Please note: some information may not be available online at this time as we transition to a new web site. Please contact us at (269) 983-1191 if you cannot find what you're looking for.

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the Priscilla U. Byrns Center serves as home to the The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center and offers a state-of-the-art setting for your trip to the past. The new center, which opened in 1997, houses exhibit halls, artifact and archival collections, a research library and elegant banquet facilities. 

Visit us at 601 Main Street in St. Joseph, Michigan

Exhibit Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10-4 and Sundays (till Labor Day) 12-4
Call (269) 983-1191 for more information
Regular admission is $5.00 for adults and $1.00 for children 6-18, children 5 and under admitted free. 
Members are always free and receive a 25% store discount!  Join today! 

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Programs and services include:

  • Public programs and Events 
  • Museum exhibitions for the public and school programs
  • A research library and archive-please call for an appointment
  • Frederick S. Upton Fellowship Program in Public History
  • Support for the preservation of historical buildings and neighborhoods

Whether you're a visitor or a long-time resident, come see how the The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center can take you on a journey through the history of Michigan's lake frontier.

Vision Statement

The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center will become a national model for historical research, preservation, and education, where people enjoy history and appreciate how it affects their present and future.

Mission Statement

The mission of The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center is to engage the public in a vibrant organization that promotes historical preservation, education, and research that relates to Benton Harbor, St. Joseph and the surrounding region. We seek to inspire our visitors to make a personal and emotional connection to the past by providing on-going historical exhibits and programs that enable all persons to see their present and future more clearly.

Core Values

There is a fundamental human need to understand the past in order to relate to the present and plan for the future.  We are responsible to provide the resources to meet that need for everyone.