Lecture Series
Learn From the Experts
The Gilmore Car Museum’s annual Winter Lecture Series is highly anticipated every year. Each week a different speaker will present on a variety of intriguing topics from Michigan based history to aircraft to automobiles, of course!
When is lecture series?
- Every Sunday (except for Easter) at 2pm in the Heritage Ballroom
- January through April
Admission is easy -
- FREE to museum members
- Included with your museum general admission ticket
- $5.00/person if you are only attending the lecture
* The Winter Lecture Series will not be streamed via Facebook, YouTube or any other means.
2024 Schedule
| January 7th | "The Streetcar Era in Kalamazoo 1885-1932" When electricity drove Kalamazoo. | Mark Tomlonson Historian |
| January 14th | "America's Anthems"
The Battle Hymn of the Republic, America the Beautiful, and The Star-Spangled Banner. | Cameron S. Brown President of the Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute and former Michigan State Senator. |
| January 21st | "The Amazing Adventures of the Abernathy Brothers" | John Burton & Robin Nott Historians and Storytellers-GCM Education Team |
| January 28th | “60th Anniversary of the Mustang” | John Clor
Enthusiast Communications Manager / Ford Performance |
| February 4th | “How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars”
Explore the many aspects of preparing your collector car for sale and finding a new one. | Patrick Krook Classic Car Expert |
| February 11th | "The American Guide Series"
The WPA's Travel Books of the 1930's. | Jim Craft
Author and Historian |
| February 18th | "Sam Hodgman's Civil War Experience 1861-1864" | Rick Cahow Historian - Gilmore Education Team |
| February 25th | "The Golden Age of Building in Kalamazoo" | Lynn Houghton Director, The Zhang Legacy Collections Center Western Michigan University |
| March 3rd | "Michigan State Parks Along the West Michigan Lakeshore" | M. Christine Byron & Thomas R. Wilson
Authors and Historians - Vintage Views |
| March 10th | "Those Amazing Bradford Model T Girls"
Adventures of young single girls on nine consecutive summer vacations from 1934 thru 1942. | John Butte John Butte, Author and Collector |
| March 17th | "Carnegie Libraries in Michigan"
Step inside these historic structures and learn of the tremendous impact upon our State. | Dianna Stampfler Author/Historian and Owner of Promote Michigan |
| March 24th | "Creating a Giant"
The men and money that started the Ford Motor Co. | Ray Swetman Automotive Historian |
| April 7th | "In 1899 Steam and Electric Cars were King?"
What happened, and could it happen again? | Don LaCombe Automotive Historian |
| April 14th | "The Wonderful World of Radiator Emblems" A rich history of fine art work and technological innovation in automotive emblems. | Todd Carlson Automotive Historian |
| April 21st | "Mascots in Motion" Images and stories of automotive aesthetics. | Steve Purdy Author and Historian |
| April 28th | "Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsula Vintners"
The fascinating story of the wine making in northern Michigan. Wine tasting will follow the presentation! | Patrick Brys
Vintner, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery |
Have a topic idea that you'd like to present at a future series? Please email our Director of Education, Fred Colgren.
Winter Lecture Series sponsored by -
