Pere Marquette Welcome Center
919 Boutell Place
Bay City, MI 48708
(989) 894-4801
Hours:
Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm
Closed Saturdays and Sundays
Open on the weekends for scheduled events only.
A New Life
For the first time since 1969, the Pere Marquette Depot of Bay City has tenants. The offices of the Bay Area Community Foundation are located on the second floor and the Bay City Convention and Visitors Bureau is housed on the first floor of this remarkable structure.
In 2003, the Great Lakes Center Foundation purchased the Depot with the intention of restoring it to house local non-profit tenants. Restoration of the Depot was designed to adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitating Historic Structures, and began in the spring of 2007. The tower, canopy, and porte cochere were recreated, door and window openings returned to their original configuration, and the two-story waiting room restored, complete with recreated ticket office. The remainder of the interior was rehabilitated to provide office and support space.
After the Greyhound Bus Company vacated the building in 1969, the former Depot stayed empty and unused for 38 years, victimized by vandalism and a fire that further damaged the original waiting room. Periodically, private and public entities proposed adaptively reusing the Depot, but none of the options were implemented. Proposals to demolish the Depot, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, met with resistance from local residents, who wanted to see
Services and Hours of Operation
The former Pere Marquette Depot waiting room now serves as a Welcome Center for visitors to the greater Bay County area. The Bay City Convention and Visitors Bureau operates the Welcome Center as a service to the community.
Services at the Welcome Center include:
- Public restrooms.
- Free literature about attractions, entertainment and lodging in Bay City.
- Access to high speed, wireless internet.
- A gift shop where quality Bay City related items can be purchased.
Maritime Legacy