Thumb Octagon Barn Agricultural Museum – Saving the past for tomorrows future

We are closed for the season!

Saving the past for tomorrow's future! The Thumb Octagon Barn Agricultural Museum is located in Tuscola County approximately 1 mile east of the Village of Gagetown along Bay City Forestville Road, 1 mile north on Richie Road, just south of the Huron County border. What exists on this site today is the result of a vision, a team effort, generous contributions and many hours of planning, organization, and plain hard work. The vision began in the minds of a few neighbors who did not want to see such an awesome structure and piece of agricultural history be destroyed in the name of “convenience” or “progress”. And so began the Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn organization — a rescue effort to save the barn from demolition, then restore the barn, then restore the house and surrounding grounds.

VISION STATEMENT: Our vision is to develop the Thumb Octagon Barn complex for the community as an agricultural museum and educational center open to individuals, families and student groups to educate and stimulate awareness of our agricultural heritage.

MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to maintain a volunteer group of Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn involved in the restoration and preservation of the barn complex as an educational tool preserving our rural and agricultural history for the benefit of our visitors. Fund-raising efforts have grown into annual events known around the state. The vision to preserve has grown into a plan to own and operate an historical agricultural site for the education, recreation and entertainment of the community and visitors. Currently the Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn has nearly 800 members — many from all over the State of Michigan and around the country. Members may receive the Barn Newsletter and volunteer their time to help out if they are able. There are always work activities, festivals, gatherings and restoration upkeep that bring members together in the community. Help is always needed and appreciated. Upkeep is ongoing...

VALUES STATEMENT: As stewards of the Octagon Barn, we embrace the diversity within our organization and celebrate our many individual talents. We are committed to our visitors and have a passion for the Octagon Barn complex as an educational tool to share with the community our rural heritage. We take on big challenges, and pride ourselves on seeing them completed. We have a responsibility to hold ourselves accountable to the legacy of the Octagon Barn as it continues to grow in the future.

In the News! Fall Family Days 2019

We’re in the news! Follow this link to the article in the Huron Daily Tribune about the upcoming Fall Family Days.

2019 School Tours Wrap-up

The 2019 theme was “Food Industry…Past and Present” and we educated students on both food preservation and preparation. The Thumb Octagon Barn partnered with Knowlton’s Ice Museum and showed students old harvesting and storage methods. Also, preservation of food using various techniques, including salting, smoking, canning, and drying fruits were…