Oakland History Center at Pine Grove

Hauntiac Car Show and Woodward Scream Cruise
2022-10-08 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States

Clarkston's Lakeview Cemetery Walk
2022-10-09 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Detroit) | Lakeview Cemetery, 6150 White Lake Road, Clarkston, MI, 48341, United States
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Tickets: $15.00 Available at eventbrite (link), The Gateway, 7150 N. Main Street, online at Facebook – Lakeview Cemetery Restoration Project, and at the venue.
Walk begins at the Ticket Tent, Lakeview Cemetery, 6150 White Lake Road (last tour leaves at 4:00 p.m.)
Costumed interpreters representing Clarkston men who served in the Union Army during the Civil War and women who were left to take care of families and land as well as a local merchant who supported the families during the time.
Sponsored by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Sashabaw Plains Chapter with funds going to the Restoration of Lakeview Cemetery historic gravestones.

Downtown Pontiac Walking Ghost Tours
2022-10-22 | MI

Christmas Open House
2022-12-10 - 2022-12-11 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States

Ghost of Dishes Past: A Dinner Event
2022-12-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Tonight you will be visited by a ghost–a ghost of dishes past!

Join us for a festive evening supporting a good cause with recreations of dishes served in the household of Charles Dickens, complete with period music and inspired 19th century refreshments. You will enjoy a taste of Victorian England and celebrate something timeless – great food!

Tickets for this event are $40 per person and will take place on the grounds of Moses Wisner’s estate, Pine Grove, inside the Drayton Plains One-Room Schoolhouse.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Pontiac’s Historic Oak Hill Cemetery. Space is limited, so grab your tickets today!

Tickets available here: https://events.getlocalhop.com/the-ghost-of-dishes-past/event/aXvNx2P5Tx/

54th Annual Summer Ice Cream Social
2023-07-29 12:00 - 2023-07-30 16:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Join us for our family-friendly celebration, held at our campus on Cesar Chavez Avenue in Pontiac.

Free Admission
Free Ice Cream
Food Trucks
Live Music
Reenactors
Mansion Tours
Historic Demos
Flea Market
Vendor Booths
Kids Crafts

Oak Hill Cemetery Walk
2023-09-17 14:00 - 17:00 | Oak Hill Cemetery, 216 University Drive, Pontiac, Michigan, 48341
Tours every 15 minutes starting at 2 PM and ending at 4 PM.
Tickets available here via events.getlocalhop.com.
This year’s theme: “BRUSH WITH DEATH” – Celebrating the artistic creators of Pontiac’s past.
Don’t miss this dynamic annual walking tour, as we explore the historic Oak Hill Cemetery in Pontiac, Michigan. It is educational, it is fun, and it is outdoors. The event will happen rain or shine. Purchase your tickets today, or you may miss out — tickets have sold out in previous years. This year’s theme is “Musicians and Artists” with an emphasis on the stories of some of the creative community members laid to rest in the cemetery.

Dishes Past: The Evening Edition!
2023-09-29 19:00 - 22:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Extra! Extra! Calling all journos, muckrakers and newshounds! Join us at the Oakland History Center as we take a culinary trip through the early days of the press in Oakland County. You’ll enjoy dishes inspired by the “Pontiac Daily Press Recipes,” published in 1935 and featuring recipes submitted to the paper from local residents.
Tickets for this multi-course meal are $50 per person, and a portion of every ticket will benefit the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society. Enjoy a taste of history and celebrate something timeless – great food!
September 29, 2023, 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Presented by Plain and Fancy Food L.L.C.

Hauntiac Car Show and Woodward Scream Cruise
2023-10-07 14:00 - 17:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Join us this Saturday at our Oakland History Center for the third annual Woodward Scream Cruise and Hauntiac Car Show!

Downtown Pontiac Walking Ghost Tours
2023-10-15 17:00 - 21:00 | Liberty Bar, 85 North Saginaw, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
Tours start from the historic, haunted Liberty Bar in downtown Pontiac at 85 N. Saginaw Street. Contact our Executive Director Mike McGuinness, who leads these history-filled and fascinating walks, for more information at (248) 410-0702 or reach out to office@ocphs.org.
Tours at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 PM. Tour tickets are $20 each.

Downtown Pontiac Walking Ghost Tours
2023-10-22 17:00 - 21:00 | Liberty Bar, 85 North Saginaw, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
Tours start from the historic, haunted Liberty Bar in downtown Pontiac at 85 N. Saginaw Street. Tour tickets are $20. Contact our Executive Director Mike McGuinness, who leads these history-filled and fascinating walks, for more information at (248) 410-0702 or reach out to office@ocphs.org.
Tours at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 pm. Tour tickets are $20.

Harvest Festival and Healthy Halloween
2023-10-29 12:00 - 16:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Here at the Oakland History Center!

Historical Society Gala Auction with the Pontiac Creative Arts Center
2023-11-11 18:00 - 21:00 | Pontiac Creative Arts Center, 47 Williams Street, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
A guaranteed fun, festive fall time!
Strolling Reception – Silent Auction & Live Auction
Tickets benefit both our non-profit Historical Society and the non-profit Pontiac Creative Arts Center
To purchase tickets via localhop, click here, or visit the History Center at 405 Cesar Chavez, or call (248) 338-6732.

Spring Auction with the Pontiac Little Art Theatre
2024-04-07 16:00 - 18:00 | Pontiac Little Art Theatre, 47 N. Saginaw Street, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
Held at Pontiac’s Little Art Theatre, it’s a guaranteed good time, for a good cause! Silent and Live auctions, cash bar–proceeds will go to support our non-profit Historical Society and the non-profit Pontiac’s Little Art Theatre. Tickets to this event are just $20!

Dishes Past: Pious Pontiac
2024-05-03 19:00 - 22:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Join us at the Oakland History Center for a culinary trip through the history of some of the many churches in Pontiac. You’ll enjoy dishes inspired by cookbooks from the congregations of First Presbyterian, All Saints Episcopal, Central United Methodist (now located in Waterford–but we don’t hold that against them), Notre Dame Prep and more! The menu will include recipes dating back to 1895, the early 1900’s, and more modern offerings, from the 1980’s.
Enjoy a taste of history and celebrate something timeless – great food! Tickets for this multi-course meal are $50 per person, and a portion of every ticket will benefit the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society. Don’t delay, tickets to these events tend to sell out.

150th Annual Meeting of the Members
2024-05-18 11:00 - 13:00 | Board of Commissioners Auditorium, Oakland County Courthouse, 1200 North Telegraph, Court Tower Boulevard, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
All members of the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society are hereby invited to the 150th Annual Meeting of the Members on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. In fact, even if you’re not members: please join us.
The meeting will be held at the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Auditorium, 1200 N. Telegraph in Pontiac. We will be entering the courthouse via the South Entrance, located on Court Tower Boulevard. Park in the lot on Court Tower Boulevard opposite the building entrance (weapons of any sort are disallowed in the courthouse and we’ll be passing through metal detectors. Cameras and cell phones are allowed).
Business will include the annual elections of Board of Directors, a motion to modify the name of the Society, a motion to amend the bylaws to reflect that modification, and a presentation of the Annual Report.
For more information, including to confirm your membership status is current, please contact our office at (248) 338-6732, or send us an email.

55th Annual Summer Ice Cream Social
2024-07-27 12:00 - 2024-07-28 16:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Free, family friendly celebration held at the Oakland History Center!
Free Ice Cream
Food Trucks
Live Music
Reenactors
Mansion Tours
Historic Demonstrations
Flea Market
Vendor Booths
Kids Crafts

A River Runs Under It: The Burying of the Clinton River
2024-08-23 19:00 - 21:30 | Crofoot Ballroom, 1 South Saginaw, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
The Story of Burying Our Clinton River in Downtown Pontiac, presented by Mike McGuinness at the Crofoot Ballroom in downtown Pontiac.
Doors open at 7 PM, talk at 8. Free admission, cash bar available.

2024 Oak Hill Cemetery Walk: The Dead Poet and the Society
2024-09-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Oak Hill Cemetery, 216 University Drive, Pontiac, Michigan, 48341
Don’t miss this dynamic annual walking tour, as we explore the historic Oak Hill Cemetery in Pontiac, Michigan. It is educational, it is fun, and it is outdoors. The event will happen rain or shine. Purchase your tickets today, or you may miss out — tickets have sold out in previous years. This year’s theme is “The Dead Poet and the Society” and we will be telling the stories of the founders of the Pioneer Society of Oakland County.
Suggested age 12 and up.
Tours from 2 to 4 PM.
Details about attending the walk: https://tinyurl.com/CemeteryWalk2024
Details about sponsoring the walk: https://www.ocphs.org/oak-hill-cemetery-walk-sponsorship/

Dishes Past: Ford Feast
2024-10-04 19:00 - 21:00 | First Presbyterian Church, 99 Wayne Street, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
Join us in Downtown Pontiac for a multi-course meal with a classic car theme. Featuring recipes inspired by the Ford Diamond Jubilee Recipe Collection, published 1978 in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company.
Join the Oakland History Center on a gastronomic journey, prepared by Plain and Fancy Food. Support a good cause while you enjoy a taste of history and celebrate something timeless – great food! A portion of every ticket will benefit the Oakland History Center.
Recipes in the book are pulled from the 3000 recipes published by Ford in magazines, including the Ford Times. While specific details about individual recipes are not included in the book, many come from the Ford Times “Favorite Recipes from Favorite Restaurants” feature and showcase great regional food from across the United States.
Friday, October 4th, 2024
7:00pm to 10:00pm
$50 per person
First Presbyterian Church
99 Wayne St, Pontiac, MI 48342, Enter off of Wayne St and follow the signs.
Tickets available at: https://tinyurl.com/DishesPastFordFeast

Spring Auction 2025
2025-04-06 16:00 - 18:00 | Pontiac Little Art Theatre, 47 N. Saginaw Street, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
Held at the Pontiac Little Art Theatre, 47 North Saginaw.
A guaranteed good time for a good cause!

Silent Auction and Live Auction
Cash Bar
Ticket Proceeds Benefit both the Oakland History Center and the Pontiac Little Art Theatre (both non-profits)

Tickets for sale at the Oakland History Center or at this link: LocalHop.

2025 Annual Summer Social
2025-07-26 12:00 - 16:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
It’s almost that time again! Join us the last weekend in July for a local history blowout! There’ll be fun for the whole family, local history presenters, mansion tours (with some brand new displays), silent auctions, flea markets, food trucks and of course, ice cream! Attendance is free, but the fun is guaranteed.
Looking to help out? We are always looking for volunteers, vendors, sponsors and reenactors. Connect with us via email at office@ocphs.org, by phone at (248)338-6732 or fill out our sponsorship survey at: https://forms.gle/V1yyqqSxFmKrc8Mq7.

Oak Hill Cemetery Walk: From Temperance to the 21st Amendment
2025-09-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Oak Hill Cemetery, 216 University Drive, Pontiac, Michigan, 48341
“Don’t miss this dynamic annual walking tour, as we explore the historic Oak Hill Cemetery in Pontiac, Michigan. It is educational, it is fun, and it is outdoors.
The event will happen rain or shine. Purchase your tickets today, or you may miss out — tickets have sold out in previous years. This year’s theme is “From Temperance to the 21st Amendment.”
Suggested age 12 and up.
Tiny url: https://tinyurl.com/OakHill25
Full url: https://events.getlocalhop.com/oak-hill-cemetery-walk/event/LyAwhVxsK4/
Or use the QR code:

In Search of Oakland County History: A Bus Tour
2025-10-15 10:00 - 16:30, 2025-10-18 10:00 - 16:30 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Oakland County Parks and the Oakland History Center proudly present a bus tour ‘In Search of Oakland County History.’
Join us with Parks Historian Carol Egbo as we visit some of the hidden, historic gems this county has to offer. You’ll tour the Governor Wisner Mansion at our campus in Pontiac, the Ortonville ‘Old Mill’ Museum and the Waterford Historic Village.
Please note that not all sites are fully accessible, so please let us know ahead of time what your needs are.
Tours will start here at Pine Grove at 10am and should return here by 4:30pm. Parking is free and a boxed lunch will be provided.
With two dates for this fantastic tour (Wednesday October 15th and Saturday October 18th) you won’t want to miss it. Tickets available (for either day) here.

Autumn Auction Affair
2025-11-15 18:00 - 21:00 | Pontiac Creative Arts Center, 47 Williams Street, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
Our fall auction gala tradition returns! Held at the historic Pontiac Creative Arts Center at 47 Williams Street in Pontiac, Michigan.
A Guaranteed Fun, Festive, Fall Time! Strolling Reception – Silent Auction & Live Auction – Ticket Proceeds Benefit both our non-profit Historical Society & the non-profit Pontiac Creative Arts Center.
Purchase tickets online here or visit the Oakland History Center to get them in person.

OCHS Board Meeting
2026-01-17 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-03-21 10:30 - 12:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States

America250 Planning Meeting
2026-03-12 18:30 - 20:00 | Waterford Oaks Activity Center, 2800 Watkins Lake Road, Waterford, MI, 48328, United States
Calling All Lovers of History and Ice Cream!
This year, the Oakland History Center will be the site of Oakland County’s America 250 Celebration, taking place at the Oakland History Center’s July 2026 Summer Social. We’re in cahoots with the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, Oakland County Parks, and the city of Pontiac in bringing this event to life.
We’re getting a little worked up about it, in only the best possible ways.
So, please join us and fellow community members on March 12 from 6:30 to 8 PM, as we brainstorm for this singular event.
The planning meeting will be held at the Waterford Oaks Activity Center, 2800 Watkins Lake Road, Waterford. There’ll be some light refreshments.
Bring your ideas and put on your brainstorming hats! It’s going to be fun winding through all of your suggestions!
A map to the Activity Center:

Small Talk - Kevin Ballant, "Michigan at Gettysburg"
2026-04-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Oakland History Center at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Small Talk – Michigan at Gettysburg
Our small talks return!
Join us on Sunday, April 26th at 1pm as presenter Kevin Ballant illuminates Michigan’s role in the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg.
Light refreshments provided.
Admission is free, but donations are always appreciated.
