Nankin Mills Interpretive Center
The Nankin Mills Interpretive Center is undergoing exciting renovations, so the second and third floors are currently closed. The first floor is open for everyone to enjoy during the construction. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The Nankin Mills Interpretive Center is part of the historic grist mill located in the heart of Hines Park. The center has three floors of public displays highlighting; Native American history, water-powered settlements and Underground Railroad history along the Rouge River, as well as Henry Ford's use of the mill for one of his Village Industry manufacturing sites. Nankin Mills is home to many live animal exhibits and interpretive programs that highlight the natural and cultural history of the area.
The center is now home to improved classroom technologies, added interactive displays, and enhanced animal habitats. Nankin Mills also serves as the administrative offices for Wayne County Parks.
There is no admission fee for an individual to visit the Interpretive Center. Guided tours are available to groups for a fee. To schedule a tour, register for a program or for more information, please call (734) 261-1990.
The Nankin Mills Interpretive Center is located at 33175 Ann Arbor Trail in Westland. The building is located on Ann Arbor Trail, just east of Farmington Road. Parking is available in parking lots along Hines Drive and Ann Arbor Trail.
Hours of Operation
* The museum is open Monday-Saturday from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Closed Noon - 1:00 PM for lunch)
Programs and Resources
Interpretive Videos
Check out the series of short interpretive videos on a variety of topics:
Sign up by calling 734-261-1990 for a variety of interpretive programs at Nankin Mills Interpretive Center or Crosswinds Marsh.
Family Interpretive Programs
Nankin Mills Interpretive Center offers a variety of programs designed for the entire family to enjoy together.
Scout Programs
Nankin Mills Interpretive Center offers programs for Boy Scout, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts featuring educational and hands-on activities designed to meet all requirements needed for scouts to earn their badges.
Home School and Youth Group Program Topics
Nankin Mills Interpretive Center is pleased to offer a wide variety of topics for home school or other youth groups to attend with their adult caregivers. Program dates are not prescheduled. Call to schedule a program topic for your group. There is a minimum fee of $75.00 to schedule a program.
School and Youth Group Field Trip and Outreach Program Topics
Nankin Mills Interpretive Center offers many educational programs specially designed to complement school curriculums and feature hands-on activities, hikes, games or crafts to enhance the learning experience. Programs are offered as Field Trips to the Center and some of the topics can be presented at your site as an Outreach Program. These programs are also available during the summer for other youth groups. Call to schedule a program for your students. There is a minimum $75.00 fee to schedule a program.
Adult History & Nature Outreach Presentations
Learn more about our local natural and cultural history! Suggested for senior centers, libraries, and other groups. Have a Wayne County Naturalist visit your facility to provide a fun, informative program. $125 total flat fee for each program.
Interactive Programs: Include activities and education.
Reptile-Amphibian Encounters
Learn about Michigan reptiles and amphibians and meet some of them up close.
Owls of Michigan
Education with owl mounts focusing birds of prey adaptations, and with an owl pellet dissection.
Native Americans of the Great Lakes: A Cultural History
Learn about Anishinaabe culture past and present, with hands-on learning, games, and other activities.
Michigan Underground Railroad History
Learn about the role of the Rouge River, local abolitionists, and songs used in secret communication.
Fall Frolic
Learn how leaves change color and make a leaf print T-shirt
Animals in Winter: Tricky Tracks
Learn about animal tracks and make a tracked-up T-shirt
PowerPoint Programs: All topics are PowerPoint slide presentations.
Michigan’s Fur Trade History
Long before Michigan became a state, it was an important part of the fur trade of North America. Some of our oldest cities began as fur trade posts.
Michigan’s Copper Mining History
The country’s first metal rush happened right here in Michigan. At one time Michigan had the deepest mines in the world.
History of the Detroit Riverfront
The history of this great river is vast. Native Americans, Freedom Seekers on the Underground Railroad, shipping history, and the building boom of the 1930s will be part of the learning.
Scout Badge Programs
Wayne County Parks offers scout badge programs with educational and hands-on activities designed to meet all requirements to earn the scout badges listed below. All programs meet at Nankin Mills Interpretive Center and may also utilize the nature trail, dress for the weather. Programs are 1.5 to two hours long and require ten to 30 scouts plus chaperones.
Fee: $6.00 per scout (additional $1.00 per scout if out of county), chaperones are free.
Girl Scouts
Daisy
Animal Observer
Act as an animal observer, play an observation game, and focus on one specific animal.
Shapes in Nature
Search for shapes in nature, find and make patterns, and create art inspired by nature.
Numbers in Nature
Search for shadows, sort natural objects, and make your own unit of measurement.
Design with Nature
Count with birds, identify parts of nature, and make a map.
Outdoor Art Maker
See the colors of nature, hear the sounds of nature, and share your outdoor art.
Eco Learner
Learn to protect nature before you go outdoors, keep living things safe when you walk in nature, and learn how to protect nature from trash.
Trail Adventure
Choose an outdoor adventure, prepare for the adventure, and go on the adventure.
Brownie
Shapes in Nature
Track and graph natural objects, make a spiderweb, explore tessellations, and collect data about birds.
Numbers in Nature
Explore temperature, measure the length of leaves, graph leaf data, and plot a garden.
Design with Nature
Calculate the age of a natural object, explore the shape of beehives, build a bird feeder, use ratios to make bird food, and graph data about birds.
Outdoor Art Creator
Find art ideas outdoors, make something, make music outdoors, be a nature photographer, and design with nature.
Eco Friend
Think of ways to help the outdoors, observe outdoor spaces, build a safe campfire, take care of wildlife, and create a game about protecting nature.
Bugs
Draw a bug poster, try a bug craft, see bugs in action, explore bug homes, and take a bug field trip.
Hiker
Try out a hiking skill, pick the right gear, pack a snack, and go on a hike.
Junior
Animal Habitats
Find out about wild animals, investigate an animal habitat, create an animal house, explore endangered habitats, and help protect animal habitats.
Shapes in Nature
Identify symmetry in nature, make symmetrical art inspired by nature, create a mandala, find fractals in nature, and search for the Fibonacci Sequence.
Numbers in Nature
Tell time with nature, predict the weather, explore the circumference of trees, search for shadows, and find the area and perimeter of plants.
Design with Nature
Find your hiking pace, choose a hiking trail, find changes in elevation on a map, decide how much food and water to bring, and pack for your adventure.
Outdoor Art Explorer
Explore outdoor art, make something, find music in nature, be a nature photographer, and design with nature.
Eco Camper
Learn the leave no trace principles, plan meals, practice setting up a campsite, play a leave no trace game, and take a conservation hike.
Flowers
Uncover the science of a flower, go on a flower hunt, find out how flowers help people, make a craft with flowers, and send a message in flower code.
Cadette
Outdoor Art Apprentice
Sketch a landscape, make “seed paper,” be a nature photographer, and design with nature.
Eco Trekker
Learn the leave no trace principles, plan an eco-trek, practice an eco-skill, take action to protect an area, and share what you learned with others.
Trees
Take a tree hike, explore the forest cycle, make a project starring trees, explore the connection between people and trees, and learn how to prune a tree with proper tools.
Cub Scout
Tiger
Tigers in the Wild Adventure
Identify the six hiking essentials, learn the outdoor code, take a nature hike, and visit a nature center.
Champions for Nature Elective
Learn renewable and non-renewable natural resources, the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), what happens to garbage, and participate in a conservation project.
Wolf
Call of the Wild Adventure
Participate in an outdoor activity, prepare for the weather, learn outdoor ethics and safety, how to tie a couple knots, and learn to identify some animals.
Champions for Nature Elective
Understand resources, learn the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), what happens to recyclables in your community, and participate in a conservation project.
Digging in the Past Elective
Play a dinosaur game, create an imaginary dinosaur, be a paleontologist, and build a fossil layer.
Finding your Way Elective
Learn to use maps and compasses.
Spirit of the Water Elective
Learn where water in your home comes from, how water can become polluted, learn to conserve water, and learn how water is treated.
Bear
Habitat Adventure
Prepare for a hike by gathering the six essentials, respect wildlife from a safe distance, and go on a one-mile hike.
Champions for Nature Elective
Participate in a conservation project, go on a natural resource scavenger hunt, explore community water usage, and investigate soil conservation.
Super Science Elective
Explore static electricity, conduct a sink-or-float, color-morphing, and color layering investigation, and use scientific explanation to explain what was learned.
Webelo
Into the Woods Elective
Identify different types of trees and plants, learn about invasives, how trees interact with wildfire, and identify wood products in your home.
Into the Wild Elective
Observe wild creatures, identify an animal only found in your area, learn about aquatic ecosystems, and visit a wildlife preserve.
Castaway Elective
Learn about outdoor cooking, water filtration, building shelter, and outdoor emergency procedures.
Earth Rocks Elective
Go on a rock hunt, examine rocks, test minerals, and identify geological features in your area.
Badges, arrow points and pins are not provided by Wayne County Parks but are available through your Scout Council Office.
Photo Policy: The staff of Wayne County Parks often take photos of participants taking part in sponsored programs or enjoying the parks. Please be aware that these photos are for promotional purposes to be used on the Wayne County website, in Wayne County Parks brochure and flyers, on social media and in newspapers without compensation. Participants consent to being photographed for such purposes, unless Wayne County Parks staff is notified otherwise.