the parish celebrated 150 years of serving the Lansing community.&nbsp;

Built in 1913 after two years of construction, St. Mary Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Lansing. Architect Edwyn Bowd designed it in the Gothic Revival style. It features 39 pictorial stained glass windows and its exterior is clad in Indiana limestone. The cathedral was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.


St. Mary Cathedral

The cornerstone was laid in 1889, and the building was completed in 1890. Elijah Myers served as the main architect while Israel Gillett was the supervising architect. The builder was H.W. Coddington. The building’s final cost was $34,030. With the addition of stained glass windows, lighting and other furnishings the total cost was $41,842.

There have been additions, added touches and a name change to Central United Methodist Church through the years. A Moeller Pipe Organ was added in 1921. An illuminated cross was added to the top of the building in 1922. A separate chapel was added in 1942. This chapel features artwork reminiscent of old European churches. A carillon with 36 bells came along in 1951.

A parsonage was added along with several renovations and redecorations to the original sanctuary through the years. Today the church also has a library that includes more than 5,000 books.

The Methodist church has been serving the people of Lansing, Michigan for more than 170 years. They first met in 1845 in a log cabin. They later moved into a converted barn. In 1861, Central Methodist Episcopal Church was officially organized. An initial building was dedicated in 1863 but it didn’t take long to outgrow the space. A design by A.B. Jennings was chosen for the present building in March of 1888. 

Central Methodist Episcopal Church

This downtown brick structure was&nbsp;built in 1889 to house
the Lansing Woman’s Club, an early organization established to advance the
interests of women in the Lansing area. The Lansing Woman’s Club occupied the
two-story brick building on West Ottawa Street downtown for over sixty years as
the club met regularly to carry out their work. 

The Lansing Woman’s Club was established and began meeting
in 1874. The club was founded by prominent Lansing women such as Anna Ballard,
a practicing physician, political activist, and organizer of the Lansing
Medical Society; and Harriet Tenny, the first female State Librarian. United by
a common purpose of advancing the cultural and educational interests of women,
the club aimed to promote “the study and improvement of its members in
Literature, the Sciences and Fine Arts.”

Before moving into the two-story brick structure on West
Ottawa Street, the Lansing Woman’s Club rented space in various buildings
throughout the city. Thanks to various fundraisers and contributions, the organization acquired the resources to construct their own building by the late 1880s. The leaders of the organization commissioned a local architectural firm to design and
build this downtown building.&nbsp;Once construction was complete, the club rented out office space on the first floor and used the second
floor for its meeting rooms and office space. In 1912, the Lansing Woman’s Club added a third story
for its use and rented out the two floors beneath. The building hosted all club activities until 1952, when the organization purchased
new headquarters just west on Ottawa Street.

In addition to serving as the
meeting place for the Lansing Woman’s Club, the Lansing building
is architecturally significant for other reasons. It is the only known
remaining work of the architect James Appleyard. Appleyard was the husband of
one of the club members and worked for Nehemiah Osburn &amp; Co., the firm which
built the Michigan State Capitol. Additionally, the building is also one of the oldest structures in Michigan that was built for
the purpose of housing a women’s club. The Lansing Woman’s Club Building
remains as a rare surviving structure on was a Late Victorian block, and serves
as a reminder of the early, active community of women that have shaped Lansing. While this building has not housed the club for nearly seven decades, the organization remains active and accepts new members.&nbsp;

Constructed in 1889, this downtown structure was home to the Lansing Woman’s Club until 1952. The club was formed for the advancement of women in Michigan and focused on providing cultural and educational opportunities for its members. The club was one of the earliest of its kind in the region and its history reflects the profound changes in women's experience from the late nineteenth century to the present. The Lansing Women’s Club commissioned architect James Appleyard to design the building which housed the club for over sixty years. The Late Victorian building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Lansing Woman's Club 

The Gallery hosts a variety of changing exhibitions. It also emphasizes art education, hosting camps and offering a range of special education programming. It also offers scholarship opportunities and space for student exhibitions.

The Lansing Art Gallery is a nonprofit organization that provides public education, awareness and enjoyment of the visual arts. The Gallery has been serving the community and promoting Michigan artists for more than 50 years. Its first exhibition took place in 1965. After moving multiple times through the years, the Gallery relocated to its current home in 2010. 

Lansing Art Gallery

When Michigan became a state in 1837, the first state capital was established temporarily in Detroit. However, the Michigan Constitution required that a permanent location be designated by 1847, as Detroit was not an ideal location for the state capital. Four primary arguments were given for moving the capital inland: 	<ul><li>To increase the defensibility of the capital by moving it away from the Canadian border</li><li>To promote settlement in the inner regions of the state</li><li>To make the capital more accessible to the people of the entire state </li><li>To boost the economy of the interior</li></ul>A heated debate rose up around which city should be named the new capital. Finally, the Michigan legislature chose the Township of Lansing, little more than a wooded clearing settled by a few dozen people, for its central location. The legislature named the chosen capital "Michigan, Michigan" but this obviously caused confusion. Within a year, it was renamed to Lansing, after various other names were considered, including Huron, Pewanogowink, Kinderhook, El Dorado, Washington, and Swedenborg. Lansing would not actually be incorporated as a city for another twelve years, in 1859.

This historical marker designates the location of the first capitol building that was created after the legislature moved the capitol from Detroit to Lansing in 1847. The first capitol building in Lansing was erected soon after this decision and was a simple wooden structure, was located at the corner of Washington and E. Allegan Ave. This building was created in the winter of 1847-1848 and designed by Israel Gillett. 

The modest structure was two stories tall with white with green trim and a tin cupola on the roof. The building only measured 60 ft wide by 100 ft long but contained legislative and supreme court chambers, an office for the governor, a few other offices and a library. Including a small addition that was later constructed, the total cost of the first state capitol was $22,952. By 1871, plans were already underway to replace this building with the grander state capitol that exists today, completed in 1879. The first capitol was sold and used for manufacturing and offices, until it was destroyed by fire in 1882. 

Lansing's First Capitol Building, Historical Marker 

The hotel was built in the early 1900s and located at Ottawa and Grand. The hotel had a brick exterior but a wooden entire that led to the fire spreading rapidly and trapping many of the guests while they were still asleep. An additional thirty were seriously injured along with fourteen firefighters who also sustained injuries as they risked their lives to save others. Seven of the deceased were members of the state legislature. The disaster would have been even worse had it not been for a local resident who noticed flames coming from the building and triggered the newly-installed fire alarm box near the hotel.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This historical marker shares the history of the worst fire in Lansing's history and the 6th-deadliest hotel fire of the 20th century. At this location in the early morning hours of December 11, 1934, a fire destroyed the four-story Kerns Hotel on a night that it was nearly at capacity with 215 guests owing to the hotel's popularity with lawmakers and its proximity to the state capitol. Despite the actions of firefighters who saved eight people who jumped into their life nets and many more through four ladders, thirty four hotel guests perished that morning. 

1934 Kerns Hotel Historical Marker

By the time the station was built, Lansing was in need of more electric power and steam. The city had grown to 57,000 people by 1920 after being established as the state capital in the late 1840s (Detroit was the first capital but the state decided to move it to Lansing). Before the station was built, private entities had provided power to the city but this finally came to an&nbsp;end when studies from other cities demonstrated that public utilities could provide cheaper power. The station's construction was built using funds from ratepayers; no bonds or government funds were needed.&nbsp; The machinery became obsolete in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Water chilling equipment was installed in 2001 in part of the building. They operated for several years before the building was bought by Accident Insurance in 2007. The company proceeded to renovate the entire building, converting it into offices. The process took two years.&nbsp;

Now headquarters of the Accident Fund Insurance Company, the former Ottawa Street Power Station is one of Lansing's architectural landmarks. The station generated electric power and steam for the city until the late 1980s. The southern part of the building was completed in 1939 and the northern in 1946. It was designed in the Art Deco style and features a "step-back" appearance. The design allowed it to disguise the machines and many of the smokestacks and to include windows. In this way, the building was architecturally appealing to look at. Inside, the steam and electric machines were state-of-the-art at the time; they were more efficient and more reliable and were completely automated. The building's architecture and machinery attracted national attention and generated wide praise. In all, the station could process 300 tons of coal per day. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Ottawa Street Power Station 

The Center’s name refers to the five senses and guests have the opportunity to engage each of the senses during a visit. Its purpose is to encourage scientific exploration among children. It moved to its current location in 1982 and has served more than 3 million visitors since it began.

The exhibit area is more than 25,000 square feet and includes more than 12 different exhibits. There is also a special chemistry lab and facilities for school groups, parties and other special events. Impression 5 is a nonprofit organization that also has a mobile science lab for outreach purposes.

Since 1972, the Impression 5 Science Center has been educating children and families in downtown Lansing. The Center gets more than 120,000 a year. The Science Center is an interactive space that encourages hands-on play and participation. It offers a variety of special programming as well. 

Impression 5 Science Center

Ransom Eli Olds was born in Geneva, Ohio in 1864. His family later settled in Lansing and operated a machine shop. In 1886, Olds began experimenting with steam-powered engines and developed a patent for a gas-powered car. He founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897, relocating the company to Detroit a few years later. Olds’ factory would become the first to mass-produce a car on an assembly line with the production of the 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile. The Oldsmobile was a successful for being lightweight, reliable, and relatively inexpensive at $650. Although Olds gave up his share in the company by 1905, the Oldsmobile car brand would be taken over by General Motors and have a successful production run of over 100 years. Olds returned to Lansing and founded a new company, the REO Motor Car Company.1The museum holds the first Oldsmobile ever built in 1897. Some of the other more notable cars in the museum’s collection include a 1901 Olds Curved Dash, 1906 “Mama and Baby” REOs, a 1923 REO Speedwagon Flat Bed (inspiration for the name of the 1970s rock band), a 1953 Olds NASCAR Race Car driven by Dick Passwater, and a 1996 GM EV1 Electric Car. Also on display is a collection of lawnmowers that were designed by R.E. Olds; his REO company became the largest manufacturer of lawnmowers in the world in the 1940s. The museum’s exhibits also include a large variety of Michigan license plates, vintage traffic signs, and a working 1950s-era electric traffic signal. 2The entire museum itself as well as a 1937 Olds Touring Sedan (Mz. Lucy) and driver can be rented for weddings and other formal occasions in the Lansing area. The museum also offers a unique boardroom for rent, which is located in the Bates and Edwards Engine Company building, built in 1912.

The R. E. Olds Transportation Museum is devoted to the life and work of auto pioneer, Ransom Eli Olds. The museum first opened in 1981 and is now home to over 60 vehicles produced between 1886 and 2003. In addition to vintage cars, the museum also has collections of engines, automobile memorabilia, and other materials significant to transportation in the Lansing area and beyond.

R. E. Olds Transportation Museum

Peter Jubeck, who attended Ball State University, got interested in the restaurant industry after working at a pizza restaurant through college. He and a friend founded a pizza restaurant in Muncie, Indiana (where the university is located). A few years later, he was offered the pizza franchise Sir Pizza in Michigan in 1966, which brought him and his wife to Lansing. Searching for a new opportunity, Peter decided to buy the depot in 1978, which at the time was in a run down area. Others questioned his decision but his restaurant eventually helped revive the neighborhood. The restaurant became the place to eat for many famous people including Magic Johnson (he signed a $25 million dollar contract here in 1981), Laura Bush, Ed McMahon, and Joe Theismann. In the 2000s, business slowed down bc several periods of road construction and then the recession hit. Cost of maintaining and repairing parts of the building became too costly for Peter's son and family. For these reasons,&nbsp;they made the difficult decision to close the restaurant.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, Union Depot is one of Lansing's most cherished landmarks. The former rail station was built using the Tudo Revival style in 1902 by the Michigan Central and Pere Marquette Railroads. The building operated as a passenger station until 1972 and is best known for its distinctive conical towers and stone arches. In 1978, Czech Immigrant Peter Jubeck (1936-2013) acquired the abandoned building and opened Clara's Lansing Station, a restaurant that was so popular that it brought people back to this part of the city until its closure. The station features ornate woodwork, stained glass windows that were added to the building after its completion, Tiffany lamps, and an attached Pullman sleeper car that was converted into extra seating space. The restaurant, which has a sister restaurant called Clara's On the River in Battle Creek, Michigan, closed in 2016. The real estate firm Gillespie Group bought the building shortly thereafter. As of 2018, the future of the building is still being decided. 

Downtown Lansing Michigan Walking Tour

Lansing's Rotary Steam Clock

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information