Michigan Transit Museum — Attraction in Mount Clemens

A lot of history. The depot was built for the Chicago, Detroit & Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railway to serve the growing village and county seat of Macomb County: Mount Clemens. In 1862 at this depot, young Thomas Edison saved the station agent's small child from certain death. The child was on the tracks in the path of a rolling box car. In appreciation, the station agent taught Tom telegraphy. And so began Edison's short career in railroading. Some of his earliest inventions were based on what he learned at the station. The depot continued in railroad use until 1980, when the City of Mount Clemens bought it and leased it to Michigan Transit Museum for use as its headquarters and museum. The depot is now restored to its 1900 appearance. Inside are exhibits surrounding railroading of that era. Also inside is a railroad gift shop. There's quite a selection of items available that make great gifts or conversation pieces. As a reminder, the train depot is unfortunately NOT the location from which the...

The Michigan Transit Museum is a wealth of information, especially regarding trains. The docents are very knowledgeable about trains, history of metro Detroit, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. A collection of old-timey telegraph keys is very interesting and demonstrates some adaptations that users made back-in-the-day, see the picture of one with a tin can attached to increase the volume of the buzzer. An interesting collection of very early recording media on cylinders and records displays the way that music was distributed in the early days. The history of Detroit area is very interesting and Detroit was very influential especially in the...

Let me first say...It's all about the kids!!! I don't know what I expected but this was not it. The train was real. We did ride across the real city of Mt. Clemens, where traffic has to stop and the gates do come down. It is a quick 45-minute ride that was slow and unamusing. In the end, the children were given approx. three pieces of candy and sent on their way. I will not be bringing my grandson back for the train ride. We may visit the museum and learn about the original transit system...