Open year round, Whaley House Museum
offers you the opportunity to immerse yourself in Flint's past and discover the people and places that forever shaped our community.
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General Tours During the forty years R. J. and Mary Whaley lived on East Kearsley Street they witnessed the city's growth from a small lumbering town to one of the world's largest manufacturing centers. As you tour their home, you will discover their lives and their lasting contributions to Flint.

For our tour schedule and admission rates, please visit our Tours page.
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East Kearsley Street Walking Tour: Rediscovering a Lost Neighborhood East Kearsley Street was once populated by the visionaries, financiers, and industrialists who shaped our local and national story. Rediscover the neighborhood that Bishop, Buick, Chrysler, Dort, Hardy, Mott, Whaley, and Whiting called home. Our leisurely walking tour begins at Whaley House Museum and is led by knowledgable guides who reconstruct a lost cityscape.

Walking tours begin at 10 am and are held June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, and October 17. $5 per person.

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Visit Whaley House Museum's new weekly online newsletter at whaleyhousemuseum.wordpress.com.

As the last Victorian era home on East Kearsley Street, Whaley House Museum remains as a visible link to Flint's past. Since the home was constructed, the city has evolved from a small lumbering town to one of the world's leading industrial centers to its present incarnation as a regional leader in higher education.

In 1884 and 1885, Robert and Mary Whaley constructed their residence on East Kearsley Street, a place they would call home for forty years. Other family members that lived in the house included Florence, Robert and Mary's only daughter; Robert Whaley Orrell, Florence's son and the Whaleys' only grandchild; and Laura, Robert Whaley's half-sister. Over the years the various domestics and coachmen that made life more comfortable for the Whaleys lived here as well.

Robert and Mary were very prominent in their community. For over forty years, Robert was the president of Citizens Bank. During his tenure, he issued a $2,000 loan to William C. Durant and J. Dallas Dort that eventually led to the creation of General Motors. As a member of one of Flint's founding families, Mary was active in a number of civic organizations in addition to her duties of running a household.

Today, the Whaleys are remembered for their generosity. Robert established the Whaley Children's Center and Mary founded the McFarlan Home for Women. She also donated numerous acres of land to the city for the creation of parks and paid for the construction of the Five Sisters Chapel at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

But that is just part of their story . . .