Porch Notes
Historic Charlton Park
History and culture
Just southeast of Hastings, on the shore of Thornapple Lake, Historic Charlton Park is part history museum, part village, part swimming beach. The heart of it is a re-created turn-of-the-century Michigan village: more than a dozen genuine 1800s and early-1900s buildings — a one-room schoolhouse, a church, a blacksmith shop, a general store, a township hall — that were moved here from around the county and arranged along the streets of an old-time town. A separate museum holds one of the state’s better collections of farm and rural-life artifacts.
The park sits on more than 300 acres along the water, so it’s also a place to spend a summer day: there’s a swimming beach, picnic areas, and boat launches on Thornapple Lake. Charlton Park hosts events through the year, from a big Civil War reenactment to fall festivals.
Historic Charlton Park is at 2545 S. Charlton Park Road, Hastings; details are at charltonpark.org.