The Curwood Castle was the writing studio for James Oliver Curwood, an Owosso Native who was a renowned American author and is the namesake for Owosso's annual Curwood Festival. The Curwood Castle is now a museum regularly open for tours.
The Steam Railroading Institute, located right in downtown Owosso, educates the public about steam era railroading in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. The institute is home to the Pere Marquette 1225, which is well known as the basis for the locomotive in The Polar Express.