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Frankfort North Breakwater Light Hands-on Display:

M. Van Horn Consulting designed, built, and donated this hands-on display to the City of Frankfort in 2026. The main goal was to instill in young visitors an interest in and respect for community heritage, especially historic structures and cultural icons. The display incorporates design elements of lighthouse construction to encourage donations in support of the North Breakwater lighthouse preservation. Activities include…

- An historic timeline set against a stunning North Breakwater sunset

- Be a History Detective, where you find cool things in historic lighthouse photos using magnifying glasses and critical thinking

- Be a Lighthouse Keeper, where you can set a working lighthouse light like those featured in a 1926 map

- 6 touchable navigational gadgets that help us stay safe in the waves and weather (can you be faster, more sensitive, or more accurate than a machine?)

- Comic book-style panels showing water travel without lighthouses and technologies that replaced them

- Lighthouse blocks and simple photo matching for young ones or those desiring a casual challenge

M Van Horn Consulting LLC, 2026

I am very grateful for the donation of materials and services by the following organizations:

Honor Building Supply

Benzie Area Historical Society

Bayside Printing