Historic Charlton Park: Village, Museum & Recreation Area

06/21/2026

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there!
The Car Show is in full swing and will be going on until 4 p.m. Have a great day, we hope to see you here with your dad!
Reminder: there is FREE parking off of River Road, with transit to the show. CASH ONLY at the gate. Also, the recreation area (beach and boat launch) are CLOSED until 5 p.m. today.

Also, for those keeping watch - the summer solstice took place this morning at 4:25 a.m. This means that today we will have the most daylight we will have all year, and after today, we will lose daylight until the winter solstice. Enjoy the extra daylight today!

06/20/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰:

The recreation area (beach and boat launch) will be CLOSED tomorrow, June 20, until 5 p.m. due to the Father's Day Car show. Thanks for your understanding!

06/19/2026

You can help make the event a success by volunteering your time, If you have two hours, we have a job for you!

We have five (5) different volunteer roles that are available throughout the day. Make sure you read the descriptions carefully. Everyone will receive a volunteer shirt for the day that you are welcome to keep!

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the 4th of July event at Historic Charlton Park on Saturday, July 4, 2026. This is a big year with the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation!

06/15/2026

Don't forget, the Father's Day Car Show at Historic Charlton Park is this Sunday, June 21 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come and enjoy all of the cars in the historic village setting. The event is $5 for ages 13 and older, 12 and younger are free! The event runs rain or shine, and is sponsored by the Misfits Car Club of Battle Creek, MI.
Reminder: There is free parking offered off of River Road, with tram service to the show!
See you Sunday!

06/12/2026

As we get into our busier season, we wanted to remind you about our Track Chair! It provides access to our grounds and trails for visitors that use mobility devices and wheelchairs. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙.

You can reserve the chair at the following link (https://bit.ly/42Njcqz). Please be aware, a staff member will contact you after filling out the form to confirm your reservation.

06/11/2026

A celebration to honor America’s 250th anniversary of independence will be held on Saturday, July 4, 2026! Two 45 minute concerts will add to the festive atmosphere!

Both concerts will feature folk music that is historic, or reminiscent of, Revolution era tunes. During lunch, Michigan-based Ben Traverse will provide listeners with an overview of old time music. After the games, Chris Vallillo (music) returns to HCP to perform “The Power of Song in Democracy” on the steps of Mainstreet.

These concerts are offered in partnership with the Thornapple Arts Council, and supported by funding from the Arts and Culture Council.

https://www.facebook.com/bentraversemusic https://www.facebook.com/chrisvallillo

06/11/2026

Due to widespread power outages, the village is closed today. The gate is open so you are free to walk the grounds and trails until we close at dusk. Please be aware that the bathrooms are locked, but the vault toilet in the Rec area and the port-a-jons are available. We will keep you posted regarding our power situation as we recieve updates.

06/10/2026

Historic Charlton Park is pleased to announce the completion of exterior repairs and painting of the Mainstreet buildings in the historic village, made possible through a $12,000 America250MI grant. The project preserved the General Store, Print Shop, and Hardware Store—key sites for hands-on history education and community events.

06/08/2026

Don't forget -

𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟯:
A sensory-friendly, family-friendly Outdoor Skills Training Event hosted by the Autism Alliance of Barry County and Uncivilized Vitality! This event will be a day of fun, connection, and hands-on outdoor experiences designed with sensor-friendly activities in mind.
📍 Charlton Park, Hastings, Michigan
⏰ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
☔ Rain or Shine Event
You can register for a ticket here (https://bit.ly/4uv7kFR), and the Facebook Event can be found here (https://bit.ly/4dwZxBt).
💙 It’s all about connection, inclusion, and autism awareness— can’t wait to see you there!

06/05/2026

📢 Our website is getting a glowup! We’re excited to announce that you can now find information about all of your Barry County Parks in one place! The new website goes live later today. We’re excited for you to explore all of the updates.

If you have information linked to our websites, charltonpark.org and/or barrycountyparks.org, don’t worry, those links will still work! No matter which site you search, you will be sent here.