| Farm Complex and Gardens
Simmons/Hill House (Built in 1841)
This exquisite house is easily seen while traveling on Eight Mile Road. It's the large white Greek Revival farmhouse encased by a white picket fence. In addition to its five fireplaces, the home's interior wood- work and architectural detail is classic 19th century style. This house and its surrounding out-buildings exist on the National Register of Historic Sites.
The barn has been restored and is used as an exhibit setting for farming implements.
Farmhand's House (Built in 1820s)
The renovated Farmhand's house features an exhibit on the history of Livonia Township, and is believed to be the first frame residence of the Simmons family.
Gardens
 Teams of volunteers aid the City of Livonia by tending the various gardens at Greenmead. The garden areas are a favorite spot for wedding photographs or a leisurely stroll.
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Community Gardens
Garden plots at Greenmead Historical Park, Newburgh and Eight Mile Roads are available for rent. Plots are 24'x24'. Water is available. New Gardener Sign up will start on the first Tuesday of April and continue until June in the Community Resources Office located at Livonia City Hall, on the fifth floor. Please come in between the hours of 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m. to sign up. The cost is $25.00 (resident) or $35.00 (non-resident) per plot. Cash (exact change) or Check only. For further information, please call (734) 466-2542.
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| Greenmead Tours
Sunday Tours
Tour times:
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1-4 PM
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by donation at the Hinbern House (Gift Shop) |
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It is located near the stop signs in the middle of the park. Please stop in for your admission sticker.
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Tour Season:
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June 30, July 14, August 18, August 25, October 6, December 1, and December 8. Buildings are also open to tour during many of our special events. Admission fee to each event varies. Please see our special events calendar or call the office for more information. |
Make your first stop the Gift Shop, located near the stop signs,
for your admission sticker.
Make your first stop the Gift Shop, located near the stop signs,
for your admission sticker.
Group Tours
Weekday group tours are available May through October. Groups must be of at least 10 attendees. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for students (cash or check only). Weekday tours will be of the Newburg Intersection and will include the Newburg Church, School, Bungalow, and A.J. Geer Store. Please call the office at 248-477-7375 to schedule a tour.
Self Guided Tour App![]()
We do offer the ability to take a self guided tour anytime that the park is open. The tour works with your smart phone and it tells you about each building on the Greenmead property. You can either scan the QR code on our signs or simply go to Livonia.toursphere.com. In order to get the most out of the application, you will want to turn on the Geo-locate feature. As you walk around the park, your phone will pop open an indicator that you are near a building and allow you to go directly to that building. If you want, you can either read the description or even play audio of it.
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Virginia B. Matley Nature Trail![]()
This trail provides an opportunity to stroll among the lively greenery and see local wildlife. The trail is just over a ½ mile long and includes locations where a person can sit and enjoy the wildlife and nature.
The trail is open year round during daylight hours. The trail is located on the west side of the Community Gardens.
Step in and explorer this little piece of nature!
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Virginia B. Matley was a dedicated member of the Livonia Garden Club from 1976 till her passing in 2000. She was very dedicated to sprucing up her park and helped develop and maintain the gardens. She also provided guided tours of the gardens. This trail was dedicated May 19, 2002 in her memory and was jointly developed by the Livonia Garden Club, a number of local Boy Scouts and the City of Livonia.
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<<<Come, visit yesterday. >>>
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| Nankin Mills/Perrinville School
The Nankin Mills School was built in 1937 for the children of the workers at Henry Ford’s Nankin Mills factory. The school had a large classroom, activity room, two hallways, and a machine shop downstairs. It also had indirect lighting, plastered walls, eggshell colored woodwork, and pine flooring.
The Livonia Public Schools acquired the property in 1969 and the school was used until 1982.
In January of 2015, the donation of the school to the City of Livonia was accepted and preparations to move the building to Greenmead Historical Park began. On Tuesday, October 25, 2016, the school was moved over a nine-hour period from the corner of Farmington Road and Ann Arbor Trail to Greenmead via Joy, Inkster, Seven Mile, and Newburgh Roads.
The next phases will include building a foundation, moving the school house onto the foundation, and restoring the interior and exterior. The school’s new home will be on the west side of the Kingsley House.
The Livonia Historical Commission holds many fundraisers throughout the year at Greenmead Historical Park, which raised the funding to pay for moving the school. The community’s support at these events has made this possible.
If you would like to make a donation towards the restoration of the Nankin Mills/Perrinville School, checks may be sent to the Livonia Historical Commission at 20501 Newburgh Road, Livonia, MI 48152.
Updates: The school house was moved to its final location on July 20. Foundation and basement work was completed in December. Once the snow melts, exterior work will continue.
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| Newburg Intersection at the Village (circa 1915-1920)
The east side of the Village is a re-creation of the rural Newburg Intersection. We have re-created Ann Arbor Trail's curve to duplicate the road at the actual intersection of Ann Arbor Trail and Newburgh Roads. There are six buildings at the Newburg Intersection:
Detroit United Railway Waiting Room (1897)
The inter-urban line connected Wayne, Plymouth, and Northville to Livonia.
This line serviced Livonia Township until 1927.
A.J. Geer Store (Built in 1908)
This store was originally located on Ann Arbor Trail west of Newburg. Mr. Geer opened this store and operated it until 1916. The dimensions on this one-room store are 20' x 40' x 45'; one side wall is longer than the other to match the angle of the road.
Bungalow (Built in 1913)
This cozy clapboard home has a living room and kitchen on the first floor, and two bedrooms on the second floor. This home did not have interior plumbing, and therefore has no bathroom.
This home is furnished with items in use from the 1910's - 1930's.
Parsonage (Built in 1924)
This building served as the parsonage for the Newburg Methodist Church.
Greenmead's caretaker is housed here, and it is NOT open to the public.
Newburg Methodist Church (Built in 1848)
The building is exhibited as the 1915 Newburg Methodist Church.
The curved pews and stained glass windows are just two of its interesting features.
This building is a popular site for weddings, meetings, concerts, etc. It holds up to 150 people and is heated and air-conditioned. For rental information, please call the Greenmead office at (248) 477-7375 for details and availability. Church is shown by appointment only.
Newburg School (Built in 1861)
This one-room frame school was built for $400. There are two cloak rooms, one for boys and the other for girls. Children of all ages would have attended school at the same time with only one teacher.
Teachers are able to give their students a day in a one-room schoolhouse experience. For more information, please contact the office.
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| Rental Opportunities at Greenmead Historical Park
In an effort to share our history with the Residents of Livonia, their family members, and friends, Greenmead Historical Park offers three buildings for private rentals. It is important to remember we are first, and foremost, a historical site that offers the opportunity for a unique setting for various special events.
For more information on date availability, pricing, and to tour a building for your special event, please call our office at (248) 477-7375. Please note, we are by appointment only. Appointments are during normal business hours, Monday - Friday.
Buildings are not available for rental on holidays.
Built in 1848, this charming country church features original stain glass windows, beautiful dark wood pews, and amazing acoustics.. This building has heat and air conditioning so your guests are comfortable no matter what time of year. Newburg Church is non-denominational, can accommodate about 120 guests and is suitable for weddings and memorial services. Let us help you customize your event at a memorable location.
As this is a historic church, there are guidelines in place to maintain the building and property which will be reviewed with you during your appointment. Please call our office at (248) 477-7375 to check date availability, pricing, and make an appointment to see the Church.
Check out the gallery at the bottom of the page.
Built in 1846 for the Society of Friends, this simple Quaker Meeting House is a perfect place for baby showers, wedding showers, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and meetings. This building will seat about 40 guests and has the option of an indoor/outdoor party in the summertime by utilizing the picnic tables. This building has heat and air conditioning and comes with tables, chairs, and wooden benches.
As this is a historic building, there are guidelines in place to maintain the building and property which will be reviewed with you during your appointment. Please call our office at (248) 477-7375 to check date availability, pricing, and make an appointment to see the Meeting House.
Check out the gallery at the bottom of the page.
Built in the 1850’s by Judge Alexander Blue, this adaptive re-use building has modern amenities with antique charm. This buildings is tastefully decorated with time period appropriate furnishings. When you enter the front door, your eye is first drawn to a beautiful staircase perfect for pictures. In the dining room, two sets of French doors which open to the park, perfect for those lovely summer nights or an indoor/outdoor event. The Blue House has heat and air conditioning, seats up to 99 guests, and has tables and chairs for your use.
As this is a historic building, there are guidelines in place to maintain the building and property which will be reviewed with you during your appointment. Please call our office at (248) 477-7375 to check date availability, pricing, and make an appointment to see the Blue House.
Check out the gallery at the bottom of the page.
The Greenmead Grounds are available for exclusive rental use for parties and events. All proposed event usage needs to be submitted in writing for approval.
Please call our office at (248) 477-7375 to check date availability, pricing, and make an appointment to see the available grounds area and review our policies and procedures contract.
Check out the gallery at the bottom of the page.
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