Community, Conflict, Conversation 

Hosted by 
The Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan

Conference Venue and Lodging at Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan

ALHFAM’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Conference examines community and conflict in ways that help living history practitioners engage in conversations that facilitate learning and lead to understanding and healing.

The Henry Ford, the host institution, is a large museum complex that includes the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. As the largest cultural attraction in Michigan, it is an ideal venue for ALHFAM 2026. Its historical resources document more than 250 years of colonial and U.S. history, from the 1700s to the present. THF's Greenfield Village, one of the largest open-air museums in the United States, will be full throttle during June 2026, having just opened a new historic house: the Jackson Home from Selma, Alabama, from which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others mobilized to secure voting rights for African Americans.

“Community, Conflict, Conversation” begins with workshops, grows through presentations and events that engage all attendees, and culminates in conversations that will sustain living history into the foreseeable future. Convening just days before the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence on July 4, 2026, the ALHFAM conference extends these conversations worldwide.

ALHFAM 2026 partners include the International Association of Museums of Agriculture (AIMA), the National Collaborative for Women in Historic Sites (NCWHS), Tillers International and local hosts for the Helping Hands and other workshops. 

The Student Center at Eastern Michigan University is conference headquarters, where sessions, meetings and other conference events will occur. Lodging will be available in new and refurbished EMU residence halls, and meals will take place in the EMU Dining Hall.

Workshops and tours will feature local museums, historic sites, cultural attractions and organizations that support ALHFAM-related work. The site visit day features a signature summer event at The Henry Ford, Greenfield Village’s Motor Muster, and offers opportunities to tour the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. 

Preliminary program release date: January 15; Final program release date: February 15

Registration

Registration Opens: February 15

Registration closes May 31 at 11:59 pm Eastern US Daylight time (EDT)

	Member Rate before May 3, 2026	Member Rate May 3 through May 31	Non-Member Rate before May 3, 2026 (includes $40 individual ALHFAM membership)	Non-Member Rate May 3 through May 31(includes $40 individual ALHFAM membership)
Full conference (All meals and group events June 17-21 included)	$475 US	$575 US	$515 US	$615 US
Virtual [includes access to 4 sessions (June 18), 4 sessions, keynote and presidential banquet (June 19)]	$75 US	$85 US	$115 US	$125 US
Daily Registration (All meals and group events on June 17, 18, 19 or 20 are included)	$150	$175	$190 US	$215 US
Workshop/Tour registration fees (June 16, 17, and June 20): Fees vary per. See the final program for details.

Guest Registration

Guests (non-registered speakers, spouses and other guests) may purchase specific meals as listed below. Guest registration does NOT include sessions, tours or workshops.

• June 17: Opening presentation by Joseph McGill, Jr., Slave Dwelling Project; access to the Jackson Home; picnic at Greenfield Village, The Henry Ford - $75
• June 18: ALHFAM Auction Dinner - $20
• June 19: Presidential Banquet - $40
• June 20: Site Visit to Greenfield Village, The Henry Ford - $50

Lodging

Eastern Michigan University (EMU), Ypsilanti, Michigan

Reservations available starting the evening of June 14; check-out no later than after breakfast on June 21.

• Lakeview Dormitory: Studio apartments in one-, two-, and four-bedroom layouts for two to four guests per suite. Guests will have their own bedroom and bath (if only two reserve a two-room suite) or will share a bathroom. Availability limited; indicate suite mate preferences when registering for ALHFAM 2026.($67/night per person includes linen fee)

• Walton A (First-Year Center Dormitory) Jack ‘n Jill suite (two bedrooms separated by a shared bathroom). One person per room: $54.00 plus $25 one-time linen fee. Two persons per room: $40.00 plus $25 one-time linen fee. If relevant, indicate suite mate preferences when registering for ALHFAM 2026.

• Parking Fee: Stay tuned for more information in the registration packet.

Hotel options in the Ypsilanti area (Note that no special rates for ALHFAM have been negotiated)

Ann Arbor Regent Hotel & Suites: https://annarborregent.com/

Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dtwys-ann-arbor-marriott-ypsilanti-at-eagle-crest/overview/

Hampton Inn & Suites Ypsilanti: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dtwyphx-hampton-suites-ypsilanti/

Conference Co-Sponsors