History Skills Workshops® | Historical Society of Michigan

Hone your skills with our educational workshops

Learn more about a particular topic or hone a skill from experts in different historical fields

Our History Skills Workshops^® are training opportunities for historical organizations and interested history advocates to gain skills that can be applied in museums, organizations, and personal collections. Check out our list of upcoming workshops and learn more about our program below.

Did you know? HSM members receive a discounted rate for our workshops. Learn more about HSM membership here.

Or call (800) 692-1828

Details

Workshops are $49 for members and $89 for nonmembers (price includes a one-year HSM household membership).
Workshops are either virtual or in-person.
Instructions for joining the virtual meeting (and any handouts) will be sent to registered attendees one day prior to the scheduled workshop.
Workshops are not recorded, and HSM is unable to issue refunds for missed attendance.

A group of HSM members around a classic car at the Gilmore Car Museum

Take your learning further with HSM Experience Days

Join the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM) as it partners with its member history organizations for immersive HSM Experience Days that take you on an in-depth journey into the past. These all-day programs are designed for the history enthusiast who wants to learn more than is offered on a typical museum or historic site tour. Whether it is driving a Model T Ford, hauling on the lanyards of a historic sailing vessel, or helping restore a vintage airplane, you’ll experience firsthand the details and little-known facts behind the stories. All HSM Experience Days are held in-person at the host member organization.

Learn more about HSM Experience Days

Upcoming Workshops

NOTE: Registration for each workshop closes the Wednesday prior to the event at 12:00 p.m. ET.

Events

Mastering Museum Events: A Practical Guide to Program Planning

Fri, Oct 24 2025, 9am - 12pm

Virtual

Looking to energize your museum’s programming with creative, crowd-pleasing events? Join us for this hands-on workshop with strategies from the Morton House Museum. From themed talks and interactive games to unique recipes—including the ever-popular witches' fingers—you'll gain practical ideas you can adapt to your own site.

Food from the Past: Cooking from Historical Recipe Manuscripts

Fri, Nov 14 2025, 9am - 12pm

Virtual

How do you cook from a three-hundred-year-old recipe in your 21st-century kitchen? This workshop examines historical recipe manuscripts and gives step-by-step instructions for taking one recipe all the way from the handwritten page to the stovetop. Bring your questions about food history and historical recipes that you have encountered or that you inherited from your family.

Publishing Your History Book

Fri, Dec 5 2025, 9am - 12pm

Virtual

Have you wanted to produce a history book, but don’t know where to begin? Join this workshop presenter who will take you through all the steps of creating a book, including defining the scope, researching and writing, defining the market, pitching to publishers, printing, and marketing the volume to the public.

Get the most out of Michigan's history

If you're considering attending one of our workshops, or have participated in a previous one, we encourage you to check out our HSM membership program. With significant discounts to all of our workshops and events, the membership is a great way to save and enjoy all of our additional history content. All HSM members receive event discounts, free access to weekly History Hounds® live lectures and previously recorded lectures, both Michigan History and Chronicle magazines, and more.

Explore Our Memberships

Questions?

We'd love to help! Reach out to our HSM staff today at hsm@hsmichigan.org or by calling us at (517) 324-1828.