Bay County Historical Museum

The museum is located in Bay City's former 1910 National Guard Armory, listed on the state and national historic registers. Two permanent galleries, "Bay County: Trails Through Time" and "Bay City: Seaport to the World", recount the community's distinctive heritage and evolution as a prosperous international port. The Museum has become the official home of the "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame" exhibit. It includes photos of the 120 inductees and a Michigan music timeline are located on the Hall of Fame wall. Featured also is the poster art of Michigan artist Dennis Loren. Using a drive-in movie theatre, visitors may watch "The Motown Time Capsule 1960-1979" which gives a look back at 20 years of the famous Detroit record label, and "The Mysterious Death of Del Shannon" which may be viewed using a mobile device. It is also the home of the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame, which includes plaques, a touch monitor to explore inductees, and sports memorabilia. The PBS Preschool Reading Room features a special area for our youngest visitors to explore and play. The theater shows rock and roll documentaries, including two movies about Madonna: "Smelly Little Town" and "Great Affection Madonna Tour."