Hours of Operation

Saturday 8:30 am - 11:30 am & 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm.   Units wanting to visit the Museum on Friday evening, Saturday evening, or Sunday must coordinate with the Museum Guide.

Summer Camp Hours are Tuesdays & Thursdays at 8:30 am - 11:30 am & 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

You can be a part of helping to show Scouts & Scouters about the History of Scouting.

We are looking for volunteers to assist on the weekend so that the museum can be available to all Scouters who come to D-bar-A. For further information, please contact Harold Hanna.

  Download the Weekend Schedule to see what weekends are available

Download the Curator Operating Procedures

There is food service available every saturday in Wyckoff Lodge for the camp
staff, so please join them for a home cooked meal. If there is a full weekend
of food service, please feel free to join as well. If food service is not
available they must feed themselves. There is a set of dishes, micro-wave,
coffee pot and a stove available.

Summer Camp Guides Needed:  Tuesdays & Thursdays during Summer Camp

Donation of Scouting Memorabilia

If you have any Scouting memorabilia that you would like to donate to the museum, please contact Harold Hanna.

Arrangements can be made to have your memorabilia displayed "on loan".

Museum Photos

Take a Photo tour of the museum.

If you have photos you would like to submit, please email to the webmaster@dacbsa.org

History

The former administration building at D-bar-A was provided to the O-A to be converted into a 1,100 square foot museum.

The structure was built in 1950 and was the first new building at the recently acquired Boy Scout property known as D-bar-A Scout Ranch. Its 1,600 square foot cinder block construction is clad in wood paneling. The construction cost of $8,000 was a major expense for the Detroit Area Council, but it was a good investment. Today the building's value is $85,000, but more importantly, over 1,000,000 Scouts and visitors have walked through its doors on their way down the Scouting trail. The original floor plan had three rooms. The center was a general store with canned goods, eggs, milk, bacon and Spam. The right wing was a trading post and the left wing was the administration office. Many of Detroit Area Council’s finest Scouters have stood behind these counters.

The bell in front of the building, which rang during the dedication ribbon cutting, is an 1875 school bell from Metamora’s first schoolhouse. Frank V. Powell saved the bell from discard in 1955 and it rings today in front of the Scout museum as a symbol of our proud past and exciting future.

The interior includes display cases, track lighting, and a special feature display area. All the plumbing, wiring, and lighting was replaced with new material. The old wood fireplace was restored and replaced with a gas log unit and the basement has even be converted into storage. A new forced air furnace now heats the building. A state of the art security system has been added to protect the museums' collection.

The exterior is sided with cedar planks and extra lighting added for better visibility. The landscape will be redesigned with a picnic area to encourage groups to make a day of their trips to the museum.

The majority of work done for this project has been completed by members of Migisi Opawgan Lodge #162.

Contributions are welcome and needed to maintain and advance the museum. Send your donation to: Detroit Area Council, BSA, Thomas D. Trainor Scout Museum Fund, 1776 W. Warren Ave., Detroit, MI 48208.

Financial Support

Each person who gives his or her time and/or money to this project will be recorded in the lodge sign-in book to be kept in the museum. All supporters giving $100.00 or above will have their name added to the dedication plaque in the museum.

Those supporters giving more than $500.00 will be given a special plaque in gratitude for being a lifetime supporter of the museum. Lifetime supporters will also have their names inscribed on the plaque at the museum.

All funds collected will go to support the restoration, construction and endowment of the facility for years to come.

If you are interested in supporting this project please contact Harold Hanna.