Join the Historical Museum in their Fall 2026 Lecture Series. All of these sessions will be hosted at the: 

Berkley Community Center - 2400 Robina Ave. Berkley, MI 48072 

Tickets are $10 and are available through the Parks and Recreation registration portal, by calling (248) 658-3335, or at the door at the event.

• September 18th - 7pm
  • Berkley - Its Early History and Anecdotes
    • Berkley became a village in 1923, but numerous attempts were made to achieve that status. Donald Callihan will recount those attempts, along with humorous and sometimes controversial anecdotes, as the village developed in the 1920s and 1930s.
• October 16 - 7pm
  • "The Berkley Theater and Its Rebirth as a Discount Movie House"
    • ​​​​​​​The Berkley Theatre opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1941. It underwent several changes in ownership before Harry A. Komer took over the theater in 1961. The Komer family ran the theater until September 1991. Margery Kaplan will relate the theater's history with emphasis on the Komer years.
• November 20 - 7pm
  • ​​​​​​​"A Polar Bear, a Hypnotist and a Ghost River: A Slightly Unconventional Look at the History of Woodward Avenue"
    • ​​​​​​​Woodward Avenue is jam-packed with history! Even a short stretch of it can lead a historian, like Carol Bacak-Egbe, to discover amazing stories about fascinating people. The stretch between 11 Mile and 13 Mile, which borders Berkley, is a perfect example.
• December 18 - 7pm
  • Harsens Island - Michigan's Secret Paradise
    • Robert A. L. Williams will present a brief history of Harsens Island. The Island is located where the St. Clair River discharges into Lake St. Clair and is only reachable by boat or car ferry from Algonac. Its history includes control by four different nations, and a half-century during which a dozen resort hotels and Tashmoo Park were visited by·hundreds of housands of tourists from Detroit via the SteamerTashmoo. Today, the island includes a DNR Wildlife Area and is home to about 1,200 residents, increasing to 3,000 during the summer.