About the Royal Oak Historical Society

Our Mission

The Royal Oak Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history of the Royal Oak community. Our mission is to promote understanding of Royal Oak's historical and cultural legacy through the preservation and interpretation of its ongoing story. We collect, preserve, interpret, exhibit, and teach the heritage of Royal Oak through the care and management of our collections.

Our History

Founded in 1939, the Royal Oak Historical Society is a private, non-profit organization managed by a curator and team of volunteers. We collect, preserve, and make available information and objects that reflect Royal Oak’s past for current and future generations.

The founders were civic activists, representing such organizations as the Library, the Ezra Parker Chapter of the Daughter of the American Revolution, the Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of University Women, the Royal Oak Woman's Club, and the Royal Oak Memorial Society. Today, members of many of these same organizations remain active in the society.

The Society is also committed to ensuring that a significant portion of contributions directly supports our philanthropic initiatives through

The Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan.

Awards & Recognition

Oakland County Underground Railroad Project Proclamation

On February 7, 2024, the Royal Oak Historical Society received this proclamation from the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for our work in helping to uncover the history of the Underground Railroad network in Oakland County.

his research is part of a five-community project on the Underground Railroad led by the Birmingham Museum and funded by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It involves volunteer-based teams in Birmingham, Farmington, Royal Oak, Pontiac, and Southfield researching connections to the Underground Railroad in Oakland County communities.

As part of the project, a traveling exhibit will be on display at Royal Oak Historical Society Museum in early 2025. A huge thanks goes out to Don Drife, who has been working tirelessly on documenting the Hamer family from Royal Oak township. Read the recent article in HOUR Detroit magazine for more about the Hamers.

Press Releases & News

2025

"Residential Genealogy: Beyond the Walls" Coming to Royal Oak Historical Society Sept. 7

The Royal Oak Historical Society is debuting its newest exhibit Residential Genealogy: Beyond the Walls at the Royal Oak Historical Museum Sept. 7, 2025. On view until Oct. 30, 2025, the exhibit aims to help homeowners learn how to trace their own home’s history no matter the year built, all while celebrating homes built in Royal Oak in 1925 and earlier.

Read the full release here.

Woodward Memories on Display at Royal Oak Historical Museum Now Through July 26

The Royal Oak Historical Society is presenting its current limited-time exhibit Woodward Memories at the Royal Oak Historical Museum now through Saturday, July 26, 2025. A visitor favorite, the exhibit explores the famous destinations on Woodward Avenue during the 1950s and 1960s.