The Besser Museum is a 501 (c)(3), non-profit, membership corporation stewarded by its own Board of Trustees.
The museum receives no continuing financial support from federal, state, or local government entities or millage.
Operational support is generated through admission fees, membership dues, awarded grants and donations.
Besser Museum is an accrediated museum by the American Alliance of Museums.
Our vision is a community that can explore the dynamic story of Northeast Michigan's interconnected natural resources and cultural heritage
through the ability to navigate the past, illuminate the present, and imagine the future.
The Native American Exhibit
is Temporarily Closed for Renovations.
The Exhibit is scheduled to reopen December 2024.
Native American Gallery
The Native American Exhibit
is Temporarily Closed for Renovations.
The Exhibit is scheduled to reopen December 2024.
Peoples of Lakes and Forests
The Haltiner Archaeology collection of approximately 10,000 items, ranging from copper culture period through the historic period, is the most significant component of the museum's science collection. Exhibited in the Peoples of Lakes and Forests Gallery, the Haltiner Archaeology collection gives insight into the culture of Northeast Michigan's earliest settlers.