About an hour’s drive from Detroit is the small city of Chelsea, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 due to its preservation of historic properties. Chelsea’s preserved historic architecture downtown and charming Victorian homes in quaint neighborhoods make this an ideal place to spend the day. And there are plenty of things to see and do without pulling out your wallet. Let’s see what this alluring place has to offer!

Take a self-guided historic walking tour. A great starting point on your visit is the Chelsea Area Historical Museum located at 128 Jackson Street and housed in one of the oldest buildings in town (circa 1853).
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Chelsea Area Historical Society/Facebook
Although the museum itself is currently closed due to the pandemic, you can take a look at the map outside and plan out your own historic walking tour of the area. You may also pick up a historic walking tour map at the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce located at 222 S Main Street.
Visit the red brick Clock Tower landmark on Chelsea's Main Street (it's hard to miss). Built in 1907, it once housed a 30,000-gallon water tank that supplied water to sprinklers across the 10-acre industrial complex it once belonged to.
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Another place of historic significance is the Chelsea Depot, which was opened in 1880 allowing train travel to the area. The station had two waiting rooms, one for women and children while the other was for men. It was part of Michigan Central until 1975 when Amtrak took over.
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Dwight Burdette/Wikimedia Commons
Service to this station was discontinued in 1981 and an association was formed in 1985 to restore and preserve the building. This is a worthy stop on your tour of Chelsea!

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Another place to stop at is the JIFFY building, home of the Chelsea Milling Company which started in 1901. The towering silos of the building and its iconic signage are a sight to see! In 1930, JIFFY biscuit mix was introduced and what Chelsea became known for.
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MarmeladeGypsy/TripAdvisor
Today, JIFFY still makes and ships mixes worldwide. Tours are currently on pause due to the pandemic but you can enjoy a virtual tour online and order JIFFY mixes online. The building is located at 201 W North Street.
If you prefer spending time in the great outdoors, visit Waterloo Recreation Area, home to fishing lakes, beaches, campgrounds, cabins, yurts, and plenty of hiking and mountain biking trails. Spend some time out in nature and get some fresh air in it's 20,000+ acres. The entrance to Waterloo Recreation area is located at 16345 McClure Road.
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A Recreation Passport is required to enter the park, but it's an affordable amount for the year that will grant you access to over 100 state parks across the state of Michigan.
Take the kids to Timber Town Park to play for a while! Located close to downtown on Sibley Road, children will have fun playing on the 12,000-square foot wooden climbing structure filled with swings, slides, bridges, towers, a climbing wall, and more. They will have so much fun!
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Are you ready to enjoy an affordable day in Chelsea?

For more information on Chelsea and some of the places listed in this article, click here.

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Chelsea, MI 48118, USA