LAKE PLACID — Summer is here, and that means the Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society is open for the season.

There are several new events slated for this year, as well as a new exhibit in the museum’s rotating display section that tells the story of golf’s history in Lake Placid. That is largely shaped by Seymour Dunn (1892-1959), a giant in the sport’s history.

Dunn was born and raised in Scotland before coming to the U.S. and ultimately moving to Lake Placid. In addition to playing as a professional golfer, Dunn designed numerous courses throughout the U.S. Locally, that included the Links Course at the Lake Placid Club and the Craig Wood course. Dunn also operated a club manufacturing shop in town.

Dunn’s grandson, Nevton, is a former resident of Lake Placid and served on the LPNEHS Board of Trustees. When Nevton and his wife, Louise, moved to Portland, Oregon, recently, he left the museum with “boxes and boxes” of items and photos that had belonged to Seymour and were passed down through the family, according to LPNEHS board co-President Betsy Hlavacek.

While the museum was closed during the winter months, that didn’t mean the space was dormant. During that time, Parmalee Tolkan and Jon Prime worked to set up the History of Golf in Lake Placid, poring through the various items Nevton left to tell the story.

“He tailor-made golf clubs for people and became quite well known,” she said. “He sort of brought golf to both the U.S. and Lake Placid in particular, and many great golfers had been up here, mostly because of him.”

She said the exhibit is part of a larger focus by the museum to keep people coming back, driven in part by new features — and new knowledge.

“It’s a beautiful historic building,” she said. “We want to embrace that and at the same time, make it a very positive experience and the kind of museum where people will come to more than just once. We don’t want people who live here to say, ‘Oh, I’ve already been there. I’ve already seen it.’ We want to make it a place that turns over enough that there’s enough exciting new change to draw people back again and again, as well as the tourists that are visiting the area that want to understand the story of the town.”

Another new series this year is Music at the Museum. While the first of which took place on Monday, two more are scheduled for July 14 and Aug. 18 — each from 6 to 8 p.m. with an open jam from 8 to 9 p.m. The outdoor events are held rain or shine, are free and open to the public and feature live performances by local artists.

“This music at the museum is one (event) to say, ‘Hey, the museum does more than just tell old stories — let’s get you guys to come down here and enjoy the space,'” Hlavacek said.

Despite blistering temperatures that persisted into the evening hours Monday, she said the turnout was phenomenal, with between 60 and 70 people showing up.

“The idea was to open up the property and the museum to the community, and build a community relationship,” she said. “We have been working hard on an interpretive plan to begin to make some very positive changes on that property to really make it a gathering space for people in town.”

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Upcoming events

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LPNEHS will host an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday. It’s free and the public is invited to come and enjoy appetizers, drinks and check out the museum’s new golf exhibit, as well as the standing displays that tell the community’s history.

“The people of this area who have continued to thrive are hearty souls,” Hlavacek said. “It’s fascinating to see how the town has evolved. … Slowly, this evolved into a town that embraces its connection to nature and to these beautiful mountains. It has evolved into a destination — a resort community that has sustained this town pretty well.”

On Monday, the museum will host retired attorney and author Edward Pitts, who will deliver an illustrated lecture of his new book “Sketching the Adirondacks: Letters from the Wilderness,” which was published through Syracuse University Press. Pitts tells the story of two young artists, Jervis McEntee and Joseph Tubby. They trekked across the central Adirondacks in 1851. The event takes place at the museum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

On July 9, the LPNEHS will have its One-Club Golf Tournament. It is slated to take place from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Lake Placid Club Pristine Nine. Teams of three will play the seven par-3 holes on the course. To take part, participants will need to bring one club and one putter, according to LPNEHS.

Players will also have an opportunity to use vintage clubs on select holes and are encouraged to wear vintage golf attire showcasing fashion in the early 1900s, with judges on hand to award prizes for the best costumes. There will be a reception and awards ceremony at the museum immediately following the tournament. The cost is $100 per team of three. That includes the tournament entry fees, reception and prizes. People can register and pay online at lakeplacidhistory.org. The deadline to register is July 2.

On Aug. 9, LPNEHS will host a festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the museum. There will be food, baked goods, live music, vendors, a silent auction, white elephant and antique sales and games, according to LPNEHS.

The museum is located at 242 Station St. and its regular summer hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.

Hlavacek said the museum presents Lake Placid and North Elba in a unique way, and said knowing the local history is foundational for developing a sense of space.

“Our mission is to preserve and tell the stories of all the people who are here,” she said. “So it’s not just about being a resort town. It’s about the community — the quality of the community, the connection of the community. And we want to keep those stories alive. There are names that are still here — that have been here for decades. It’s multigenerational, and those are pretty spectacular stories to tell.”